Last year, Congress enacted the new GI Bill for the 21st Century (the "Post-9/11 GI Bill") to restore the promise of a full, four-year college education for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. As of May 1st, veterans can begin to apply for a certificate of eligibility for the new college benefits at the VA website here, which will become available on August 1st.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Am I eligible to receive educational benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill?
You are eligible for benefits if you have completed at least 90 days of active duty service on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged. It also covers individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days who were honorably discharged. The benefits are correlated on a sliding scale to years served. To receive full benefits, you must have served on active duty for three years.
This chart shows the percentage of costs covered, based on the length of your service:
What does the Post-9/11 GI Bill pay for?
* Tuition and fees of up to the maximum in-state tuition and fees at a public institution in your state;
* A monthly housing allowance at the location of the school, based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents; and
* An annual books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000.
How do I access benefits?
You can apply for benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill online, using the Veterans Online Application System (VONAPP). Select Form 22-1990. You can also download Form 22-1990 here, and mail it in.
Do I need to claim my benefits before a certain date?
You generally have 15 years following release from active duty to use the benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Can I transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to my spouse or children?
If you are a member of the Armed Forces on August 1, 2009, the Department of Defense (DOD) may offer you the opportunity to transfer benefits to your spouse or dependent children. While rules on transferability are still being finalized, for most servicemembers, to transfer benefits to a spouse, you must have served six years and reenlist to serve at least four more. To give education benefits to a child, you must have served for at least ten years.
Will the benefits cover an education at a private university or college, or those at out-of-state schools?
Because the Post-9/11 GI Bill generally only covers tuition and fees up to the maximum of a public institution in your state, the Yellow Ribbon Program is a provision of the bill that can help you to afford the higher cost of a private education. The Yellow Ribbon Program provision allows schools to enter in an agreement with the VA to fund tuition costs above the highest in-state tuition rate.
The VA will match each additional dollar that a school contributes toward an eligible student's tuition costs, up to 50 percent of the difference between the tuition and fees covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the total cost of tuition and fees. You must be eligible to receive the maximum benefit rate (having served three years on active duty, or those discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days).
What if I have additional questions?
You can call 1-888-GI-BILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) to speak with a Veterans Benefits Counselor. You can also visit the VA's Frequently Asked Questions page>>
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