The GI Bill® – and its derivatives like the Post-9/11 GI Bill – continues to help Veterans, service members, family members and dependents achieve their academic and vocational goals.
Legislation such as the Isakson and Roe Act and the Colmery Act build on the GI Bill and expand educational benefits. Here’s a list from our Postcard Series of things you might not have known about your expanded benefits:
- Increased Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit levels for fewer months of service: VA pays Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits at different rates (known as benefit levels) based on length of service. If you receive less than the 100% benefit level, VA has expanded the benefit level for those with fewer months of service. Check out the GI Bill comparison tool to see your benefit level. Review the Consolidation of Benefit Levels Postcard for additional information.
Additional school funding available: Are you interested in attending an out-of-state, private, or graduate school but concerned about the cost? The Yellow Ribbon Program may be able to help.
If you qualify and your school is a Yellow Ribbon Program participant, your school will contribute a certain amount toward tuition and fee costs that exceed the maximum GI Bill benefit (the exact amount varies by school), which VA will then match. You may be eligible if you qualify for the maximum benefit rate under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Purple Heart recipients who were awarded on or after Sept. 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged, are eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program, along with Fry Scholars.
- See if your school participates with the Yellow Ribbon Search Tool and learn more about the program in the Yellow Ribbon Postcard.
- Additional Benefits for STEM students: Are you a Post-9/11 GI Bill student currently training in a high-demand Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) field? If so, the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship may be able to provide additional benefits if you have exhausted or are about to exhaust your entitlement. This scholarship is meant to help you join the STEM workforce, which is expected to grow by 8.8% from 2018-2028, and had a median annual wage of $84,000 in 2018.
Eligibility now includes those enrolled in qualifying dual-secondary degrees, along with health care professions who earned a qualifying STEM degree and are enrolled in a covered clinical training program. Check out our Rogers STEM Scholarship postcard for a brief overview.
- Reimbursement for Test Fees: Are you interested in taking a licensing or certification exam, or a national test, using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits? You can also use your GI Bill entitlement to cover the cost of certain exams.
VA will now prorate the entitlement charges under the Post-9/11 GI Bill based on the actual amount of the fee charged for the tests rather than automatically charging one month of entitlement. Entitlement will also cover preparatory courses for licensure and certification tests (preparatory courses for national tests are already payable). Check out the Test Fees Postcard to learn more.
Interested in learning more about the opportunities made possible through the Post-9/11 GI Bill? Review a full breakdown here. We also encourage you to contact your School Certifying Official or call the VA Education Call Center at 1-888-442-4551 (domestic) or 001-918-781-5678 (foreign) if you have additional questions.
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All my brothers and sisters, thank you for your time and service. Thank you to your families and friends who supported you while you served.
As others commented, the VA is run by cost cutting administrators. They get perks for showing how they reduced benefits to the ones they are supposed to protect. Most Veterans support workers are given very substantial pay packages and benefits that we do not get while we served and especially do not get once we leave the service. There is a very comfort level that they do not want to disrupt and will not give up and that means we, the veterans, lose out.
There are anti veteran senators, such as Lindsay Graham, whom have fought very hard and successfully to remove veteran benefits and want to take them away from us. That’s where you start. Vote these pieces of garbage out!
I transferred my post 911 benefit to my youngest two. My daughter is going on to get her master’s while my son will be finishing his bachelor’s in pre med. This was all paid under the post 911. I was lucky enough to put the transfer through just before I left service. It was not easy to do and they fought it for 3 years prior to leaving.
Once my kids started using it, the va education dept continually put stumbling blocks in by claiming they never received forms that myself, vso , and college certifying officials submitted, many times via certified mail.
Even if you get your benefit, the VA will try to trip you up in every way imaginable. You must be constantly on the guard for this.
I was lucky that a couple times I did get a va official that was very and helped fixed the lies the VA was using to hinder my benefit.
Never give up. Fight the good fight. Stay vigilant.
The secretary of the va is not on your side. Only us veterans. Join the DAV, AMERICAN LEGION and the posts, they are where our strength is. We need them and they need us.
Good bless you family. Much love and respect.
Christopher Carr.
Here’s my problem and this problem applies to a lot of veterans, if not most veterans. Bottom line, covid happened. My GI Bill expired in March of 2021. I called and complained in April/May of 2020 and in October/November of 2020 to have my GI Bill extended for at least a year (they said no)!
Reason being is because I had 9 months of GI Bill left. I couldn’t enroll in anything because of the start of the covid lockdowns and they (GI bill folks) said that I had to have been enrolled in school in order to extend my GI Bill (how can I enroll in school if I can’t because of covid lcokdowns???).
