Okay guys - a cautionary tale...
Let me give you all a little back ground on me and education -
I have a B.S. and an M.B.A. that I got through Military Tuition Assistance... Awesome benefit for the military and quite honestly if you are in the military and don't take advantage of it - well, it is just plain foolish.
I am also a PhD student and use a combination of the GiBill and Tuition Assistance to pay for the classes -
Today is the 15th - one of two days a month that all of you tax payers tell me thanks. Except today was different - today was my first military No Pay Due.
So, I call our local admin and have two minor explosions on the phone;
#1 - Why am I getting an NPD?
#2 - Why did I not know that I was getting an NPD?
Now - I am usually a very mild mannered person, who doesn't have a mean bone is his body - really; but I flat tee'd off on a couple of admin guys at my unit. The only thing that aleviates some of the guilt that I feel for going off so badly - is that they didn't get it nearly as badly from me, as I got it from my wife! The admin guys were helpful; they were able to tell me to expect another NPD on the 1st! A whole month's pay - gone! Why?
Anyway, as it turns out, it was because my grades for the first few PhD courses were never posted to my record. I sent in my grade reports, I followed up with out Navy College rep, but - somehow the grades never made it into my record or SMART Transcript - so they took the money for the classes back. All day long I have been trying to figure out what I was going to do - I am moving soon, I have plans for the Bash, I still have parts that I want, etc...
After working the issue personally for the last 10 hrs, I am being credited so my pay will come late, but it will come -
CAp, Vabs: please belay my last! WooHoo!
Please don't interpret this in anyway other than this -
If you are using TA in the military - when you send in your grades, follow up in your records to make sure the grades post.... I have never met someone who was checked pay for TA - but now I am one, and it is simply because I didn't follow up... Don't make my mistake!
That said, you guys would not believe how much better I feel!
Let me give you all a little back ground on me and education -
I have a B.S. and an M.B.A. that I got through Military Tuition Assistance... Awesome benefit for the military and quite honestly if you are in the military and don't take advantage of it - well, it is just plain foolish.
I am also a PhD student and use a combination of the GiBill and Tuition Assistance to pay for the classes -
Today is the 15th - one of two days a month that all of you tax payers tell me thanks. Except today was different - today was my first military No Pay Due.
So, I call our local admin and have two minor explosions on the phone;
#1 - Why am I getting an NPD?
#2 - Why did I not know that I was getting an NPD?
Now - I am usually a very mild mannered person, who doesn't have a mean bone is his body - really; but I flat tee'd off on a couple of admin guys at my unit. The only thing that aleviates some of the guilt that I feel for going off so badly - is that they didn't get it nearly as badly from me, as I got it from my wife! The admin guys were helpful; they were able to tell me to expect another NPD on the 1st! A whole month's pay - gone! Why?
Anyway, as it turns out, it was because my grades for the first few PhD courses were never posted to my record. I sent in my grade reports, I followed up with out Navy College rep, but - somehow the grades never made it into my record or SMART Transcript - so they took the money for the classes back. All day long I have been trying to figure out what I was going to do - I am moving soon, I have plans for the Bash, I still have parts that I want, etc...
After working the issue personally for the last 10 hrs, I am being credited so my pay will come late, but it will come -
CAp, Vabs: please belay my last! WooHoo!
Please don't interpret this in anyway other than this -
If you are using TA in the military - when you send in your grades, follow up in your records to make sure the grades post.... I have never met someone who was checked pay for TA - but now I am one, and it is simply because I didn't follow up... Don't make my mistake!
That said, you guys would not believe how much better I feel!
