EDUCATIONVA program

Montgomery GI Bill: Active Duty (MGIB-AD, Chapter 30)

Monthly education benefit for veterans who contributed $100/month for 12 months while on active duty. Provides up to 36 months of benefits for approved degree programs, vocational training, and apprenticeships.

Available with 2+ years active duty and $1,200 contribution during service

Fill Form 22-1990 View on VA.gov

Example value

Up to ~$2,300/moFull-time enrollment

Step-by-step guide

What VA looks for: Category I: entered service after June 30, 1985

Entered after June 30, 1985 with the pay reductionYou first entered active duty after June 30, 1985, did not decline the program at entry, and had your pay reduced for the first 12 months. Categories II, III, and IV cover people who entered before 1977 with Vietnam-era months left, who were separated involuntarily or under VSI or SSB, or who converted from VEAP; the VA.gov page lists each.
Enough continuous service, honorably ended3 years of continuous active duty, or 2 years if the enlistment was for less than 3, or 2 years plus 4 years in the Selected Reserve begun within 1 year of leaving active duty. The service ends with an honorable discharge, retirement, or transfer to a reserve component after honorable service, or you remain on duty. A shorter stint still counts when it ended for a service-connected disability, a pre-existing condition, hardship, a reduction in force, a condition that interfered with duty, or the convenience of the government after 20 or 30 months.
A high school diploma or 12 college credits before applyingA diploma, an equivalency certificate, or 12 semester hours toward a degree, completed before the application. An early application is disallowed, and a new application after finishing the requirement still works.
10 years to use itThe window runs 10 years from the last discharge after 90 or more continuous days, or after a shorter stint that ended for a service-connected disability, a pre-existing condition, hardship, or a reduction in force. A physical or mental disability that blocked study can extend it; the request must reach VA within 1 year after the window closes or the disability ends, whichever is later.

Source: 38 CFR 21.7042 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7050 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7051 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.1033 (opens in new tab)

Which situation is yours?

Category I: entered service after June 30, 1985
The common route. VA looks at when you entered, the pay reduction, how long and how you served, and your diploma.
Source: 38 CFR 21.7042 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7050 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (opens in new tab)
Getting paid while you train
VA pays you a monthly amount, not the school. The amount depends on the training type, the load you carry, and whether you served 2 or 3 years.
1. An approved programAn approved program of education with an educational, vocational, or professional goal, at a school or training provider approved for VA benefits, for a credential you do not already hold. Hobby and recreational courses do not count unless they serve your present or planned occupation.
2. Your school certifies, and you verify each monthThe school's certifying official reports your enrollment to VA before any payment. You then verify your enrollment at the end of each month to keep payments coming.
Source: 38 CFR 21.7110 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7152 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty rates (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7120 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: GI Bill Comparison Tool (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7154 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (opens in new tab)

What to gather, and what it shows VA

Documents for this benefit: what each is, what it shows VA, and how VA gets it
Document	What it shows	How VA gets it	Have it?
DD214 Your certificate of release or discharge, member 4 copy. It shows your entry date, each period of service, and the character of discharge.	Entry after June 30, 1985, the length of service, how it ended, and the start of the 10 years	You keep a copy. VA checks service against Defense Department records; the paper form asks for a copy of the member 4 once it is issued if you apply on terminal leave.	Yes
Pay statements, buy-up receipt, or kicker contract Leave and earnings statements showing the pay reduction, a cash collection voucher or receipt for the buy-up, and any kicker (college fund) contract with its amount and date.	The contribution, any buy-up, and a kicker	You keep these. The form says sending them speeds processing; VA can also check Defense Department pay records.	Yes
VA Form 22-1990 The application for VA education benefits. It asks the date of your diploma or equivalency certificate, your education after high school, each period of service, and the school and goal if known.	The diploma date, the program, and the benefit you are claiming	File it online on VA.gov, or mail the PDF to the VA regional processing office for your school's state, or your home state if you have not picked a school. A member on active duty consults an education service officer first.
Enrollment certification from your school The certification your school's VA certifying official sends VA for each term, listing the program, dates, and credit or clock hours.	That you are enrolled in an approved program, and at what load	Tell the certifying official, often in the registrar, financial aid, or veterans office, that you applied. They send it to VA; you do not file it.
Medical records for an extension request Records showing a physical or mental disability kept you from starting or finishing your program within the 10 years. A spell of 30 days or less counts only if it blocked enrollment or forced a withdrawal.	The period the disability blocked study, which sets the length of the extension	Ask VA for the extension within 1 year after the window ends or the disability ends. VA tells you what it needs, and VA will request this for you from your providers with your authorization.

