Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (Chapter 30) - Military, Veteran, and Prior-service Student Resources

Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (Chapter 30)

If you served on active duty for at least two years, you qualify for aid from this program, sometimes known as Chapter 30.

Despite the name, you don’t currently have to be serving; you need a record of service. You can generally apply for these benefits for up to 10 years after an honorable discharge, although there are exceptions.

If you qualify for this program, you can receive up to 36 months of education benefits, paid monthly.

Chapter 30 assistance can be used for:

What if I’m eligible for more than 1 VA education benefit?

If you’re eligible, you may be able to use more than one education benefit depending on how many qualifying periods of active duty you’ve completed.

If you’ve completed one qualifying period of active duty:

You can use only one education benefit. You’ll have to choose which education benefit you’d like to use. Once you make that choice, you give up the right to use the other benefit. You can use up to a maximum of 36 months of education benefits.

If you choose to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you can’t switch at a later date to use one of these other education benefits instead:

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD or Chapter 30)
Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR or Chapter 1606)

Note: It’s also true that if you choose to use MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR, you can’t switch at a later date to use Post-9/11 Bill benefits. If you decide to use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and you use up all your entitlement for that benefit, VA will refund you part or all of the payments you made into MGIB-AD. The maximum amount you can get for a refund is $1,200.
Learn more about Montgomery GI Bill refunds.

You can use MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR benefits and then switch to use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.

This is how your decision to switch affects your benefits:

You give up the right to use your MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR benefits and
If you switch from using MGIB-AD to using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, you can use only your remaining entitlement from MGIB-AD when you start using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.

Example: If you have 6 months of MGIB-AD entitlement left when you switch, you’ll have 6 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to use.

You can’t switch from using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to using MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR. This is because when you choose to use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, you give up your right to use MGIB-AD and MGIB-SR.

If you’ve completed two or more qualifying periods of active duty:

You may qualify for up to 48 months of benefits if you’re eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and either MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR benefits.

Recent changes:

If you’re using MGIB-AD benefits and you switch to Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, you’re no longer restricted to your remaining MGIB-AD entitlement and
If you gave up MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR benefits when you switched to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you may now qualify for up to 12 months of additional MGIB benefits (for a maximum of 48 months).

Note: VA considers any reenlistment a separate period of active duty. But an extension isn’t a separate period of active duty.

How VA determines your rate

VA bases your monthly rate (or payment amount) on these two factors:

The type of education or training you are getting and
How many courses you are taking—or how far along you are in your on-the-job training or apprenticeship program

You may get less than the full rate each month if any of these are true:

You are enrolled in fewer courses than what we consider to be full-time or
Your clock hours per week are less than what we consider to be full-time or
You are getting on-the-job training, or
You’re in an apprenticeship program, or
You’ve served less than three continuous years on active duty

Note: If you have a kicker (sometimes called “college fund”) or take part in the $600 Buy-Up program, you may get more money each month than the full-time enrollment rate. We’ll add the kicker or buy-up amount to your monthly payment.

MGIB-AD rates if you served at least three continuous years (without a break) on active duty

Effective October 1, 2024

The MGIB-AD rates listed here are for October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. VA makes the payments directly to you.

For institutions of higher learning

These monthly rates are for courses at colleges and universities.

The amounts listed here are for a full month of enrollment. VA pays you a percentage of the full month’s rate based on the number of days that you’re enrolled in the month. VA calls this a prorated payment. For example, if your school starts on the 20th, you would get a payment for 10 days of enrollment that month. Your payment would be 1/3 of the monthly rate.

VA pays you up to the rate listed here based on how many courses you’re taking:

Full-time enrollment: $2,438.00 for each full month
3/4-time enrollment: $1,828.50 for each full month
1/2-time enrollment: $1,219.00 for each full month

If you’re enrolled less than 1/2 time, VA pays you up to the amount listed here for every month you’re enrolled—but no more than the cost of your tuition and fees:

Less than 1/2-time and more than 1/4-time enrollment: $1,219.00 for each full month (or the cost of your tuition and fees, whichever is less)
1/4-time enrollment or less: $609.50 for each full month (or the cost of your tuition and fees, whichever is less)

If your tuition and fees are less than the monthly rate, VA will send you a lump sum (1 payment) at the start of each term. Example: If you’re enrolled less than 1/2 time and more than 1/4 time, and you attend a 90-day term, you may get up to $3,657.00 for the term ($1,219.00 per month x 3). But if your tuition and fees are less than $3,657.00, then VA will send you the amount of your tuition and fees at the start of the term instead.

MGIB-AD rates if you served between 2 and 3 years on active duty

Effective October 1, 2024

The MGIB-AD rates listed here are for October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. VA pays you directly each month. These are sometimes called the “2-year” rates.

For institutions of higher learning

These monthly rates are for courses at colleges and universities.

VA pays you up to the rate listed here based on how many courses you’re taking:

Full-time enrollment: $1,978.00 for each full month
3/4-time enrollment: $1,483.50 for each full month
1/2-time enrollment: $989.00 for each full month

If you’re enrolled less than 1/2 time, VA pays you up to the amount listed here for every month you’re enrolled—but no more than the cost of your tuition and fees:

Less than 1/2-time and more than 1/4-time enrollment: $989.00 for each full month (or the cost of your tuition and fees, whichever is less)
1/4-time enrollment or less: $494.50 for each full month (or the cost of your tuition and fees, whichever is less)

If your tuition and fees are less than the monthly rate, VA will send you a lump sum (1 payment) at the start of each term.

Example: If you’re enrolled less than 1/2 time and more than 1/4 time, and you attend a 90-day term, you may get up to $2,967.00 for the term ($989.00 per month x 3). But if your tuition and fees are less than $2,967.00, then VA will send you the amount of your tuition and fees at the start of the term instead.

In-state tuition rates

You may be able to get in-state tuition rates at a public school even if you haven’t lived in the state where the school is located.

Learn more about in-state tuition rates

Active Duty (Chapter 30)