EDUCATIONVA program

Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)

Covers tuition and fees (up to the highest in-state public school rate or a national cap for private schools), a monthly housing allowance based on BAH rates, and an annual books and supplies stipend.

Available with 90+ days active duty after 9/10/2001

Fill Form 22-1990 View on VA.gov

Example value

Up to ~$27K/yr tuitionPrivate school cap, plus housing

Step-by-step guide

What VA looks for: Using your own service

Active duty after September 10, 2001At least 90 days of active duty in total after September 10, 2001, not counting basic and initial skill training; or at least 30 continuous days followed by a discharge for a service-connected disability. A Purple Heart earned on or after September 11, 2001, with an honorable discharge, opens the benefit after any length of service.
How the service endedAfter the service the member stays on active duty, leaves with an honorable discharge, retires or moves to a reserve component after honorable service, or is discharged for a service-connected disability. A discharge for a pre-existing condition, hardship, or a condition that interfered with duty also counts, with an honorable discharge for separations on or after January 4, 2011. Some time does not count at all: service academy time, assignment to a civilian school, initial training as a reservist, and service used to repay a student loan or an ROTC scholarship.
The percentage your service earnsThe full benefit needs 36 months of active duty in total, a Purple Heart, or the 30-day discharge for a service-connected disability. Shorter service earns a percentage: 50 percent at 90 days, 60 percent at 6 months, 70 percent at 18 months, 80 percent at 24 months, and 90 percent at 30 months. Entry-level and skill training count toward the 24-month tier and above, not below it. Every payment is multiplied by the percentage.
Time left to use itService that ended on or after January 1, 2013 has no deadline. Service that ended before that date gives 15 years from the last discharge. A physical or mental disability that kept you from starting or finishing a program can extend the window; the request must reach VA within 1 year after the window closes or the disability ends, whichever is later.
An approved program at an approved schoolVA pays for an approved program of education with a stated educational, vocational, or professional goal, at a school or training provider approved for VA benefits. The GI Bill Comparison Tool shows whether a program is approved. VA does not pay for a program whose credential you already hold, except a test to keep a license or certification.

Source: 38 CFR 21.9520 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9506 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9641 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9530 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9535 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.1033 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9591 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: GI Bill Comparison Tool (opens in new tab)

Which situation is yours?

Using your own service
The usual path. VA checks the active duty you served after September 10, 2001, how that service ended, and what share of the full benefit it earns.
Source: 38 CFR 21.9520 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (opens in new tab)
Switching from the Montgomery GI Bill
A member or veteran with Montgomery GI Bill rights can elect the Post-9/11 GI Bill instead. The election is permanent, and the months carry over in a set way.
1. An irrevocable electionThe choice is made on VA Form 22-1990, through a transfer request to the Department of Defense, or in a signed statement that names the start date and acknowledges it cannot be undone. Unused Montgomery months become Post-9/11 months one for one; a person who used none of them gets the full 36.
2. The contribution refundA veteran who paid into the Montgomery GI Bill and switches can get part or all of that contribution back, in proportion to the months left at the time of the election. VA pays it when the months run out, and only if a housing allowance is being paid at that point. The extra buy-up contribution is not refunded.
Source: 38 CFR 21.9520(c) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9645 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9550 (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-1990 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) (opens in new tab)
Using months a service member transferred to you
A spouse or child uses the member's months after the Department of Defense approves the transfer. The transfer chapter carries the family rules in full.
1. A DoD-approved transfer and a DEERS recordThe member asks the Department of Defense for the transfer through milConnect while still serving; VA cannot approve one. The spouse or child must be in DEERS, the Defense Department's dependent record system, and applies to VA on VA Form 22-1990e under their own sign-in.
Source: 38 CFR 21.9571 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: transfer your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-1990e (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 each period of active duty and the character of discharge.	Dates of active duty, how the service ended, and the tier your service earns	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
Purple Heart record The orders or DD214 entry showing a Purple Heart awarded on or after September 11, 2001.	The full benefit without 36 months of service	You keep it. VA can also confirm the award through service records.	Yes
Separation record for a disability discharge The DD214 narrative reason or separation orders showing a discharge for a service-connected disability after at least 30 continuous days.	The 30-day route to the full benefit	You keep it. VA reads the separation reason from the DD214 and service records.	Yes
VA Form 22-1990 The application for VA education benefits. It covers the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill, and the Selected Reserve program, and it is where you make the election away from the Montgomery GI Bill.	Which benefit you are claiming, your election, and your school	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.
Pay statements showing the Montgomery GI Bill contribution Leave and earnings statements showing the pay reduction for the Montgomery GI Bill, and any receipt for the extra buy-up contribution.	What you paid in, which sets the size of the refund	You keep these. VA can also check Defense Department pay records; the refund itself needs no separate claim.	Yes
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 rate of pursuit	Tell the certifying official, often in the registrar, financial aid, or veterans office, that you applied, and give them your COE letter. 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 during the window. 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.
DoD transfer approval The approved Transfer of Education Benefits request in milConnect, naming the dependent, the months, and the dates.	That the Defense Department approved the transfer	The service member requests it in milConnect and can print the status. VA accepts the designations the member signed.	Yes

