Post 9/11 GI Bill

General Information

--  The Post-9/11 GI Bill, or Chapter 33, helps you pay for school or cover expenses while you’re training for a job. If you’ve served on active duty after September 10, 2001, you may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

You may be eligible for education benefits if you meet at least 1 of these requirements.

• You served at least 90 days on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service) on or after September 11, 2001, or

• You received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service, or

• You served for at least 30 continuous days (all at once, without a break in service) on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability, or

• You’re a dependent child using benefits transferred by a qualifying Veteran or service member

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.

--  Post 9-11 benefits will pay for training received on or after 1 Aug 09.

--  Review the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) benefit comparison chart to determine if this is a good choice for you and your family.

 
Forever GI Bill (Harry W. Colmery Veterans Education Assistance Act)

-- The "Forever GI Bill" is not a "new" GI Bill benefit.  This law improves existing education benefits for service members, veterans, and families and addresses many deficiencies discovered since the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2008.  It removes the 15-year expiration date on Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for veterans who left active duty on or after 1 January 2013.

Core Benefits & Changes

• No Expiration Date: If you were discharged on or after January 1, 2013, your benefits do not expire, allowing you to use them throughout your lifetime

• Expanded Eligibility: It extends benefits to surviving spouses and dependents of service members, and grants Purple Heart recipients 100% eligibility regardless of active-duty time.

• STEM Scholarships: Eligible veterans pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) can receive additional funds (up to $30,000) through the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship.

• School Closures: Veterans whose schools close or programs are disapproved can have their GI Bill entitlements restored, particularly if they were unable to transfer credits.

• Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA): Housing stipend rates were updated to align with active-duty E-5 rates, and the rules were adjusted for students who only take online courses.

 
Determine your percentage of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits if you serve less than 36 months:

If you served on active duty for less than 1,095 days (36 months), you’re eligible for only part of the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit. Find out what percentage of the full benefit you’re eligible for based on the total amount of time you served on active duty (with or without breaks in service):

• 910 to 1,094 days (30 to 35 months): 90% of the full benefit

• 730 to 909 days (24 to 29 months): 80% of the full benefit

• 545 to 729 days (18 to 23 months): 70% of the full benefit

• 180 to 544 days (6 to 17 months): 60% of the full benefit

• ​ 90 to 179 days (90 days to 5 months): 50% of the full benefit

You may find this information on the VA's website here.
--  Apply here  for the Post 9-11 GI Bill and all other GI Bill Program benefits electronically through VONAPP on the DVA website.   
 

• SELRES Qualifying Service