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Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)

If you need help paying for school or job training and you’ve served on active duty after September 10, 2001, you may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Find out if you can get education benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Can I get education benefits?

You can get education benefits if you meet both of the requirements listed below.

Both of these must be true:

  • You qualify for any GI Bill program, and
  • You’ve served on active duty for at least 90 days—with or without a break in service—after September 10, 2001.

If you qualify for more than one VA education benefit, you’ll have to pick which one you want to use. This is an irrevocable decision, meaning you can’t change your mind.

Who’s covered?

  • Veterans
  • Qualified dependents

Does this benefit expire?

Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits expire 15 years after your last separation date from active service. You must use all of your benefit by that time or you’ll lose whatever’s left.

If your service ended on or after January 1, 2013: There’s no time limit (known as a “delimiting date”) to use your education benefits. A recently enacted law gets rid of the expiration date for you. This change may not be reflected in some of the letters you receive from us. We’re working to update our systems to support this change. We appreciate your patience as we make the updates to our systems. Learn more about this and other new provisions from Forever GI Bill - Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act.

What benefits can I get?

  • Tuition and fees
  • Money for housing (if you’re in school more than half time)
  • Money for books and supplies (up to $1,000 per school year)

How do I get these benefits?

You’ll need to apply.
Apply for education benefits.

The benefit amount depends on which school you go to, how much active-duty service you’ve had since September 10, 2001, and how many credits or training hours you’re taking.

What benefits does the Post-9/11 GI Bill include?

  • The full tuition amount for in-state schools up to the maximum national average of $22,805.34
  • A Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) based on the cost of living where your school is located
  • Up to 36 months of education benefits, in most cases payable for 15 years after your release from active duty
  • A percentage-of-maximum-benefit scale based on how much active service you’ve had since September 10, 2001

Example: If you had 90 days of active service since September 10, 2001, you would qualify for 40% of the maximum amount. Three years of active service would qualify you for 100% of the benefit.

How do I know how much of my Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are left?

If you already applied for and were awarded Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits, your GI Bill Statement of Benefits will show you how much of your benefits you’ve used and how much you have left to use.
View your GI Bill Statement of Benefits.

Other possible benefits

  • You may be able to get money through the Yellow Ribbon Program to cover higher private-school and out-of-state tuition and fees.
    Learn about the Yellow Ribbon Program.
  • If you’re a qualified Servicemember, you can transfer all 36 months or a portion of your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a spouse or child. The Department of Defense approves a transfer of benefits.
    Learn about transferring Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.
  • The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) offers Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to children and surviving spouses of Servicemembers who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001.
    Learn more about the Fry Scholarship.

How can I use my Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits?

You can use your GI Bill benefits in many ways to advance your education and training.

Work toward a degree:

Train for a specific career, trade, or industry:

Work while you study:

Take classes from home:

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The absence of the registration symbol ® does not constitute a waiver of VA’s trademark rights in that phrase. Read our Terms of Use.