GI Bill and other education benefit eligibility

If you’re an active-duty service member or Veteran, a member of the National Guard or Reserves, or a qualified survivor or dependent, you may be eligible for the GI Bill or other educational assistance. Find out if you may be able to get help paying for tuition and fees, books, housing, and other education costs, depending on which education benefits you’re eligible for.

Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility information

If any of these are true, you may be eligible for benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33):

• You served on active duty for at least 90 days after September 10, 2001, whether continuous (all at once) or interrupted (for shorter periods over time), or
• You served for at least 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001 and were discharged because of a service-connected disability, or
• You received a Purple Heart after September 10, 2001

Note: If you have only 1 period of service that begins on or after August 1, 2011, and you qualify for other VA education benefits, you can use only 1 education benefit. You’ll have to choose which education benefit you’d like to use.

For example, if you choose to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill instead of the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD, or Chapter 30), you can’t switch at some later date to use MGIB-AD. If you decide to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill, we’ll refund you part or all of the payments you made into MGIB-AD.

Montgomery GI Bill eligibility information

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

Generally, if you served at least 2 years on active duty and you meet the requirements listed here, you may be eligible for benefits through MGIB-AD.

All of these must be true:

• You were honorably discharged, and
• You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
• You didn’t decline enrollment in MGIB-AD when you started active duty, and
• You meet other requirements
  Check all the requirements for MGIB-AD

Note: If you have only 1 period of service that begins on or after August 1, 2011, and you qualify for other VA education benefits, you can use only 1 education benefit. You’ll have to choose which education benefit you’d like to use.

For example, if you choose to use MGIB-AD instead of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you can’t switch at some later date to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

You can get help deciding which education benefits to use by calling us at 888-442-4551 (TTY: 711). We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET.

Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)

If you’re a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard Reserves, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard, and you meet the requirements listed here, you may be able to get benefits through MGIB-SR.

One of these must be true:

• You have a 6-year service obligation (you agreed to serve 6 years) in the Selected Reserve, or
• You’re an officer in the Selected Reserve who agreed to serve 6 years in addition to your initial service obligation

And all of these must be true:

• You complete your initial active duty for training (IADT), and
• You get a high school diploma or certificate of equal value, like a High School Equivalency Diploma or GED, before finishing IADT, and
• You stay in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit

Other eligibility questions you may have

Generally, if you’re eligible for more than 1 education benefit, you may be able to get up to a maximum of 48 months (or 4 years) of VA education benefits. This doesn’t include Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits (Chapter 31). But many applicants are eligible for up to 36 months (or 3 years) only.

You may be eligible for added benefits through the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship or the Yellow Ribbon Program.

You can use your benefits in many ways. For example, you can earn a degree, diploma, or certificate, or you can use your benefits for on-the-job training and apprenticeships. You can also get reimbursed for the cost of tests to become a licensed or certified professional.

You may be able to get free educational and career counseling through the Personalized Career Planning and Guidance program (Chapter 36) if you meet one of these requirements.

One of these must be true:

• You’re leaving active service soon, or
• You have been discharged within the past year, or
• You’re a Veteran or dependent who is eligible for VA education benefits

If you have a service-connected disability that limits your ability to work or prevents you from working, you may be eligible for Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits and services (Chapter 31)—like help exploring employment options and getting more training if required.

If you’ve received one of these discharge statuses, you may not be eligible for VA benefits.

Note: If you served honorably in one period of service, you can apply for VA benefits using that honorable characterization. You earned your benefits during the period in which you served honorably.

In some cases, the spouse, surviving spouse, and children of service members and Veterans can get educational assistance through the GI Bill.

Also, if you’re in the Armed Forces and you haven’t used all of your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, you may be able to transfer up to 36 months (or 3 years) of benefits to your spouse or dependent children.

If you have a service-connected disability, your dependent family members may be eligible for educational and career counseling benefits through the Personalized Career Planning and Guidance program (Chapter 36).

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Note: To apply for Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits (Chapter 31) or educational and career counseling through Personalized Career Planning and Guidance (Chapter 36), you’ll need to use a different application.

Last updated: June 27, 2024