Bill & gloria gaither the old rugged cross

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.

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:

• 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.

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:

• If you choose to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) 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. Learn more about Montgomery GI Bill refunds
• If you’re a member of the National Guard or Reserve using the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR or Chapter 1606) and you decide to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you can’t switch at some later date to use a different VA education benefit.

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)?

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 new law called the Forever GI Bill - Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act. Some letters you receive from us may not yet reflect this change. Thank you for your patience as we work to update our systems.
Learn more about this new 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:

• If you need more money to cover higher private-school or out-of-state tuition, you can apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
  Learn about the Yellow Ribbon Program
  Find a Yellow Ribbon school
• If you’re a qualified service member, you can transfer all 36 months or a portion of your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a spouse or child. The Department of Defense approves a transfer of benefits.
  Learn about transferring Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
• If you’re the child or surviving spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001, you may qualify for the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship).
  Learn more about the Fry Scholarship

How can I use my Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) benefits?

How much monthly housing allowance (MHA) can I get?

Your MHA is the same as the monthly military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. It may vary based on these factors:

• How much you’re attending school. You could get a reduced MHA if you’re enrolled in school less than half-time.
• When you started using your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. If this was before January 1, 2018, you’ll be paid based on the higher MHA before the Forever GI Bill took effect.
  Learn more about the Forever GI Bill
• If you’re taking online classes. We’ll pay a housing allowance that’s half the national average.
• The campus location where you physically attend most of your classes. We call this a “location-based housing allowance.”

Starting August 1, 2022, if you’re enrolled in school while on active duty for at least 30 continuous days (30 days without a break), you’ll get a BAH from the Department of Defense instead of an MHA. 

Note: If your school changed to online classes because of COVID-19, we paid in-person MHA rates from March 1, 2020, to June 1, 2022. As of June 2, 2022, MHA payments for approved online classes changed back to the online rate (half the national average). If your school doesn’t offer approved online classes, you’ll need to return to in-person classes to continue receiving MHA and other GI Bill benefits. 

Campus definitions

We 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