Post-9/11 GI Bill

Tuition and fees. If you qualify for the maximum benefit, VA will cover the full cost of public, in-state tuition and fees. Rates are capped for private and foreign schools and update those rates each year.

Money for housing (if you’re in school more than half time). VA will base your monthly housing allowance on the cost of living where your school is located.

Money for books and supplies. You can receive up to the maximum stipend per school year. Book Stipend is $41.67 multiplied by the # of credits taken.

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 law called the Forever GI Bill – Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act.

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. – UMW IS NOT 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.

If you’re on active duty or in the selected reserve and meet all of these requirements, you may be able to transfer your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a dependent family member.

All of these must be true:

• You’ve completed at least 6 years of service on the date your request is approved, and
• You agree to add 4 more years of service, and
• The person getting benefits is enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)
• Note: If you received a Purple Heart, you don’t need to meet a service requirement. But you’ll need to request to transfer your benefits while you’re still on active duty.

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).

The Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) is generally the same as the military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents.  This rate is variable and dependent on factors such as the zip code of the location where you take the majority of your classes, your rate of pursuit (which must be greater than part-time), and your percentage of eligibility for the entitlement.

Your MHA is based on the monthly military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. VA starts with that amount, and then considers these additional factors to calculate your MHA:

The percentage of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits you’re eligible for (your eligibility tier). VA will pay you a percentage of MHA based on how long you served on active duty and certain other factors.

How much you’re attending school. VA will pay you a percentage of MHA based on how many credits you’re taking per term compared to full-time enrollment. They call this your rate of pursuit. For example, if you’re taking 9 credits in a standard-length term and your school considers 12 credits to be full-time, your rate of pursuit is 80% (9 divided by 12, rounded to the nearest tenth). To be eligible for MHA, your rate of pursuit must be more than 50%.

If you’re taking only online classes (also called distance learning). VA will pay a housing allowance based on 50% of the national average.

The campus location where you physically attend most of your classes. They call this a “location-based housing allowance.”

Note: Active duty service members and their spouses aren’t eligible for MHA.

GI Bill Comparison Tool