See what I mean how the VA treats it’s veterans???
Will they be reimbursing those of us that had to take out student loans to cover the portion that the 9/11 bill didn’t cover?
Does anyone out there know if post 9/11 educational benefits have an extension? I still have many months left of benefits but unable to use them because of a 15 yr limit of leaving active duty and was told they expired. I was in my 4th yr of school and was cut off due to this.
There is no longer a 15yr limit. That has been changed recently…100%
Check out Vrrap. It’s new for covid and can give you an extra year of GIBill benefits.
If your service ended before 1Jan 2013, the 15 year limit applies. On or after it doesn’t expire.
I’m in the same boat as most of you. I was denied benefits for seven years because I used Chapter 31. Now they’re telling me as of May 2021 that I have a full GI Bill 100% for 36 months and have until November 2, 2021 to use them. Literally, WTF?! I’m still waiting for a response to my request for an extension. They made me go the medical route in claiming I couldn’t go to school when the reason I couldn’t was because of the VA denying me benefits. This is so wrong! I’m very close to a person with high political contacts and I’m hoping we can fight for mine and all your hard earned benefits. We took time out of our busy lives to support a war, why is the VA trying their hardest to deny our benefits?
I got my letter in June this stating I have 36 months of benefit and they expired April 2021. I already paid for Master’s degree Jan 2021 and they reimbursed me along with BAH so if you was in school ask the certifying official to certify you using the letter you got. I also asked for an extension to finish my 12 months that is there remaining unfair.
When I retired I did not have dependent children. I do now, but she will not be 18 until after my GI bill expires. Is there any way to get it transferred to her and extended?
I agree with many of you. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that those of us that served in combat but were part of the National Guard or Reserve were limited to a window when we could use the post 9/11 benefits. Many of us had full time jobs and might not have been able to go to school within that time period. Furthermore, it is equally ridiculous that we can’t transfer our benefits to children who may not have been born during that window of time.
I found out that I have about 10 month 23 days of Post 9/11 GI bill remaining – this will cover me for Fall and Spring semesters (21-22) Will I be able to get this extended to complete my 2nd BA degree?
This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in March of this year. It will likely die in committee. Has anyone heard of it? Is there anyone or any organization pushing for its approval? Is there anyone who would like to push for its approval?
>>117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1989
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 17, 2021
Mr. Steube introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the time limitation for the use of entitlement by certain veterans under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
1.Short title
This Act may be cited as the Time of Service Act.
2. Elimination of time limitation for use of entitlement under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of Department of Veterans Affairs
Section 3321(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
(1)in paragraph (1), by striking January 1, 2013 and inserting January 1, 2001; and
(2)in paragraph (2), by striking January 1, 2013 and inserting January 1, 2001. <<
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/hr1989/text
I see so many in my situation on here! I did 24 years continuous active duty, but my Post 9/11 expired, and those that served just one enlistment get a lifetime benefit. No disrespect to those that just did one tour, but if it’s lifetime – it is lifetime for all of us!
I am a Gulf War Veteran. As a wife and mother, it was impossible for me to go to school even half-time as a also had a full time job, a marriage, raising sons and all the goes with taking care of a family. We should be grandfathered into the Post 911 Education Bill. All lives matters.
Amen..my sister in arms. There is nothing for us 12 month 100 dollar paying Montgomery GI BILL soldiers we got pushed aside..so sad I was in Kosovo 201st M.I. . AND thanks for your service.
I am in the same boat Frenchie. Black Lives Matter.
