R 141706Z JAN 20
MARADMIN 017/20
SUBJ/TRANSFER OF POST-9/11 GI BILL EDUCATION BENEFITS (TEB) TO DEPENDENTS PROCESS//
REF/A/MSGID: MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP/R111945ZJUL19//
REF/B/MSGID: DOC/MCO/01SEP2010//
REF/C/MSGID: DOC/DODI/31MAY2013//
REF/D/MSGID: DOC/DTM/31AUG2018//
REF/E/MSGID: DOC/MEMO/25OCT2018//
REF/F/MSGID: DOC/MEMO/03JUL2019//
REF/G/MSGID: DOC/CONGRESS/20DEC2019//
REF/H/MSGID: DOC/DODI/21DEC2018//
NARR/REF A IS MARADMIN 391/19, TRANSFER OF POST-9/11 GI BILL EDUCATION BENEFITS (TEB) TO DEPENDENTS PROCESS. REF B IS MCO 1560.25, MARINE CORPS LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAM. REF C IS DODI 1341.13, POST-9/11 GI BILL, INCORPORATING CHANGE 1, 12 JULY 2018. REF D IS DTM-18-006, TRANSFERABILITY OF UNUSED POST-9/11 GI BILL EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS BY RECIPIENTS OF THE PURPLE HEART. REF E IS OUSD (PR) MEMO, TIME LIMITED AUTHORITY TO APPROVE EXCEPTIONS TO POLICY FOR TRANSFER OF BENEFITS UNDER THE POST-9/11 GI BILL. REF F IS OUSD (PR) MEMO, EXCEPTION TO POLICY, DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF LIMITATIONS ON ELIGIBILITY TO TRANSFER THE POST-9/11 GI BILL.  REF G IS SECTION 578 OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020. REF H IS DODI 1332.46, TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY (TERA) FOR SERVICE MEMBERS.//
POC/R. W. BARRY/CIV/UNIT: MPO/TEL: 703-432-9422/EMAIL: MPO@USMC.MIL//
POC/MMEA-1/TEL: 703-432-9124/9145/EMAIL: USMC.TEB@USMC.MIL//
POC/MMOA-3/TEL: 703-784-9284/9285/EMAIL: SMBMANPOWEROFFICERPR@USMC.MIL//
POC/RAM-1/TEL: 703-784-3676/EMAIL: RAM-1@USMC.MIL//
POC/MMSL/TEL: 703-784-9231/EMAIL: SENIOR LEADER HELP DESK@USMC.MIL//
POC/MF MRR-1/TEL: 703-784-9550//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  Purpose.  This MARADMIN cancels reference (a), and provides guidance specific to the transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill (PGIB) education benefits (TEB) to dependents process.
    a.  Eligibility and administration of the PGIB are the responsibility of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  Policies and procedures for utilization of the PGIB and TEB are available at benefits.va.gov/gibill.  Information concerning the PGIB itself, eligibility, and benefits are provided in reference (b).
    b.  References (c) and (d) provide TEB policy.  References (e) and (f) deferred full implementation of reference (c) to 12 July 2019 and 12 January 2020, respectively.  Reference (g) voided the particular provision of reference (c) that limited transferability of educational benefits for Service members with greater than 16 years of service.  Marines with more than 16 years of service may request to TEB as long as they meet the criteria outlined in paragraph 4, below.
    c.  Per reference (c), the Marine Corps is authorized to use TEB to promote recruitment and retention:  TEB is not an entitlement.  Accordingly, Marines should not presume automatic approval of a TEB request, and are responsible to check the status of their TEB request via the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) TEB Web application as provided in paragraph 7, below.
2.  Effective Date.  This MARADMIN is effective immediately.
3.  Marines Already Approved to TEB.  Marines who are already approved to TEB are not required to take any further action, but are encouraged to review paragraph 8 of this MARADMIN, and review their current TEB-related service obligation date at the DMDC TEB Web application at milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect.  An auto-generated approval letter is posted in the DMDC TEB Web application.  Approval letters are addressed to the Marine, and provide the specific TEB Obligation End Date along with the allocation of benefits per dependent.  Marines without an auto-generated approval letter from the DMDC TEB Web application have not been approved to TEB.
