The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)

This bill helps you pay for school or job training. If you’ve served on active duty after September 10, 2001, you may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33).

AM I ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS?

You can get these education benefits if you meet at least one of the requirements listed below:

• Served at least 90 days on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service) on or after September 11, 2001
• Received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service
• Served for at least 30 continuous days (all at once, without a break in service) on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability
• Are a dependent child using benefits transferred by a qualifying Veteran or service member

Note: If you’re a member of the Reserves who lost education benefits when the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) ended in November 2015, you may qualify to receive restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

WHAT BENEFITS CAN I GET?

You can receive up to 36 months of benefits, including:

• Tuition and fees. If you qualify for the maximum benefit, the full cost of public, in-state tuition and fees will be covered. The rates are capped for private and foreign schools and updated each year.
• Money for housing (if you’re in school more than half time). Your monthly housing allowance will be based on the cost of living where your school is located.
• Money for books and supplies. You can receive up to$1,000 per school year.
• Money to help you move from a rural area. You may qualify for this one-time payment of $500 if you live in a county with 6 or fewer people per square mile and you’re either moving at least 500 miles to go to school or have no other option but to fly by plane to get to your school.

HERE’S HOW THE BENEFIT AMOUNT YOU QUALIFY FOR IS DETERMINED:

The specific amount you’ll receive will depend on how much active service you’ve had since September 10, 2001.

• If you had 90 days of active service since September 10, 2001, you would qualify for 50% of the maximum amount.
• If you served for 3 years, you would qualify for 100% of the benefit

CAN MY FAMILY MEMBERS OR I GET ANY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS THROUGH THIS BILL?

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.
• 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.

HOW CAN I USE MY BENEFITS?

You can use your GI Bill benefits in many ways to advance your education and training.

Work toward a degree:

• Undergraduate and graduate degrees
• Tuition Assistance Top-Up
• Tutorial Assistance

Train for a specific career, trade, or industry:

• Vocational/technical training and non-college degree programs
• Veterans technology education courses (VET TEC)
• On-the-job training and apprenticeships
• Entrepreneurship training
• Flight training
• Test fees

Source: https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/post-9-11