Department of Veterans Affairs Education Benefits Programs

For a full outline of education benefits available to veterans via the Department of Veterans Affairs, please visit their web site at www.gibill.va.gov.

This information is not to be considered official guidance regarding military education benefits.

Chapter 33 – Post-9/11 GI Bill (®)
Chapter 33 – Post-9/11 GI Bill (®) – Yellow Ribbon Program
Chapter 30 – Montgomery GI Bill (®)
Chapter 30 – Montgomery GI Bill (®) Tuition Assistance Top Up
Chapter 1606 – Montgomery GI Bill (®) – Selected Reserves
Chapter 1607 – Reserves Educational Assistance Program (REAP)
Chapter 31 – Vocational Rehabilitation
Chapter 32 – Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)
Chapter 35 – Survivors and Dependents Benefits

For information on requesting school certification for education benefits, click here.


Chapter 33 – Post-9/11 GI Bill (®)

The Post 9/11 GI Bill (®) provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill (®) became effective for training on August 1, 2009. The amount of support that an individual may qualify for depends on where they live and what type of degree they are pursuing.

Approved training under the Post-9/11 GI Bill (®) includes graduate and undergraduate degrees, and vocational/technical training. All training programs must be offered by an institution of higher learning (IHL) and approved for GI Bill (®) benefits. Additionally, tutorial assistance and reimbursement for licensing and certification testing are approved under the Post- 9/11 GI Bill (®). More…

Top

Chapter 33 – Post-9/11 GI Bill (®) – Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.  This program allows institutions of higher learning (degree granting institutions) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate.  The institution can contribute up to 50% of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution.

The Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) must agree to:

  • Provide contributions to eligible individuals who apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program on a first-come first-served basis, regardless of the rate at which the individual is pursuing training in any given academic year;
  • Provide contributions during the current academic year and all subsequent academic years in which the IHL is participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program and the student maintains satisfactory progress, conduct, and attendance;
  • Make contributions toward the program on behalf of the individual in the form of of a grant, scholarship, etc;
    State the dollar amount that will be contributed for each participant during the academic year;
    State the maximum number of individuals for whom contributions will be made in any given academic year. More…

Top

Chapter 30 – Montgomery GI Bill (®)

Generally, the Montgomery GI Bill (®) (Chapter 30) assists students who entered active duty for the first time after July 1, 1985, and who agreed to have their pay reduced by $100 for 12 months. Veterans must have received an honorable discharge and active-duty personnel must have served at least two years to be eligible to use their benefits.

Certain veterans and active-duty military personnel who were eligible for educational assistance under the Vietnam Era GI Bill (®) (Chapter 34) on December 31, 1989, may be eligible for benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill if they have served on active duty since October 19, 1984, without a break in service and served three continuous years on active duty from June 30, 1985, through June 30, 1988, or served two continuous years on active duty followed by four years in the selected reserves after June 30, 1985. A break in service of 90 days or less during the period October 19, 1984, through June 30, 1985, will not disqualify a person from eligibility for benefits. However, a break in active duty of any length after June 30, 1985, will disqualify a person for Chapter 30. These participants are not required to make contributions to the program. Certain individuals who are voluntarily or involuntarily separated from active duty with an honorable discharge may elect to participate and make a $1,200 contribution to the Montgomery GI Bill (®) program before separating from active duty. This includes individuals who may have participated in the Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP – Chapter 32).

Individuals are allowed 36 months of full-time entitlement. Participants who have eligibility through the Vietnam Era GI Bill (®) have 36 months of entitlement or the amount of entitlement they have remaining from Chapter 34, whichever is less. Benefits must be used within 10 years from the date the individual was last discharged from active duty. More…

Top

Chapter 30 – Montgomery GI Bill (®) Tuition Assistance Top Up

Tuition Assistance Top-up is available to students on active duty and approved to use federal tuition assistance and eligible for Chapter 30, the Montgomery GI Bill (®).

On October 30, 2000 an amendment to the Montgomery GI Bill (®) was signed into law which permits the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay a Tuition Assistance Top-up benefit. Prior to this law, all branches of the military could pay up to 75% of a service member’s tuition and expenses through the Tuition Assistance program. Service members were required to pay the remaining costs of their tuition bill themselves and they were not allowed to receive Tuition Assistance and use their Montgomery GI Bill (®) for the same course. With the passing of the law, all branches of the military are allowed to pay 100% of the service member’s tuition and expenses. When the military cannot or does not cover 100% of the tuition and expenses, a service member, eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill (®) can elect to receive his or her benefits for all or part of the remaining expenses.

The use of Tuition Assistance Top-up reduces future entitlement to the Montgomery GI Bill (®) and service members should carefully consider their situations. More…

Top

Chapter 1606 – Montgomery GI Bill (®) – Selected Reserves

The MGIB-SR program may be available to you if you are a member of the Selected Reserve. The Selected Reserve includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances. More…

Top

Chapter 1607 – Reserves Educational Assistance Program (REAP)

REAP was established as a part of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. It is a new Department of Defense education benefit program designed to provide educational assistance to members of the Reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency (contingency operation) as declared by the President or Congress. The Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security will determine who is eligible for this program. The Department of Veterans Affairs will administer the program and pay benefits from funds contributed by DOD. More…

Top

Chapter 31 – Vocational Rehabilitation

Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31) provides assistance to veterans who have a service-connected disability of at least 20 percent and are in need of vocational rehabilitation.

Eligible veterans may be allowed up to 48 months of full-time benefits. Veterans generally have 12 years from the date they are notified of their entitlement to the program. More…

Top

Chapter 32 – Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)

The Veterans Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 32 – VEAP) extends benefits to active-duty personnel and veterans who enlisted in the military between January 1, 1977, and July 11, 1985. Veterans must have been released under conditions other than dishonorable. Individuals must have contributed voluntarily to an educational fund through monthly pay reductions of $25 to $100, up to a maximum of $2,700. Contributions are matched at the rate of two dollars for each dollar contributed. Eligibility to enroll in VEAP ended on March 31, 1987.

Individuals are eligible to receive monthly benefits for the number of months they contributed or for 36 months, whichever is less. Eligibility in the program expires 10 years for the date of the participant’s discharge or release from active duty. Participants in this program are allowed to request a refund of any remaining unused benefits. More…

Top

Chapter 35 – Survivors and Dependents Benefits

Survivors and Dependents Benefits (Chapter 35) provide educational benefits to spouses and children of veterans who either died while in service, died as a result of a service-connected disability, or became totally and permanently disabled as a result of their military service.

Survivors and dependents are allowed 45 months of full-time benefits. Spouses have 10 years from the date of the veteran’s effective date of permanent and total disability rating or the veteran’s death. Dependents’ benefits end on their 26th birthday or eight years from the veteran’s effective date of permanent or total disability rating or the veteran’s death, but not after the dependent’s 31st birthday.More…

Top