ATP GI Bill Med Cert eligibility 6 month rule
05-06-2024, 08:01 AM
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Joined APC: Mar 2024
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ATP GI Bill Med Cert eligibility 6 month rule
Hello all. I recently completed my ATP and A320 type rating at ATP Jets and I am trying to get reimbursed with the GI Bill. I am running into an eligibilty issue with respect to the Medical Certification.
I signed up for the course a month prior to the start date as I was in a rush to complete my ATP; one of the details I failed to see (or remember) for using the GI Bill was ATP Jets' eligibility requirements.
https://atpflightschool.com/gi-bill/
You will see under the eligibility requirements that:
I looked up the eligibility requirements for the GI bill for Delta's ATP CTP course since I used it for that; they had the same requirements last year but it wasn't an issue for me due to attending the course a month after getting my med cert.
Clean kill? Not so fast.
The VA site says nothing about this 6 month rule, it just says (for eligibility)
/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/flight-training
/
Additionally, 38 CFR § 21.4235 (a)3 says
Finally, I used AskVA.gov to confirm this. I asked them if there was a law backing up this 6 month rule. Their response:
"For Airline Transport Pilot programs, a first class medical certification is valid for 1 year, providing you were under 40 years of age at the time it became effective (I am under 40)."
So, am I missing something? Can schools be more restrictive on their eligibility requirements? Or is there actually a law they can point to where this is the case? I am wondering if this requirement was recently removed and these schools never got the memo...
Sorry for the wall of text. I feel like I've stumbled upon an issue that the VA needs to address and want my fellow GI Bill users to be aware.
I signed up for the course a month prior to the start date as I was in a rush to complete my ATP; one of the details I failed to see (or remember) for using the GI Bill was ATP Jets' eligibility requirements.
https://atpflightschool.com/gi-bill/
You will see under the eligibility requirements that:
- FAA First Class Medical dated within six months of your start date
I looked up the eligibility requirements for the GI bill for Delta's ATP CTP course since I used it for that; they had the same requirements last year but it wasn't an issue for me due to attending the course a month after getting my med cert.
Clean kill? Not so fast.
The VA site says nothing about this 6 month rule, it just says (for eligibility)
- You have a second-class medical certificate valid for second-class privileges—or a first-class medical certificate if you want to pursue the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate
/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/flight-training
/
Additionally, 38 CFR § 21.4235 (a)3 says
- If enrolled in an ATP certification course, hold a first-class medical certificate on the first day of training and, if that course began before October 1, 1998, hold that certificate continuously during training.
Finally, I used AskVA.gov to confirm this. I asked them if there was a law backing up this 6 month rule. Their response:
"For Airline Transport Pilot programs, a first class medical certification is valid for 1 year, providing you were under 40 years of age at the time it became effective (I am under 40)."
So, am I missing something? Can schools be more restrictive on their eligibility requirements? Or is there actually a law they can point to where this is the case? I am wondering if this requirement was recently removed and these schools never got the memo...
Sorry for the wall of text. I feel like I've stumbled upon an issue that the VA needs to address and want my fellow GI Bill users to be aware.
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