Gabriel, good question. Long answer here but worth reading to the end. I was told, after many phone calls to the VA Education office in muskogee (sh**hole office, more on that later) that “you can ask for an extension” if your GI bill benefits are about to expire. I did ask and unfortunately that office in muskogee is filled with complete and totally useless personnel. I was ultimately granted an extension, but only after writing those idiots and sending the same, required information, again and again and again. I even wrote the VA Secretary at the time and asked about the “forever” status granted for all, instead of just a few, and of course heard nothing from that ahole. Now, as for muskogee, and probably like many of you, I initially told them the life of a Veteran (thinking there might be a Veteran there who would relate, WRONG!) after retirement and how for the past 11 of my 15 years (deadline for cancelling GI bill), I tried to attend school but I had to move 9 times to 4 different states, trying to get jobs, and either quitting or getting fired for now apparent, severe PTSD symptoms that were never dealt with. They didn’t care in the least. I explained that for a Veteran, especially a Disabled Veteran, the time that it takes just to get seen at the VA is horrendous, but to get a S/C % assigned, is not months, but years in the making. They didn’t care in the least. I tried to explain that “it is impossible for a Veteran who has service connected issues, but has not received treatment and is not receiving medication to attend a college, the physical, emotional and mental brain matter just does not want to connect all the dots most classes require, again without treatment and medication. Again, they said big f’ing deal. Finally, the final straw was when I asked to speak, via phone to the ahole making these decisions and guess what, NO ONE, NOT EVEN THE SCRUBS AT MUSKOGEE WERE ALLOWED TO TALK TO THESE ABSOLUTELY, OUT OF CONTROL AHOLE “DECISION MAKERS” WHO HAD MY (AND YOURS) LIFE AND MY HARD EARNED BENEFITS IN THEIR HANDS!!! It was the worst process I’ve ever been through, BAR NONE!. So, I started writing my congress people, none of them gave a f*** until I got hold of Rep Babin from Texas. His staff was even reluctant to take this one on, but they did agree to send a letter to muskogee asking for clarification as to why my benefits were denied when I had “apparently sent everything they requested time and again.” It wasn’t two weeks later when they wrote back, AND admitted “my case was handled inappropriately” and granted me 6 more years. Now Gabriel and the rest, here’s the sad part if you don’t count the 7 months of bullsh** I had to go through to get it extended. Yes I was granted six more years, but with covid, now 2.5 of those years are already gone and no school BECAUSE I don’t do well with online school, I need a classroom with a instructor I can real time talk with. So, with just 3.5 years left, I realize I’m going to probably have to deal with those muskogee idiots once again, down the line. I dread that because instead of being a “we care about our Vets benefits” agency like they advertise, it is a HORRIBLE, SELF-SERVING, CLOSED, CLANDESTINE OPERATION THERE THAT IS QUICK ON THE TRIGGER TO SAY “FUCC YOU VETERAN, WE DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR 28- YEARS IN THE SERVICE, YOUR 100% DISABILITY RATING, WE DON’T ABOUT YOUR CASE, YOUR SITUATION, NOTHING, YOUR F’ING BENEFITS EXPIRED, WE KEEP YOUR MONEY AND THESE ARE OUR BENEFITS THAT WE HAND OUT TO YOU, WHEN WE FEEL LIKE IT, YOU DIDN’T EARN THEM, F*** YOU VETERAN! A CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRY WILL GET THEIR ATTENTION AND PROBABLY GET YOU AN EXTENSION, BECAUSE THEY’RE CHICKENSH**S THERE AND THEY DO NOT, REPEAT DO NOT, WANT A FULL BLOWN INVESTIGATION OF THEIR PROCESSES, LIKE MOST MAGGOT INFESTED GOVT AGENCIES TODAY!
I brought up the very same issues and when I called and requested an extension I was told it was only for STEM. I originally tried to get in technology because that’s what I want to major in but after waiting 2 years for a slot to open up due to Gov Stipulation that so many veterans 85% can attend a school on GI Bill at any given moment. I have 5 months left to finally get my first Bachelors and the benefits are exhausted. Many people are affected by there conditions, living situations etc and the clock didn’t stop to wait on life so most of our educational time was waisted. It’s Awesome that they finally have this lifetime bill but yes it would be cool to get grandfathered in or some considerations due to medical,life events or circumstances making it difficult in which the time could be halted. I first started my post 9-11 in 2010 and didn’t get a full semester in I couldn’t focus or concentrate and truthfully I really didn’t understand way. I did a 8 month program in 2012 and completed I tried agin in 2015 then I was on a waitlist from 2017-2019. 2019 until currently I have been giving it my all with more help and accommodations and wish I could get the 8 years I lost back too. I appreciate all that we were given that even prior Veterans didn’t get. Imagine how they felt.
I only wish there was a buyout option. For those who know and do not intend to use their gi bill. Times are tough for a lot of folks right now. I’d like to have an option to forfeit my education benefit for some financial trade off.
When will they just allow us to transfer the benefits to dependents, even after we have retired? Makes no sense that we can’t transfer these after we have gotten out. That should be something that is lobbied for.
Yes, you can transfer. It’s on the va website under education.
I got out of the Navy after six years in January 2006. I paid into the Montgomery GI Bill, then later transferred to the Post 9/11. I completed my Bachelors degree while in the Navy (no thanks to the GI Bill there). Years later, when I was between jobs, I looked into using the GI Bill. The two semesters I was able to get out of it were nice, but like others on here are saying, why did it expire at all?
Plus, the VA put obstacles in the way of those two semesters at every turn, like actually putting in effort to make sure I got no funds, but always signing communications with “thank you for your service”. After the pandemic payouts and the waste we’re seeing taking place right now, I’m no longer buying that the gov’t doesn’t has the funds for vets. I don’t doubt that the gov’t is unwilling to pay though.
