I saw in this months edition of Company Driver that Werner has an apprentice program for veterans that allows them to draw their VA Educational Benefits for up to a year on top of their pay. What's the catch to this and is anyone doing it right now?

 

The catch is Werner doesn't have to pay a vet what the vet's worth. Do you understand short changing a vet. Let me put it this way, they're screwing vets.
Save your VA ed benefit for something important, like a college degree. BOL

 

Nah, you got it all wrong, I was just curious. I'm pretty skeptical about things that sound too good to be true. I just wanted to see if any vets had enrolled into their program and how they liked it.

 

just curious but explain how they would be screwing over the veteran

 

As a Vet myself, I have looked into the program.

He is what it boils down to.........a Vet hires on with Werner and gets the exact same wages as any entry level driver will.

The benefit to the Vet is that he/she can apply and draw off of their G.I. Bill over the first year. That equals to just under $10,000.00 that year in ADDITION to the pay the company gives them.

The only catch to the program is that you have to be employed by that company for the full year.

Now some will say why waste your G.I. in that manner?? It's very simple.....NOT EVERYONE has plans to further their education and therefore that benefit will be eventually be wasted in the long run.

Right now Werner advertises that they are the ONLY company to offer this to Vets and this is accurate as I have already checked with the Education Department of the Veterans Affairs.

But guess what..........they WILL NOT be able to make that claim for long as CFI is in the works of also doing this. I know this for a fact as it was I who turned them onto it. They have already had a meeting with the Department of Labor and the VA and are currently running the gauntlet of red tape to get the program up and running. Their hopes are to have it in place by the beginning of the year.

So no one is screwing over a Vet, on the contrary they are helping the Vet cash in on the G.I. Bill that may otherwise not be taken advantage of.

Word of advise to any Vets out there that might be thinking of this program. If you have no intention of ever furthering your own education, but you have children, check with the VA to see if your branch of service allows you to use your G.I. Bill for your dependents education. Unfortunately the Navy does not participate in it right now.

 

Any company can do what Weerner is doing as long as they meet certain guidelines and apply to the SSA (state Approving Agency).

Basically, the company has to show that the Vet will be involved in an OJT or apprentice program. This means re-naming what they already do and maybe giving you a piece of paper at the end that ssays "you are now Certified."

Here's the one thing that is not well known.

The GI Bill benefits are designed to help you earn a standard wage through the first year. The VA understandds that when you first start training, you'll be at the lowest pay possible. Then you get additional pay every few months.

The GI Bill benefit will make up the difference.

So during the first six months you'll collect 100% of your benefit. (As an example, for me that would be $1075.)

But during the next six months as my company pay increases, my GI Bill pay DECREASES . . . so I only get 65% of my benefit ($700). Then during the next six months if I continue collecting, it drops to 45% ($483).

So during the first year at Werner I would collect 6 X $1075 = $6450 and 6 X ((.65)$1075) = $4200 TOTAL = $10,600

Werner told me it would actually be "around $9600" so I'm not sure exactly how they figure it but as you see it will be around there.

Of course, the benefits are non-taxable.

I don't like that I'm only getting 65% . . . it's basically giving up two months worth, or around $2000. But if that doesn't bother you, it's not a bad deal.

By the way . . . I happen to have the Vietnam Era GI Bill which never expires. But a lot of younger guys have newer versions and your benefits do expire.

So those of you who want to hold out for some use down the road . . . check your expiration date!

 

Frogman,

You're absolutely correct in your post.

The program is intended t help subsidize the lower wages a person, in this case the Vet would get at the entry level position and the money is non-taxable.

Any company can do this as long as they meet all the requirements set forth by the Department of Labor and Veterans Administration.

The amount that the Vet collects does decrease over that year as the company wages increase. When I inquired about the program with the VA, they also explained that this does NOT exhaust my entire G.I. Bill. It roughly equates to 1/3 of the total. This still allow the Vet to use the other 2/3 for any education he/his chooses (meeting all VA criteria of course).

My G.I. Bill has an expiration of 30 years from the time I am discharged from active duty (6 months to go )

 

[quote="devildice"]
I have to admit total ignorance on the current "GI Bill" . . . there have been so many programs, choices and variations that you'd almost think the government was in charge of it. :roll:

I used mine to pay for my last two years of college and part of a Master's Degree and I still have 21 months left!

Now if they only kept their promise with their medical and dental care for my family . . . . :sad:

 

devildice
"My G.I. Bill has an expiration of 30 years from the time I am discharged from active duty."
Thirty years? Thought it was ten and only 36 months of benefits. BOL

Ref: VA Pamphlet 22-90-2 Rev 10/04

 

Just went through what we call TAP class as I am about to retire and the VA rep stated 30 years. I will have to double check on it as I may have made a mistake in my notes. The 36 months is correct to the best of my knowledge and my notes( ).