I'm using my GI Bill benefits in Houston at Lone Star College (LSC). I was a meteorologist in the Air Force, am a current meteorologist, and will be going to A&M next year getting my meteorology degree.

I'm basically starting from square 1 on the degree, so I have had to take a lot of basic/prerequisite courses before I can transfer into A&M, so I'm taking them at LSC for convenience. The only courses I am taking are courses that will be applied towards my MET degree at A&M.

I have now hit a wall where I can't take math and science courses that can be applied to LSC's associate degree plans AND the MET program at A&M--since the GI Bill only covers courses in your current college's selected degree plan. I can't transfer into the MET program at A&M until I finish Calculus 1 & 2, Chem 1 & 2, and Mechanics. In any degree plan LSC offers, I have fulfilled either my math or science "course quota" if I switch my degree plan every semester.

Does anyone know of a way to work around this issue? I will still take the courses I need to take to get into A&M, but will just pay for them out of pocket instead of using the GI Bill.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Have you talked to the advisor at A&M for meteorology? I had a political science course from Houston Community College that was supposed to convert to something different than I needed, but he filled out some paperwork and substituted for what I needed.

Your math course may transfer with some help from the advisor.

All the classes I'm taking will transfer to A&M, they just won't be covered by the GI Bill because they aren't tied to the Degree Plan at Lone Star College. I can change my degree plan, but LSC doesn't have any plans that align with me taking all my required classes to transfer.

For instance, I have to take all math classes leading up Calculus 2. The Associate of Science degree only requires 6 Math credit hours. If I switch it to a degree that allows me to take all the Math courses I need, then it only requires 4 science credits, when I need 12. I can still take the courses I need to transfer, but I will pay them out of pocket.

It just makes no sense to me that the GI Bill doesn't allow students to take the classes they need to take to apply to a degree at a 4 year program. I think there should be some kind of approval process with the VA that allows students to take applicable basic courses at a community college that will transfer to a 4 year university.

I'm asking if anyone here knows of a loophole/waiver I could use, or if anyone has any other suggestions.

[This message has been edited by AFDave13 (edited 5/9/2014 3:35p).]

Maybe if you were dual enrolled at A&M and blinn then you could use the gi bill then. By doing that you would be able to show them you're taking the required classes but just at a different institution. Maybe try contacting the veterans resource office at A&M and explain the situation.

You need to call the TAMU Veterans Resource and Support Center. They have two advisors who advocate for veterans with advisors in all of the colleges. You will not find anyone more dedicated to your success.

Phone: 979-845-3161

And, while not a short-term fix for you, it might be worth a call to your congressman and senators. Surely one of them would see the value in picking up this issue and running with it.

In the best case scenario, it wouldn't require a legislative change & could be taken care of with a few well-placed calls to Administration officials.

Thanks for the replies! I have contacted Ted Poe and spoke with his office about it. I've worked with him before in the past, so hopefully something can come of it. Maybe not for me, but I think students should be allowed to take classes at a 2 year college that transfer to a 4 year college degree program. What a waste by "making me" take classes I don't need by telling me I can only take classes I need.

I will call the Vet's resource office, thank you!

I am in the TAP program at A&M and I'm going through this same problem at Blinn right now. I haven't really found any effective ways to fully correct the problem. I did add a second major, which brought a few more courses into my "degree plan". You might look into that as an option.

Well the sort of good news in this is if you do have to pay for those Calculus and Chemistry courses, at least you will be paying community college credit hour rates and not A&M rates.