You’ve got it. The VA is a government cost-control organization, NOT a veterans advocacy organization. Anything to keep from paying out for what they’ve done to us or provide the benefits they promised.
Why doesn’t the VA make the GI Bill forever, but for those ALL who have served and not used their GI Bill. That happened to me. I even asked for extension and got denied.
I been asking this same thing for years. I am in the same boat. I feel like it isn’t fair.
My GI Bill expired what do I do now?
How about changing the BAH amount to the zip code the Veteran lives in?! My brother served 9 years active duty Army, lives in California, attends online IT courses, but gets crap BAH because the school is in Missouri. He can barely afford to go to school even with the GI Bill.
It would be nice if Montgomery GI Bill could transfer to dependant children as well. We did pay into it.
I didn’t know I couldn’t transfer to my child before retirement!!! THIS IS WRONG!!!
Change the transfer requirements to include those of us who retired after 9/11 but before the transfer criteria was established. had I known at the time I wouldn’t be able to transfer benefits, I wouldn’t have retired!
Why were GI Bill benefits required to be transferred to a child or children prior to leaving active duty status? Why is it not made clear to active duty members about that timeline? Why is it all too easy for those who serve to lose this benefit due to not knowing what you don’t know? Why is a benefit not a benefit when a member retires? The educational benefits should still be transferrable to their children EVEN AFTER an active duty member retires. What if they add children to their family AFTER they leave active duty? These are simple changes that should be made!
Can I get the understanding of the 30% S/C rating?
My is the minimum for the state of Alabama so Veterans can attend college for free?
What are some resources that I can use to attend college?
How much money will VR&E pay for to attend college?
Why did I have to relinquish my 1 year benefit of Montgomery GI Bill? I could really use it right now.
Why the American service member always seem to be on the losing end?
Why does the “Forever GI Bill” only cover those who got out on, or after 1 Jan 2013, and not every veteran who served on or after 9/11? I mean, It’s the post 9/11 GI Bill. It’s not the post 1/1/13 GI Bill; right? Somebody help me understand how 12 years of veterans were eliminated from these benefits.
What about immediate policy changes based on the recent Rudisill court decision to support Veteran’s who have lost benefits they earned through both the Montgomery GI Bill and the 9/11 GI Bill? These ridiculous VA restrictions caused me and other Veteran’s >$100k of lost benefits. Give us all the benefits we earned and in some cases paid for.
My benefits are almost non-existent because I served during peacetime so tired of being less than.
When are you guys going to make the post 911 does NOT have a termination date for everybody not just those who served after 2012?
I feel the same way. I paid into min. Worked full time raising a family and didn’t have time to go back to school. Now kids are older and want to go back to school and my GI bill expired. Sucks.
I am hoping they will cancel all GI Bill expiration dates someday so that those with remaining expired benefits may now use them!
Why are service members that were enlisted and paid into to GI/Post 911 on or after September 2001, not allowed acces to the benefits they earned? Why are benefits not given to any services members without the 10/15 year limitation. How many members would be able to erase college debt just allowing access to those who served at that eligible time?
interested in new career life-style change.
service-connected (90%)
want too go back school (full-time-student)
please help.
Apply for Chapter 31 Vocational Readiness & Employment to help you pay for school. https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation/
Hi Filomena, you can call this number for help: 888-442-4551
Apply for Individual Unemployability(IU)/Permanent and Total (P&T) if you have more than 70% with combined ratings of your multiple disabilities. Then apply for vocational rehabilitation education benefits which is only for IU that want to return to the workforce. I’m not exactly sure, but I’m pretty sure it’s a guaranteed 36 more months of school benefits to reintegrate you into the work force even if you’ve used your Post 9/11 already.
Rico that’s correct. Vocational Reh Education Program (chap 31) will give you up to 36 months of benefits to get your education. It could also be extended for a Master (case by case basis). When applying for Chap 31 ask to be pay at the GI Bill BHA rate. You can take clases on line but to get the full BHA as a full time half of your classes have to be in person
The Post 9/11 GI bill should not have a expiration date on it. It should treat the soldiers that was actually in during 9/11 to be afforded the forever GI Bill. The current policy needs to change to include all soldiers/veterans that was serving during that time.
I agree with this fully. I was on AD during 911. Had to get out because I hurt my back. Now my GI Bill is expired. Sure could use it now….
Can I transfer my benefit to my now 26 year old son?
Up grade our disabilty percentages.Mr.Robinson Veteran Semi Rtd