Service 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. VA.gov says an accredited representative can help with an education application too.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for the GI Bill (opens in new tab)
Add up the service that counts
Total your active duty after September 10, 2001, leaving out basic and initial skill training unless you reach the 24-month tier. Match the total to the tiers on the rates page. Service academy time, civilian school assignments, and service used for a student loan repayment or an ROTC scholarship do not count.
Source: VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9506 (opens in new tab)
Decide which program to use
If you also have Montgomery GI Bill or Selected Reserve rights, compare the programs on the GI Bill Comparison Tool first. Choosing the Post-9/11 GI Bill for a period of service is permanent. Free Chapter 36 counseling can help with the choice.
Source: 38 CFR 21.9691 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: GI Bill and other education benefit rules (opens in new tab); VA.gov: educational and career counseling (Chapter 36) (opens in new tab)
Confirm the program is approved
Check the school and the program on the GI Bill Comparison Tool, or ask the school's certifying official. If a program is not approved, only the school can ask VA for approval; VA cannot start on a student's request.
Source: VA.gov: GI Bill Comparison Tool (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9591 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (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. Have your Social Security number, direct deposit details, your education and service history, and the school's name ready. A member on active duty confirms the program with an education service officer before filing.
Source: VA Form 22-1990 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for the GI Bill (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.1030 (opens in new tab)
Answer VA if it asks for more
VA writes to say what else it needs and who gathers it. Anything VA asks you for is due within 1 year of that letter; after 30 days with no answer VA can decide on what it has, and a late answer within the year reopens the decision.
Source: 38 CFR 21.1031 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9510 (opens in new tab)
Take the COE letter to your school
VA mails a decision letter. If VA approves, give the letter to the school's VA certifying official so the school can certify your enrollment. A veteran who applied online can download the letter on VA.gov.
Source: VA.gov: after you apply for education benefits (opens in new tab); VA.gov: download your VA education letter (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9721 (opens in new tab)
Verify your enrollment every month
Housing allowance and kicker payments depend on a monthly check-in, online, by text, or by phone. VA pays the housing allowance at the end of each month.
Source: VA.gov: verify your school enrollment (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (opens in new tab)
At a private, foreign, or out-of-state school, ask about Yellow Ribbon
At the 100 percent level, a school with a Yellow Ribbon agreement can cover tuition and mandatory fees above what VA pays, with VA matching the school's share. The school decides; ask its certifying official or financial aid office.
Source: VA.gov: Yellow Ribbon Program (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9700 (opens in new tab)
Use the extras when you need them
Tutoring help, work-study, test fee reimbursement, and the rural relocation payment are separate requests. Tutoring and work-study each have their own form; test fees are claimed after you take the test.
Source: 38 CFR 21.9685 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9670 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9667 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9660 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: tutorial assistance (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Work Study (opens in new tab)
Changing schools, programs, or benefits
A change of program or place of training is a new request to VA on the form VA prescribes, and the new school needs proof of your benefits. To switch to a different VA education benefit at the start of the next term, VA.gov says a person already on the Post-9/11 GI Bill uses VA Form 22-1990.
Source: VA.gov: change your GI Bill benefits (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.1030 (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-1990 (opens in new tab)
Transferring months to family
Only the Department of Defense approves a transfer, and only while you are still serving. The request goes through milConnect, not VA.
Source: VA.gov: transfer your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9571 (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

One benefit at a time, and one benefit per period of service

A person with rights under more than one VA education program chooses one in writing and can switch between terms, not during one. A single period of service that began on or after August 1, 2011 can count toward only one program, so that choice is permanent for that service.

Source: 38 CFR 21.9691 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: GI Bill and other education benefit rules (opens in new tab)

A 48-month cap across programs, and the Rudisill review

Most people get 36 months. Someone with rights under two programs can use up to 48 months combined, not counting VR&E. 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, who gave up Montgomery months to switch may use up to 12 more. VA reviews these on its own and sends a notice; no request is needed.

Source: VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: GI Bill and other education benefit rules (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9550 (opens in new tab)

Housing allowance: who gets it and when it stops

The monthly housing allowance is based on the E-5 with dependents BAH rate for the school's ZIP code, scaled by your benefit percentage and your rate of pursuit. It stops between terms. It is not paid to a member on active duty, a spouse using transferred months while the member serves, a student at half time or less, or anyone in correspondence or flight training. Online-only students get half the national average. One in-person class makes the full local rate possible.

Source: VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9641 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) (opens in new tab)

Verify enrollment every month

The housing allowance and any kicker stop unless you verify enrollment each month, online, by text, or by phone. VA pays the housing allowance at the end of each month.

Source: VA.gov: verify your school enrollment (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (opens in new tab)

Extras that do not use up months

Tutoring help, the one-time rural relocation payment, and work-study pay do not reduce the 36 months. Licensing, certification, and national test fees are reimbursed and charged against months in proportion to the fee. Kickers from the Montgomery or Selected Reserve programs carry over when you switch.

Source: 38 CFR 21.9561 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9667 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9668 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9650 (opens in new tab)

Check your months on VA.gov

The Post-9/11 GI Bill Statement of Benefits shows months used, months left, and the time left to use them. A veteran who applied online can also download the decision letter there.

Source: VA.gov: check remaining education benefits (opens in new tab); VA.gov: download your VA education letter (opens in new tab); VA.gov: about GI Bill benefits (opens in new tab)

Progress, conduct, and withdrawals

Payments continue while you meet the school's own standards for progress, conduct, and attendance. VA does not pay for a course you withdraw from or take a non-punitive grade in, unless you were ordered to active duty or there were mitigating circumstances, such as illness, a death in the family, a job change, or child care problems, described to VA in writing.

Source: 38 CFR 21.9725 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9676 (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