VA Education Benefits

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers education benefits to veterans, service members, and their families. Benefits can include help paying tuition, finding the right school or training program, and career counseling.

To get Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits (also called Chapter 33), you must have started your military service on or after September 11, 2001, and one of these must be true:

• You served for at least 90 days total on active duty
• You served for at least 30 days on active duty, without a break, and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability
• You received a Purple Heart, or
• You are a dependent child using benefits transferred by a qualifying veteran or service member.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits help you pay for school or job training for up to 36 months. It can include:

• Tuition and fees
• Money for housing if you're in school more than half-time
• Money for books and supplies
• A one-time payment to help you move from a rural area to go back to school if you:
  • Live in a county with six or fewer people per square mile, and
  • You're either moving at least 500 miles to go to school or have no other option but to fly by plane to get to your school.

Note: If your service ended before January 1, 2013, then your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits will expire 15 years after your last separation date from active service. You must use all your benefits by that time or you'll lose whatever is left. If your service ended on or after January 1, 2013, your benefits don't expire.

Learn more about the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Montgomery GI Bill

The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) gives you monthly cash payments for up to 36 months while you are enrolled at an approved college or trade school and remain in good standing. There are two Montgomery GI Bill programs and you may qualify for benefits from one of them.

Note: To get Montgomery GI Bill benefits, you must have received an honorable discharge. If you want these benefits but received some type of dishonorable discharge, you can apply for a character of discharge review.

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

You may get help paying for education or training through MGIB-AD if you served at least two years on active duty. There are four eligibility categories for MGIB-AD, and the requirements for each vary based on when you served on active duty and if your military pay decreased. For all categories, you need to use your benefits within ten years of your last day on active duty. Learn more about MGIB-AD.

Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)

You can get benefits through MGIB-SR if you:

• Agreed to serve six years in the Selected Reserve, or
• Are an officer in the Selected Reserve who agreed to serve six years in addition to your initial service obligation.

Your service obligation must have started after June 30, 1985, or for some types of training after September 30, 1990. You can only use these benefits while you're serving in the Selected Reserve, and also must meet other program requirements. Learn more about MGIB-SR.

Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E)

You can also get help with education and training through the Veteran Readiness & Employment program (VR&E, previously known as Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment) if you are a veteran or service member with a disability that:

• Was caused or made worse by your active-duty service, and
• Prevents you from working or limits your ability to work.

VR&E benefits can include tuition and fees, a monthly allowance, and books and supplies, as well as on-the-job-training, apprenticeships, help living as independently as possible, and more. VR&E has no requirements about when or how long you served. To learn more, read DB101's article on Veteran Readiness & Employment.

Other Programs

You may be able to get help paying for school tuition, testing fees, and advanced licensing or certifications through other VA educational programs. Learn more about advanced training and certification. This can include entrepreneurship training to help you start or improve your small business.

The Personalized Career Planning and Guidance (PCPG) program gives educational and career counseling services to eligible service members, veterans, and their dependents. PCPG is a program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and used to be called Chapter 36 Educational and Career Counseling. Services vary depending on your needs, and can include things like help creating resumes and action plans, skills assessments, and counseling to help you deal with any challenges you face in transitioning to civilian or academic life. Learn more about PCPG.

How to Apply

The VA lists the documents and information you need to apply for education benefits and offers an online GI Bill Comparison Tool that lets you see what benefits you can get at the school you want to attend.

You can get help picking the right program for you by working with a trained professional at a veterans service organization (VSO). Search for an accredited representative.

Once you’re ready to apply for VA education benefits, you have several options. You can:

• Apply online
• Go to the VA's Phoenix Regional Office and have a VA employee help you
• Work with your school’s certifying official (usually the school’s registrar or financial aid office), or
• Call 1-888-442-4551 (1-888-GI-BILL-1) and ask to have an application mailed to you. Fill it out and mail it to the VA Regional Processing Office nearest to the school you want to attend.

It typically takes the VA about 30 days to make a decision on an education benefits application. If your application is approved, you’ll get a decision letter in the mail; if your application is approved, bring the letter to the VA certifying official at your school.

Note: You can use VA education benefits at some, but not all schools. The school must be approved by the GI Bill program. The VA lists tips and tools for Choosing a GI Bill Approved School.