4.  Eligible Marines.  Marines who meet the following four criteria may request to transfer to one or more of their eligible dependents all or a portion of their PGIB education benefit.  Applicants should not presume automatic approval of TEB requests, and are responsible to check the status of their TEB request via the DMDC TEB Web application as provided in paragraph 7, below.
    a.  Currently serving on active duty or in the Selected Reserve (SELRES).  The term SELRES includes:  members of Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR), Individual Mobilization Augmentees (IMA), and members of the Active Reserve (AR).  Marines in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), Standby Reserve, or Retired Reserve may not request to TEB unless they are serving on active duty or in the SELRES and meet all other eligibility requirements.
    b.  Currently eligible for PGIB education assistance.
    c.  Have greater than or equal to 6 years, 0 months, and 0 days of creditable military service on the TEB request date.
        (1) Creditable service uses the Armed Forces Active Duty Base Date (AFADBD) and/or number of satisfactory years reflected in the Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS).
        (2) The determination of the total years of creditable service and TEB Obligation End Date is based on the date of the TEB request on the DMDC TEB Web application, not the date that the request is approved.
    d.  Be willing and able to complete four (4) additional years of service (active duty or SELRES – with no break in service) from the TEB request date.
        (1) CMC (MM/RA) will determine whether a TEB applicant is precluded by statute or policy from being able to complete this additional service obligation, and may not approve a TEB request for a Marine who is precluded by statute or policy from being able to complete this additional service obligation.  If necessary, and consistent with retention policies, enlisted Marines must be approved to reenlist/extend to meet this additional service obligation.  An exception to this provision is provided in paragraph 5 of this MARADMIN.
        (2) The ability to complete this additional service obligation should be taken extremely seriously.  VA systems are alerted to members who fail to complete the required additional obligated service.  Any amount of approved transferred entitlement that is used by the dependent(s) of a member who fails to complete the additional obligated service is treated as an overpayment of educational assistance and is subject to collection by the VA.  See paragraph 8 regarding the failure to complete the additional service.
5.  Purple Heart Recipients.  Per reference (d), eligibility provisions regarding years of creditable service or ability to complete an additional period of obligated service do not apply to Service members awarded the Purple Heart.  All other TEB requirements remain in effect, to include the requirement that TEB eligibility is limited to Marines currently serving on active duty or in the SELRES.  See paragraph 7 for the application process.
6.  Eligible Dependents.  Only dependents enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS) and reflected as eligible in the DMDC TEB Web application at milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect are authorized to be designated as a transferee.
7.  Process
    a.  Prior to or concurrent with submitting a request to TEB, Marines will review reference (c) and speak with their unit Career Planner about re-enlistment and extension options available to be retained for 4 years (on active duty or in the SELRES).  If a Marine is submitting for re-enlistment or extension in conjunction with a TEB request, the Marine and Career Planner must ensure that the retention request being submitted specifies:  “For purposes of establishing the required service obligation to TEB under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.”
    b.  Eligible Marines must use the DMDC TEB Web application at milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect to request to TEB, modify, or revoke transferred benefits.  Marines must complete the TEB Acknowledgements checklist.  All acknowledgements must be selected to complete the application process.  Marines completing this checklist agree to complete the prescribed additional period of service and acknowledge their responsibility for any overpayments due to not completing the additional obligated term of service before separating from active duty or the SELRES.  See paragraph 8 regarding the failure to complete the additional service.
    c.  When submitting a request to TEB, Marines must designate their transferee(s) and the number of months to be transferred to each transferee.
        (1) Marines must designate at least 1 month to each desired eligible transferee.  At least 1 dependent must receive a minimum of 1 month upon election.  Marines are advised to designate at least 1 month to each eligible dependent prior to separation, retirement, or discharge, as a Marine may not change a 0-month designation once separated, retired, or discharged.
        (2) Marines must ensure the total number of months transferred do not exceed the lesser of:  the months of PGIB unused benefits available, or 36 months.  Marines may access a formal statement of the number of months of PGIB education benefits to which entitled at the following VA website:  www.va.gov/education/gi-bill/post-9-11/ch-33-benefit.
    d.  For additional questions, Marines should contact their respective TEB primary point of contact (POC) listed in paragraph 9.
    e.  Purple Heart recipients who are requesting to TEB should contact their respective TEB primary POC to confirm award information in conjunction with their application.  See paragraph 9.
    f.  Before approving a request to TEB, CMC (MM/RA) will determine whether a TEB applicant meets eligibility criteria, to include whether the Marine is eligible for retention under retention policies, and has committed to the additional service obligation (i.e., four years from the TEB request date – with no break in service).
    g.  CMC (MM/RA) will maintain TEB requests in a pending status for a reasonable period (i.e., generally, no more than 150 days) to allow Marines to request to extend or re-enlist, when necessary.
