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Guide to Using Your GI Bill® Education Benefits

Liz Heintz

Written By: Liz Heintz

Published: 12/1/2022

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Key Insights:

  • The GI Bill® makes it possible for thousands of military service members, veterans, and eligible dependents to attend school for up to 36 months.
  • Service members and veterans earn certificates, undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and gain technical and vocational training by using the Bill.
  • GI Bill® benefits may help pay up to 100% of tuition and fees for beneficiaries who may otherwise find it difficult to complete higher education.
  • Spouses and dependent children of service members and veterans may be eligible to receive GI Bill® benefits.

Passed , the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 — the GI Bill® of Rights — has helped scores of veterans pursue higher education while transitioning to civilian life. Congress has extended the Bill several times, most notably in 2008 with the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and again in 2017 with the passing of the . The latter has further expanded benefits and removed the time limitation to use the Bill if your service ended after January 1, 2013. 

The GI Bill® is designed to help you pay for technical or vocational training and earn an undergraduate or graduate degree. The Bill can help with expenses, such as tuition and fees, books and school supplies, and housing. There are additionally two programs within the GI Bill® — the and the contributory Montgomery GI Bill®. Within each program, there are several options to help with the costs of higher education. 

If you’re a military service member or veteran who has yet to take advantage of this benefit, we have put together information about the programs offered, eligibility requirements, answers to frequently asked questions, and how the GI Bill® can help you or your qualified dependents achieve education and career goals.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill®

Enacted in 2009, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® extended the original GI Bill® for veterans who have served on active duty since September 11, 2001. Since then, the Bill has helped over annually

  • Up to $500 in relocation expenses if you need to move from a rural area to be closer to school
  • The Bill may also cover expenses related to licensing and certification, high-tech degree-granting and non-degree programs, vocational and trade training, flight school, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship training.

    You may still qualify for other forms of financial aid if you're GI Bill® eligible, such as state-sponsored veterans' programs, FAFSA, loans, and scholarships. It may even be possible to leverage these various sources of funding to make them go farther, as Air Force veteran attorney did. After he separated from the Air Force in 2008, Greg attended law school at the University of Connecticut because "Connecticut offers a full tuition waiver for any state school if you are a veteran and resident. I grew up in CT and still had my residency so that was an easy decision." 

    Greg explains how he still applied for the Bill and used his benefits. "Since tuition was waived, I used my GI Bill® to pay for housing, food, and other cost of living expenses," he says. "The VA also gave me vocational rehabilitation benefits, which paid for books, computer equipment, and other supplies." As an attorney, Greg now We've identified the best online military-friendly colleges in the U.S. by using our methodology to find the best fit to help you meet your goals and find the support you may need as a service member or veteran Colleges With Best Student Veteran Resources and Salary Outcomes We've ranked the schools with the most student veterans and those that have the best salary scores where you can use your GI Bill® benefits to help pay for college and possibly earn a high salary after graduation 2022 Best UUÖ±²¥s in the U.S. Browse our rankings of the best online colleges in the U.S. based on salary score and comprehensive list of popular online programs to help you choose a program that match your interests and suit your education and career needs

    The Montgomery GI Bill®

    The Montgomery GI Bill® is a contributory program that may help bridge the gap between how much you're eligible to receive from the Bill and what's left to be paid. The Montgomery Bill may also make it possible to attend college while still on active duty or in the reserves. If you don’t decline to participate when you enlist, $100 is automatically deducted from your monthly pay during the first year of your service.

    The Montgomery GI Bill® consists of two benefits depending on your service:

    • The Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty program ( about how we make money. "> ADVERTISEMENT

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