GI Bill and other education benefit eligibility

Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility information

If any of these are true, you may be eligible for benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33):

• You served on active duty for at least 90 days after September 10, 2001, whether continuous (all at once) or interrupted (for shorter periods over time), or
• You served for at least 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001, and were discharged because of a service-connected disability, or
• You received a Purple Heart after September 10, 2001

Learn more about the Post-9/11 GI Bill

Note: If you have only 1 period of service that begins on or after August 1, 2011, and you qualify for other VA education benefits, you can use only 1 education benefit. You’ll have to choose which education benefit you’d like to use.

For example, if you choose to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill 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

Montgomery GI Bill eligibility information

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

Generally, if you served at least 2 years on active duty and you meet the requirements listed here, you may be eligible for benefits through MGIB-AD.

All of these must be true:

• You were honorably discharged, and
• You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
• You didn’t decline enrollment in MGIB-AD when you started active duty, and
• You meet other requirementsCheck all the requirements for MGIB-AD

Note: If you have only 1 period of service that begins on or after August 1, 2011, and you qualify for other VA education benefits, you can use only 1 education benefit. You’ll have to choose which education benefit you’d like to use.

For example, if you choose to use MGIB-AD instead of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you can’t switch at some later date to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

You can get help deciding which education benefits to use by calling us at (TTY: 711). We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET.

Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)

If you’re a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard Reserves, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard, and you meet the requirements listed here, you may be able to get benefits through MGIB-SR.

One of these must be true:

• You have a 6-year service obligation (you agreed to serve 6 years) in the Selected Reserve, or
• You’re an officer in the Selected Reserve who agreed to serve 6 years in addition to your initial service obligation

And all of these must be true:

• You complete your initial active duty for training (IADT), and
• You get a high school diploma or certificate of equal value, like a High School Equivalency Diploma or GED, before finishing IADT, and
• You stay in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit

Check all the requirements for MGIB-SR