        (1) Desired retention and extension actions, consistent with current retention policies, are a shared responsibility between the Marine, his or her unit, and CMC (MM/RA).  Marines are responsible to track their request to extend or re-enlist; do not assume approval.
        (2) TEB requests held in a pending status beyond this period, when MM/RA has not authorized a Marine to extend or re-enlist to meet the additional service obligation, will be rejected.
    h.  Marines must check the status of their TEB request via the DMDC TEB Web application.
    i.  If a TEB request has been approved:
        (1) An auto-generated approval letter (in PDF format) will post in the DMDC TEB Web application.  Approval letters are addressed to the Marine and provide the specific TEB Obligation End Date along with the allocation of benefits per dependent.  Marines without an auto-generated approval letter from the DMDC TEB Web application have not been approved to TEB.
        (2) Prior to using approved transferred benefits, dependents must request a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA by completing VA Form 22-1990E, which is available through the Veterans Affairs website:  www.va.gov/education/transfer-post-9-11-gi-bill-benefits.
        (3) A spouse may use transferred benefits upon approval.  Once a spouse has been designated as a transferee, a subsequent divorce will not affect their eligibility.  TEB may not be treated as marital property, or the asset of a marital estate, subject to division in a divorce or other civil proceeding.
        (4) A child may start to use transferred benefits only after receipt of TEB approval and when the Marine has completed at least 10.0 years of creditable military service, or if the Marine is separated for one of the reasons listed in subparagraph 3.g(2) of enclosure 3 of reference (c) or subparagraph 3.2 of reference (h).  Once a child has been designated as a transferee, their subsequent marriage will not affect eligibility.
        (5) A Marine may modify or revoke an approved transfer at any time through the DMDC TEB Web application.  A Marine may not change a 0-month transferee designation once separated, retired, or discharged.
        (6) A Marine may add eligible family members through the DMDC TEB Web application while serving in the Uniformed Services.  This action does not incur additional obligated service.
        (7) A Marine may not designate new transferees once separated, retired, or discharged.  A limited exception is provided for upon the death of an originally designated dependent.
    j.  If a TEB request has been rejected, a Marine should not reapply until they contact their unit career planner or their respective TEB primary POC listed in paragraph 9 to determine the reason for rejection, and to take corrective action, if desired.  This step is crucial, as subsequent requests will be assigned a new TEB request date (i.e., the service obligation clock is reset).  Marines already eligible to receive educational assistance under the PGIB retain their eligibility.
8.  Failure to Complete Additional Service.  Any amount of approved transferred entitlement that is used by dependent(s) of a member who fails to complete the additional obligated service (i.e., fails to serve to his or her TEB Obligation End Date on active duty or the SELRES) will be treated as an overpayment of educational assistance and is subject to collection by the VA.
    a.  The VA treats any break in service time (e.g., an active duty or SELRES member who drops to the IRR for more than 24 hours) as a breach of the TEB Obligation End Date.  A Marine, already approved to TEB, who believes that they could experience a break in service time must contact Reserve Affairs (RAM-1) for guidance prior to a possible break in service.
    b.  This provision does not apply to a Marine who, after being approved to TEB, fails to complete the additional obligated service due to the specific exceptions listed in subparagraph 3.g(2) of enclosure 3 of reference (c) or subparagraph 3.2 of reference (h).  Broadly, these exceptions apply in the case of death, or under particularly designated involuntary separations that include medical discharges, force shaping initiatives, and selective continuation.  A Marine, already approved to TEB, who believes that one of these specific exceptions applies to their case, must notify their respective TEB primary POC listed in paragraph 9 for final determination.
9.  TEB Primary Points of Contact
    a.  Active Component enlisted Marines:  Manpower Management Enlisted Assignments (MMEA-1).
    b.  Active Component officers:  Manpower Management Officer Assignments (MMOA-3).
    c.  Reserve Component Marines:  Reserve Affairs (RAM-1).
    d.  General Officers:  Manpower Management Senior Leadership (MMSL).
    e.  Voluntary Education Program, education systems and training, and liaison with the VA and the DMDC regarding the PGIB:  Marine and Family Programs (MF).
    f.  TEB policy, determinations, and adjudication:  Manpower Military Policy (MPO).
10.  This MARADMIN is applicable to the Total Force.
11.  Release authorized by Lieutenant General Michael A. Rocco, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.//