The Post 9/11 GI Bill
The Post 9/11 GI Bill is the largest investment in veterans’ education since World War II, covering the full cost of an undergraduate education at any public university or college in the country and many private schools for our nation's newest generation of veterans.
In 2008, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) played a lead role in building a united front among veterans organizations and a bipartisan consensus in Congress, led by Senators Jim Webb (D-VA), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), John Warner (R-VA) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).
"The GI Bill is a promise we made to the veterans of World War II: that those who defend our country should be able to take advantage of America's opportunity," said IAVA Executive Director and Founder Paul Rieckhoff. "This new bill fulfills that promise, and will do nothing less than change the course of an entire generation."
Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits
*Includes tuition, books and living allowance. |
The new GI Bill discards the outdated Montgomery GI Bill style system and replaces it with a World War II style GI Bill that provides: upfront tuition payments directly to the school, a monthly living allowance and a book stipend of $1,000 per year.
To qualify for the benefit, a veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty service post-9/11, or have served 30 days and was discharged due to a service connected injury or illness.
Tuition and fee payments can be used at any public or private school but are capped on a per state basis. For a breakdown of tuition and fee caps, click here.
The monthly living stipend is based on the Department of Defense Basic Housing Allowance (BAH) for the region. The stipend will be pegged to the E-5 with a dependent rate for the zip code of the school regardless of the pay grade of the veteran. Veterans will receive $41.67 per credit, but no more $1,000 per year to help pay for books and supplies.
National Guard & Reserve
Reservists will continue to receive a percentage of the active duty GI Bill based on the length of their active duty service. However, this new benefit will allow reservists to accumulate active duty service from multiple tours (more service = higher benefits).
The Yellow Ribbon Program
Private schools and graduate programs costing more than the state cap may qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program. A Yellow Ribbon school must offer a veterans-only scholarship and then the VA will match that scholarship up to the full cost of tuition and fees.
Transfer of Benefits
The last and most novel feature of the Post 9/11 GI Bill is that currently serving troops have the opportunity to transfer education benefits to a spouse or a child. To qualify for transferability a servicemember must:
- Qualify for the education benefits themselves.
- Served at least 6 years Active Duty, National Guard or Select Reserves.
- Agree to commit to 4 more years of service starting August 2009.
- Have a spouse or dependent(s) enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS) to transfer benefits to.
Are you a veteran? Use IAVA's check-list to get started on your Post-9/11 GI Bill application. If you are an educator and want to learn more about GI Bill benefits, please click here.