Service and pay records go to VA, and your school sends its own enrollment certification. BeneVets does not ask for copies of them.

Steps, in order

Get free help from a VSO
Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab)
Compare with the Post-9/11 GI Bill before you choose
If you also served after September 10, 2001, the Post-9/11 GI Bill may pay more, but choosing it is permanent. Compare both on the GI Bill Comparison Tool, or ask a Chapter 36 counselor for free.
Source: VA.gov: GI Bill and other education benefit rules (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9520(c) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: GI Bill Comparison Tool (opens in new tab)
Make sure the program is approved
Check the school or program on the GI Bill Comparison Tool or ask the school. If it is not approved, only the school can ask VA for approval, and you pay all costs if VA does not approve it.
Source: VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (opens in new tab); VA.gov: GI Bill Comparison Tool (opens in new tab)
Apply with VA Form 22-1990
Apply online on VA.gov, or mail the form to the regional processing office listed on it, or apply in person at a regional office. Have your diploma date, service dates, direct deposit details, and the school's name ready.
Source: VA Form 22-1990 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for the GI Bill (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (opens in new tab)
Ask the school to certify your enrollment
Give VA's decision letter to the school's certifying official, who may sit in the financial aid, veterans, registrar, admissions, or counseling office. For an apprenticeship, the official may be in the employer's training or human resources office.
Source: VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7152 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: after you apply for education benefits (opens in new tab)
Verify your enrollment at the end of each month
Payments depend on a monthly check-in, online, by text, or by phone.
Source: VA.gov: verify your school enrollment (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7154 (opens in new tab)
If VA says no
An education decision can be reviewed. The options are a Higher-Level Review, a Supplemental Claim, or a Board Appeal, each filed within 1 year of the decision.
Source: VA.gov: after you apply for education benefits (opens in new tab); VA.gov: decision reviews and appeals (opens in new tab)

Good to know

A monthly rate, paid to you

The full-time rate is higher after 3 or more continuous years and lower for 2 to 3 years. Part-time loads pay a share, and payments are prorated by the days enrolled. On active duty, VA pays the rate or the cost of tuition and fees, whichever is less. A kicker, or the buy-up contribution made in service, adds to each month; the buy-up cannot be used with the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Source: VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty rates (opens in new tab); VA.gov: the Montgomery GI Bill buy-up program (opens in new tab)

Switching to the Post-9/11 GI Bill is permanent

A person with rights under both can elect the Post-9/11 GI Bill instead. The election cannot be undone, unused months carry over one for one, and the contribution is refunded in proportion when the months run out with a housing allowance in pay. Compare the two before choosing.

Source: 38 CFR 21.9520(c) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9645 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: GI Bill and other education benefit rules (opens in new tab)

Rudisill: up to 48 months for two periods of service

After the Rudisill and Perkins court decisions, a veteran with two or more separate periods of active duty (a reenlistment counts as separate, an extension does not), or with 56 months or more of active duty, can use up to 48 months across the Montgomery and Post-9/11 programs. VA reviews these on its own and sends a notice.

Source: VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (opens in new tab); VA.gov: GI Bill and other education benefit rules (opens in new tab)

36 months, or fewer after an early discharge

Most people get 36 months. Someone discharged early for a service-connected disability, a pre-existing condition, hardship, a reduction in force, or a condition that interfered with duty gets 1 month for each month of service.

Source: 38 CFR 21.7072 (opens in new tab)

Extras

Tutoring help is paid back up to a set amount before months are charged. Licensing and certification tests, national tests, and tuition top-up for members on active duty are also paid under this program.

Source: 38 CFR 21.7141 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7142 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: tutorial assistance (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty rates (opens in new tab)

One benefit at a time

A person with more than one VA education program picks one in writing and can change it, but not more than once in a calendar month, or once a term when the change is to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Source: 38 CFR 21.7143 (opens in new tab)

BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you