Post-9/11 GI Bill ( Chapter 33 )

With post 9/11, You may also receive reimbursement for...

- license or certification tests (broker, private investigator, and CPA) - national tests (SAT, CLEP, ACT, GMAT, and LSAT) - or assistance for apprenticeships/on-the-job training. - A one-time payment to help you relocate from certain rural areas to attend school is also available.

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:

A non-college degree facility, or An institution of higher learning

The post 9/11 GI bill is also called

Chapter 33

You may be eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits if you:

Have at least 90 aggregate days of qualifying active service after September 10, 2001 Were honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability after serving at least 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001 You received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service 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, 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.

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.

Can my family members or I get any additional benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)?

If you need more money to cover higher private-school or out-of-state tuition, you can apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program. 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. 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).

When your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits will expire:

If your service ended before January 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) benefits will expire15 years from your last period of active service of at least 90 days. 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.

Campus definitions

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.

What is the Yellow Ribbon Program?

The Yellow Ribbon Program can help you pay for higher out-of-state, private school, foreign school, or graduate school tuition and fees that the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn't cover. Keep reading to find out if you're eligible and if your school takes part in this program.

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

Work toward a degree, Train for a specific career, trade, or industry, Work while you study, Take classes from home.

What benefits can I get through the yellow ribbon program?

You can get money to help pay for tuition and fees at any of these types of schools: A private school that may have higher tuition and fees, or A foreign school, or A public school if you want to attend as a nonresident student If you qualify, your school will contribute a certain amount toward your extra tuition and fees through a grant, scholarship, or similar program. We'll match the contribution.

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. ex: 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. 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. 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 (VA) choose for you.

How many months of benefits do post 9/11 recipients receive?

You may be able to get a maximum of 48 months, however most are only eligible for 36 months

What qualifies me for the Yellow Ribbon Program

You must qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the 100% benefit level And at least one of these must be true: You served at least 36 months on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service) and were honorably discharged 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) on or after September 11, 2001, and were discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability, or You're a dependent child using benefits transferred by a Veteran (find out about transferring Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits), or You're a Fry Scholar (eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program on or after August 1, 2018) Note: At this time, you're not eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program if you're an active-duty service member or a spouse using the transferred benefits of an active-duty service member. Starting August 1, 2022, you may become eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program if you're currently an active-duty service member who qualifies at the 100% level (you already served on active duty for at least 36 months) or if you're a spouse using the transferred benefits of an active-duty service member who meets these qualifications.

you may be able to transfer your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to your spouse and child(ren) if...

You're in the Armed forces

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. If you're taking online classes We'll pay a housing allowance based on 50% of the national average. The campus location where you physically attend most of your classes We call this a "location-based housing allowance." Note: If your school changed to online classes because of COVID-19, you'll continue to receive the same MHA payments you received for resident training until June 1, 2022, or until your school resumes normal operations.

What requirements are for my school to qualify for the Yellow ribbon program?

Your school must meet certain requirements All of these must be true: Your school is an institution of higher learning, and Your school offers the Yellow Ribbon Program, and Your school hasn't offered the Yellow Ribbon benefit to more than the maximum number of students in their agreement with us, and Your school has certified your enrollment with us and provided Yellow Ribbon Program information

with the post 9/11 benefits, who does the VA send the money to?

directly to the school

Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits may include...

financial support for school tuition: If you qualify for the maximum benefit, we'll cover the full cost of public, in-state tuition and fees. We cap the rates for private and foreign schools, and update those rates each year. books and supplies: You can receive up to $1,000 per school year. housing: We'll base your monthly housing allowance on the cost of living where your school is located. Money to help you move from a rural area to go to school: You may qualify for this one-time payment of $500 if you live in a county with 6 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.