The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) helps you pay for school or job training. If you’ve served on active duty after September 10, 2001, you may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33). Find out if you can get this education benefit. Show
Most Post-9/11 GI Bill students must verify their enrollmentFind out if this requirement applies to you If you get monthly housing allowance (MHA), college fund (or “kicker”) payments, or both, you must verify your enrollment each month if you’re at one of these types of schools:
If you don’t get monthly housing allowance (MHA) and/or kicker payments, check back here soon to find out when this new requirement will start for you. Learn more about verifying your enrollment Am I eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) benefits?You may be eligible for education benefits if you meet at least one of these requirements. At least one of these must be true:
Note: If you’re a member of the Reserves who lost education benefits when the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) ended in November 2015, you may qualify to receive restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. What if I qualify for other VA education benefits too?You can use only 1 education benefit for a period of service. You’ll have to choose which education benefit you’d like to use. Once you make this choice, you can’t change your mind and use a different education benefit. Examples:
Note: If you don’t choose which benefit you want to use, we’ll contact you and ask you to decide. If you don’t respond, we’ll choose for you. You can get help deciding which education benefits to use by calling us at 888-442-4551. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. If you have hearing loss, call TTY: 711. How many total months of VA education benefits can I get?You may be able to get a maximum of 48 months of VA education benefits—not including Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits. But many applicants are eligible for only 36 months. What benefits can I get through the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)?
Find out how we determine your percentage of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits Find out how we determine your Post-9/11 GI Bill coverage Do these benefits expire?This depends on when you were discharged from active duty. If your service ended before January 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) benefits will expire 15 years after your last separation date from active service. You must use all of your benefits by that time or you’ll lose whatever’s left. If your service ended on or after January 1, 2013, your benefits won’t expire thanks to a law called the Forever GI Bill - Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act. Learn more about this law How do I get these benefits?You’ll need to apply. Apply for education benefits The benefit amount depends on which school you go to, how much active-duty service you’ve had since September 10, 2001, and how many credits or training hours you’re taking. How do I know how much of my Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are left?If you already applied for and were awarded Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits, your GI Bill Statement of Benefits will show you how much of your benefits you’ve used and how much you have left to use. Check your GI Bill Statement of Benefits Can my family members or I get any additional benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)?You may qualify for these additional benefits:
How can I use my Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) benefits?You can use your GI Bill benefits in many ways to advance your education and training. Work toward a degree:
Train for a specific career, trade, or industry:
Work while you study:
Take classes from home:
Note: If your school changed to online classes because of COVID-19, we continued paying GI Bill benefits from March 1, 2020, to June 1, 2022. This ended on June 2, 2022. If your school doesn’t offer approved online classes, you’ll need to return to in-person classes to continue receiving GI Bill benefits. How does VA determine my monthly housing allowance (MHA)?Your MHA is based on the monthly military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. We start with that amount, then we take into account these additional factors to calculate your MHA:
Campus definitions for location-based housing allowanceWe use these campus definitions to help determine your location-based housing allowance: Main campus. The primary teaching location of the school. Branch campus. A school location that’s in a different zip code from the main campus. It has its own budget, administration, and resources. It also offers its own degree and certificate programs. Extension campus. A campus of a school that may or may not be in the same zip code as the main or branch campus. It has the same budget, administration, and resources as the main campus or branch campus. It doesn’t offer its own degree or certificate programs. Use the GI Bill Comparison Tool to calculate your MHA payment How can I get more information?You can get more information about the GI Bill from these guides:
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The absence of the registration symbol ® does not constitute a waiver of VA’s trademark rights in that phrase. Check the current payment rates for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship allows eligible Veterans and dependents using the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Fry Scholarship to get added benefits. Find out if you’re eligible and how to apply. |