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. Since May 1, 2009, veterans have been able to apply for a certificate of eligibility for the new benefits at the VA website, which became available on August 1, 2009.

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?
Depending on an individual’s situation, benefits may include payment of tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, a stipend for books and supplies, college fund (“kicker”) payments, a rural benefit payment, and a Yellow Ribbon benefit. Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits differ from other education assistance programs in that each type of payment is issued separately, with some payments made directly to the school and others issued to the individual.

Tuition and Fees : These payments are issued to the school on behalf of the individual at the time the certificate of enrollment is processed

- Individuals not on active duty: For individuals not on active duty, the amount is prorated according to length of service. The amount paid is limited to the highest amount of tuition and fees charged for full-time, undergraduate training at a public institution of higher learning in the state where the student is enrolled. (A chart of maximum in-state tuition and fees for 2008-2009 is on the VA GI Bill website at http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/CH33/Tuition_and_fees.htm.)

- Individuals on active duty: Individuals on active duty may receive the total amount of tuition and fees. The amount is not limited to the state maximum.

Monthly housing allowance : This payment is issued directly to the student at the beginning of each month for education and training pursued the previous month. The amount is prorated based on length of service. NOTE: Active duty personnel are not eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill monthly housing allowance. Students enrolled exclusively in online training are not eligible for the housing allowance.

Books and supplies stipend : This payment issued directly to the student when the school certifies and VA processes the enrollment. This benefit is prorated based on length of service. NOTE: Active duty personnel are not eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill books and supplies stipend.

Yellow Ribbon payments : The Yellow Ribbon Program allows degree-granting institutions to enter into a voluntary agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate for individuals eligible for the 100% payment tier. The institution can contribute up to 50% of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution. This payment is issued to the school when the school certifies and VA processes the student’s enrollment. (For details on this program see Yellow Ribbon Program on the web page — http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/CH33/Yellow_ribbon.htm.)

College fund or “kicker” : These payments are issued directly to the student based on “rate of pursuit” (full- or part-time study) and the education benefits program under which the kicker is payable. Post-9/11 GI Bill kickers will be issued monthly with the housing allowance; all other kickers will be issued in a lump sum when the student’s enrollment certification is processed.

Rural benefit payments : This one-time, lump-sum payment of $500 is issued directly to a student who resides in a county with six persons or fewer per square mile (as determined by the most recent decennial census), and who either:

• physically relocates at least 500 miles to attend an educational institution, orrelocates by air (any distance) to physically attend an educational institution, if no other land-based transportation exists.

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.

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>>

Additional Resources

• Read a letter from the Director of the VA Education Service explaining the Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits>>
• Visit Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill website>>
• Review a comparison between the Post-9/11 GI Bill and other educational benefits>>
  For many eligible participants, the Post-9/11 GI Bill is a better alternative than other education benefit programs, such as the Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty, Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve and the Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP). However, this decision depends on several factors, including the type of education or training you plan to take and the amount of benefits received under each program.
• View a chart listing the 2008 - 2009 maximum tuition and fees>>