Post-9/11 GI Bill Guide: Benefits, Eligibility, and How to Apply

The Post-9/11 GI Bill pays for college, trade school, apprenticeships, and other training for veterans and servicemembers who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001. At the full benefit level, it covers your full tuition and fees at a public school, up to $30,908.34 a year at a private or foreign school, plus a monthly housing allowance and $1,000 a year for books and supplies.

Quick facts:

• You need at least 90 days of active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001, to qualify, though your benefit amount depends on how long you served
• At the 100% level, this benefit covers full public school tuition, up to $30,908.34 a year at private or foreign schools, a monthly housing allowance, and $1,000 a year for books
• You can use it for college, trade school, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and flight school
• You can transfer unused benefits to a spouse or child if you meet certain service requirements
• If you served before Jan. 1, 2013, your benefits expire 15 years after you leave the military. If you served after that date, your benefits never expire

Who Qualifies for the Post-9/11 GI Bill

You may be eligible if one of these is true, and you served on or after Sept. 11, 2001:

• You served at least 90 days on active duty, all at once or with breaks in service, and received an honorable discharge
• You served at least 30 continuous days and were discharged because of a service-connected disability
• You received a Purple Heart
• You’re a dependent using benefits transferred to you by a qualifying veteran or servicemember

Meeting one of these gets you into the program. How much of the benefit you actually receive depends on how long you served, which is covered in the next section.

You cannot switch between GI Bill programs freely. For example, if you have the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve, you cannot switch to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

How Much of the Benefit You Get

VA pays the Post-9/11 GI Bill on a sliding scale based on your active duty time. This is one of the most common points of confusion with this benefit, so here’s the full table.

You’re eligible for 100% of the full benefit if any of these are true:

• You served at least 1,095 days (about 36 months) on active duty
• You received a Purple Heart on or after Sept. 11, 2001
• You served at least 30 continuous days on active duty and were discharged because of a service-connected disability

If none of those apply, your percentage depends on your total active duty time:

Days on Active Duty	Benefit Percentage
910 to 1,094 days (30 to 35 months)	90%
730 to 909 days (24 to 29 months)	80%
545 to 729 days (18 to 23 months)	70%
180 to 544 days (6 to 17 months)	60%
90 to 179 days (about 3 to 5 months)	50%

So if you served 180 days of active duty, you’re eligible for 60% of the full benefit. This percentage applies to everything below: tuition, housing, and books.

What the Post-9/11 GI Bill Covers

The Post-9/11 GI Bill covers several types of costs. Here’s a short overview of each, with links to our full guides for the details and current dollar amounts.

Tuition and Fees

The VA pays your school directly. Public school tuition is covered in full if you’re eligible for 100% of the benefit. Private and foreign schools are capped at a set dollar amount each year. See our full Post-9/11 GI Bill payment rates guide for the current caps by school type.

Note: Fully paid tuition is based on in-state tuition rates. If you’re unable to obtain in-state eligibility, it’s worth consulting the VA. However, most public or state colleges tend to offer in-state tuition rates if you served.

Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA)

This is based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rate for an E-5 with dependents, using your school’s ZIP code, and is prorated by your benefit percentage and the number of credits you’re taking. See our monthly housing allowance calculator for current rates, or our online college BAH guide if you’re taking classes remotely.

Books and Supplies

As part of the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, the VA allows up to $1,000 per year to buy books and supplies. If your benefit percentage is less than 100%, then the amount will be prorated. For example, if you have a 90% benefit eligibility, the maximum amount you can receive for the books and supplies stipend is $900 (90% of $1,000).

Yellow Ribbon Program

The GI Bill caps how much it pays toward private, foreign, or graduate school tuition each year. Because of this, the Yellow Ribbon Program helps cover costs if your school exceeds that cap. The program involves a participating school agreeing to cover part of the difference, while the VA matches that amount to help cover costs.

This is generally only available if you’re eligible for the 100% benefit level, and not every school participates.

Tutorial Assistance and Work Study

If you’re struggling with coursework, the tutorial assistance program can get you up to $100 a month, capped at $1,200 a year, for a tutor. You can also earn extra money through the VA’s work study program while enrolled.

Rural Relocation Grant

This rural living stipend is a one-time $500 payment if you have to move from a highly rural area to attend school.

Transferring Your Benefits

If you don’t plan to use all of your benefits, you may be able to transfer your GI Bill benefits to a spouse or child. This generally requires at least 6 years of service, with a commitment to serve 4 more years, though there’s an exception for Purple Heart recipients. The rules for who can receive transferred benefits, how much they’re worth, and how to request a transfer are different enough that we cover them in our separate Post-9/11 GI Bill transfer guide.

Other GI Bill and VA Education Programs

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the main education benefit for most veterans, but a few related programs are worth knowing about:

• Fry Scholarship: For surviving spouses and children of a servicemember who died in the line of duty
• Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship: Extra months of benefits for veterans and Fry Scholars finishing a STEM degree
• Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA): For dependents of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled
• Montgomery GI Bill: An older program that pays you directly each month instead of paying your school

How Long You Have to Use Your Benefits

If you left the military before Jan. 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits expire 15 years after your last day of service. If you left on or after that date, your benefits never expire (as part of the Forever GI Bill).

Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are capped at 36 months on their own. You may be able to get up to 48 months total if you also qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill and use both programs, but the Post-9/11 GI Bill by itself does not provide 48 months.

How to Apply for Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Applying for your GI Bill benefits is like applying for any VA-related program or benefit. You will need a few things when applying for these benefits:

• Your Social Security number
• A bank account for direct deposit
• Your military and education history, including your DD-214 if you’ve separated
• Basic information about the school or program you plan to attend

How to Apply

The fastest way is online through VA.gov. You can also mail in a paper form, the VA Form 22 1990, or the VA Form 22 1990e if you’re a dependent using transferred benefits. You can request these forms by calling the VA at 888-442-4551 or by applying in person at a VA regional office. A Veterans Service Organization representative or accredited claims agent can also help you apply.

Once the VA reviews your application, you’ll get a decision and, if approved, a Certificate of Eligibility. Give that to your school’s certifying official so they can apply your benefits to your account. Processing typically takes about 30 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Post-9/11 GI Bill worth? At the 100% level, it covers full tuition at public schools, up to $30,908.34 a year at private or foreign schools, a monthly housing allowance based on your local BAH rate, and $1,000 a year for books and supplies.

Does the GI Bill cover trade schools? Yes. It covers non-degree programs such as HVAC, truck driving, and other trade and technical training, as well as flight training and apprenticeships.

How many credit hours is full-time for the GI Bill? Most schools consider 12 credit hours a full course load. Taking fewer credits reduces your housing allowance and books stipend proportionally, though your tuition coverage is not affected by course load.

Can I switch from the Montgomery GI Bill to the Post-9/11 GI Bill? In most cases, yes, but the switch is generally permanent. Once you convert, you typically cannot switch back.

How do I check how much of my GI Bill I have left? Sign in to VA.gov and check your GI Bill Statement of Benefits, which shows how much you’ve used and how much remains.