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Which GI Bill Is Better?

Which GI Bill is best

Which GI Bill is better? There is no single answer to this question, as much depends on the student’s needs, circumstances, and educational goals. It’s better to compare GI Bill programs and options side-by-side to see which features are most important to you.

Read more: GI Bill Information and Benefits

Which GI Bill Is Better? Minimum Military Service Requirements

Post-9/11 GI Bill

VA.gov states to qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you must serve 90 days on active duty or “aggregate service after 9/10/01. Those who serve 30 days may qualify if they were discharged for a service-connected disability.

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

In general, the following may apply to those who joined the service under older guidelines, but today’s new recruits cannot sign up for the Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty. Instead, new troops are offered the Post-9/11 GI Bill. In the past, you may have qualified with the following minimum service:

    • 2 years of continuous service in a 3-year service contract or;
    • 3 years of continuous service for a 4-year contract or;
    • Separated due to a Service-Connected Disability after 30 days.

Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)

You may qualify for the MGIB-SR if you have a 6-year service commitment.

 

Find GI Bill®-approved schools with CollegeRecon’s School Finder!

 

Duration of GI Bill Benefits

Post-9/11 GI Bill

36 months unless the veteran has GI Bill entitlement transferred from another family member. In those circumstances, the veteran may qualify for the amount of the transferred entitlement plus the 36 months they qualify for without the transfer.

Other exceptions may also apply. VA.gov advises, “You may receive a maximum of 48 months of benefits combined if you are eligible for more than one VA education program.”

Read more: GI Bill Application Guide for Active Duty and Veterans

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

36 months or less. Those who do not complete their full military commitment “as a result of special Separation reasons” may “result in receiving less,” according to VA.gov. VA.gov advises, “You may receive a maximum of 48 months of benefits combined if you are eligible for more than one VA education program.”

Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)

36 months. VA.gov advises, “You may receive a maximum of 48 months of benefits combined if you are eligible for more than one VA education program.”

Expiration Date of GI Bill Benefits

Post-9/11 GI Bill

15 years from the student’s “last release” from active duty if that occurred before January 1, 2013. VA.gov says if the last release from active duty “was on or after January 1, 2013, the veteran falls under the Forever GI Bill law ending the time limitation to use Post-9/11 benefits. For spouses and dependents using transferred GI Bill benefits, “beneficiaries may be limited by the date the Veteran chooses to have entitlements terminated.”

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

10 years from the student’s last day on active duty.

Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)

This benefit ends “on the day the Member separated from the Selected Reserve Component or when VA is notified of any Suspension imposed by the Service Component.”

Read more: Transfer Your Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits to Spouse and Dependents

Which GI Bill Is Best? Housing Stipend (GI Bill BAH)

Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill housing stipend is paid for those attending greater than half-time training “comparable to the AD Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) pay for an E-5 with Dependents.” VA.gov says there is a maximum “of one-half MHA Rate paid if 100% of classes are enrolled online.”

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

No housing stipend.

Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)

No housing stipend.

GI Bill Benefit Payments

Post-9/11 GI Bill

Tuition and fees are paid directly to the school with an option to use the Yellow Ribbon program where available “to pay ½ of the difference in (tuition and fee) charges that exceed the annual year cap. There are also options for vocational schools and correspondence schools.

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

A “statutory rate” is paid directly to the student, and rates are subject to change from year to year. To continue receiving this benefit, students must verify enrollment every month using the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment. Payments are on a scale based on the amount of enrollment–full-time, half-time, etc.

Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)

Benefits are paid directly to students, with rates subject to change from year to year. To continue receiving the GI Bill, students must Certify via Web Automated Verification of Enrollment. The benefit is paid based on the amount of enrollment.

Which GI Bill Is Better? Other Benefits

No matter which version of the GI Bill you have, you may be able to apply for VA education benefits for the following:

Read more: The GI Bill Certificate of Eligibility

 

 

About the author

Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.