GI Bill for Reserve and National Guard Members

Joe Wallace

1 year ago

Is the GI Bill offered to members of the National Guard and the Reserve? Qualifying for the GI Bill means serving a minimum time in uniform.

If you meet those requirements, depending on when you joined and the type of military service you performed, you may qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill or the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Members of the National Guard and the Reserve may qualify for either program and in some cases BOTH programs, but you must commit to one or the other before being approved to use the GI Bill.

Am I Eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill?

You may be eligible for the GI Bill if at least one of the following applies according to VA.gov:

You served at least 90 days on active duty on or after September 11, 2001;
You received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and have an Honorable discharge;
You served for at least 30 continuous days on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability;
You’re a dependent child using transferred GI BIll benefits.
You are a reservist who lost benefits when the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) and qualify for restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Did you become eligible for both GI Bills? VA.gov reminds, “If you’re a member of the National Guard or Reserve using the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR or Chapter 1606) and you decide to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you can’t switch at some later date to use a different VA education benefit.”

The Post-9/11 GI Bill features money for tuition, books, and a housing stipend paid based on the zip code where you attend most of your classes. Those who attend online are paid a reduced stipend, as are those who attend in-person and online.

Am I Eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill Active-Duty (MGIB-AD)?

Don’t let the phrase “active duty” fool you into skipping past this section, as VA.gov lists several qualifying circumstances that allow members of the Selected Reserve (National Guard and Reserve) to qualify for the MGIB-AD. Multiple categories may qualify:

Category I

You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit;
You entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985;
You had your military pay reduced by $100 a month for the first 12 months of service;
And you’ve served continuously for 4 years if you entered the Selected Reserve within a year of leaving active duty.

Category II

You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit,;
You entered active duty before January 1, 1977 (or before January 2, 1978, under a delayed enlistment program contracted before January 1, 1977);
You served at least 1 day between October 19, 1984, and June 30, 1985, and stayed on active duty through June 30, 1988, or through June 30, 1987, if you entered the Selected Reserve within 1 year of leaving active duty and served 4 years);
You had at least 1 day of entitlement left under the Vietnam Era GI Bill as of December 31, 1989.

Category III

You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
You don’t qualify for MGIB under categories I or II, and
You had your military pay reduced by $1,200 before separation

You were on active duty on September 30, 1990, and involuntarily separated after February 2, 1991, or;
You involuntarily separated on or after November 30, 1993, or;
You chose to voluntarily separate under either the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) program or the Special Separation Benefit (SSB) program.

Category IV

You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
You had military pay reduced by $100 a month for 12 months or made a $1,200 lump-sum contribution (meaning you paid it all at once)

You were on active duty on October 9, 1996, had money left in a VEAP account on that date, and chose MGIB before October 9, 1997, or
You entered full-time National Guard duty under title 32, USC, between July 1, 1985, and November 28, 1989, and chose MGIB between October 9, 1996, and July 9, 1997.

Am I Eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve?

You may be eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve if the following are true:

You have a 6-year service obligation in the Selected Reserve, or
You’re an officer in the Selected Reserve and agreed to serve 6 additional years.
Your obligation must have started after June 30, 1985, or after September 30, 1990, in some cases.

You completed your initial active duty for training (IADT), and
You earned a high school diploma or equivalent before finishing IADT and
You stay in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit

GI Bill benefits aren’t the only ones available; you may also qualify for Military Tuition Assistance from the Guard/Reserve, though not all branches of service offer the benefit to reserve component members. Be sure to ask your unit orderly room or command support staff about your options.

Both MGIB-AD and MGIB Selected Reserve feature money for tuition plus books. A housing allowance is NOT offered through the Montgomery GI Bill program.

Related: Which GI Bill is Better?

Compare Your GI Bill Options

Before committing to a school or an academic program, it’s smart to use the GI Bill Comparison Tool on the VA official site to review your benefit options and see which schools or programs are VA-approved. Use the GI Bill Comparison Tool