GI Bill Programs

Overview:

The GI Bill Programs are statutory entitlements that are administered by the military services and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). Soldiers may receive up to 36 months in any one DVA educational assistance program and a maximum of 48 months of combined benefits if eligible for two or more programs. For the most current GI Bill information visit the DVA Web site: https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/.

The following are the most common GI Bill educational assistance programs available to ARNG Soldiers:

• Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)
• Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve Kicker Incentive (Kicker)
• Montgomery GI Bill -Active Duty (Chapter 30)
• Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)
• Yellow Ribbon Program
• Post 9-11 GI Bill - Transferability
• General Application Procedures

Montgomery GI Bill: Selected Reserve Chapter 1606 (MGIB-SR)

Overview: 
The MGIB-SR is a benefit administered by the Department of Veteran's Affairs (DVA) that provides basic educational assistance for traditional/M-day Soldiers actively serving in the Selected Reserve (Reference: Title 10 USC Chapter 1606; DoDI 1322.17).

1. How Do I Qualify?

• Sign a six-year service contract or Officer Service Agreement in the Reserve Component on or after 1 July 1985
• Complete a High school diploma or equivalent
• Complete IADT or Officer Branch Qualification
• Continue serving in an active drilling status
• Not be AGR or on Active Duty
• Not be flagged for AWOL
• Not be using a Dedicated Army National Guard ROTC Scholarship (Title 10, Section 2107)

2. What Do I Get?

• $392 per month for full-time enrollment (Effective 1 October 2019)
• Payment made directly to you each month
• In most cases, benefit eligibility begins after you complete IADT
• CANNOT be combined with Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) for the same course

3. How Do I Apply?

• Contact your State Education Office and ask for your Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE)
• Submit the Veterans Online Application at www.vets.gov
• Notify the VA Certifying Official at your school so they can certify your enrollment
• Continue to verify your enrollment each month online at https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave/index.do

For More Information:

• Visit www.benefits.va.gov/gibill
• Contact your State Education Services Officer 

Montgomery GI Bill “Kicker”

Overview:
The Kicker incentive is an additional education payment to attract Soldiers to specific units, skills, or positions to meet and sustain ARNG readiness requirements (Reference: DoDI 1322.17). 

1. How Do I Qualify?

• Be eligible for either Chapter 1606 or Chapter 30 GI Bill
• Agree to serve in a current critical skill/critical unit or enter an officer commissioning program (ROTC, Officer, and Warrant Officer)
• Sign a six-year reserve service contract on or after 1 July 1985
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Complete IADT or BOLC Phase 1
• Sign a valid Kicker contract
• Not be on Military Technician or AGR/Active Duty Status
• Not be flagged for AWOLs
• Not be using a Dedicated Army National Guard ROTC Scholarship

$350 Enlisted Accessions (EA) 

Non-Prior Service

• ASVAB score of 50 or above (Cat IIIA or higher)
• Education Tier level 1 (High school diploma or equivalent)

Prior Service 

• ASVAB 50 or above (Cat I-IIIA or higher)
• DMOSQ E5 or below
• Meet RE and SPD code requirements for if affiliating from active duty
• If affiliating from a service other than Army, meet the requirement to be awarded a MOS at the time of affiliation/enlistment and be coded DMOSQ in SIDPERS

$350 Re-Enlistment/Extension (RE) 

• Reenlist or extend DMOSQ grade E7 or below
• May extend any time after completing 3 years of service, but prior to completing 14 years of service
• Deployed Soldiers with a 999K excess code are eligible
• Soldiers in the ARNG Medical Management Activity (MMA) are not eligible while medically non-available

$350 Officer Commissioning (OC)

Supplemental (Bump-Up) 

• Have previously contracted and established eligibility for enlisted accession MGIB-SR kicker
• Have completed or agree to complete the original six-year service obligation
• Be enrolled in a commissioning program
• Complete the Supplemental MGIB-SR Kicker addendum (NGB Form 5435-1) after entry into the Commissioning program, and prior to commissioning

Officer Candidate School (OCS)

• Complete MGIB-SR Kicker Addendum (NGB Form 5435) after completion of OCS
• Phase 1, and prior to commissioning
• Have a concurrent six-year service obligation from the date of the Kicker contract

Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC)

• Be enrolled as a Simultaneous Member Program (SMP) as an MSIII Cadet
• Complete SMP Agreement (NGB Form 594-1) 
• Complete Kicker Addendum prior to commissioning
• Have a concurrent six-year service obligation from the date of the Kicker contract

Warrant Officer Candidate (WOC)

• Complete Kicker Addendum after entry into the commissioning program and prior to commissioning
• Have a concurrent six-year service obligation from the date of the Kicker contract

Notes:  

—Receiving a Dedicated Guard ROTC Scholarship (Title 10 USC 2107) will terminate a Soldier's MGB-SR (Chapter 1606) basic benefit and kicker (if applicable)
—Cadets who have not completed AIT will not be eligible for payment until completion of BOLC

2. What Do I Get?

A Soldier may receive a maximum of 36 months of benefits under the Kicker program.

• $200 or $350 per month depending on the contracted rate
• Works as supplemental to GI Bill payment
• Payment made directly to you each month. Can use with any GI Bill but must be eligible for either Chapter 1606 or Chapter 30 to retain eligibility

3. How Do I Apply?

• Contact your State Education Office to validate eligibility
• Go to https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage and submit the Veterans Online Application
• Notify the VA Certifying Official at your school so they can certify your enrollment
• Continue to verify your enrollment each month online at https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave

For More Information:

• Visit www.benefits.va.gov/gibill
• Contact your State Education Services Officer 

Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty Chapter 30 (MGIB-AD)

Overview:
Chapter 30 is an education program that applies to veterans who served on active duty or AGR, served two or three years, had pay reduced by $1,200, and received an honorable discharge (Reference: Title 38 USC Chapter 30; DoDD 1322.16). Add "For more information" at the end of the benefits information.

1. How Do I Qualify?

• Have qualifying active duty service on or after 1 July 1985 or AGR service after 29 November 1989
  • Complete two years on Active Duty or AGR (Title 10/32) for 80% rate
    • Must complete 20 months before use
  • Complete three years on Active Duty or AGR (Title 10/32) for 100% rate
    • Must complete 24 months before use
  • Complete mobilization of at least two continuous years (730 days)
• Paying a $1,200 Buy-In
  • If you are on AGR, you can choose to pay in a lump sum or set up deductions from your paycheck of $100/month for 12 months.
  • If you are mobilized, you must pay the $1,200 in a lump sum
  • To Buy-In, contact the GI Bill Support Team at arng.esc.ch30@army.mil 

2. What Do I Get?

• A monthly payment paid directly to you based on the amount of active duty time served
• Effective 1 October 2018:
• Full-time student = $2,050.00 per month
• Half-time student = $1,025.00 per month

• Payments are limited by several factors including:
• Payment Tier
• Rate of Pursuit (if you are going to school full-time, half-time, etc.)
• Use of Federal Tuition Assistance
• Active Duty/Drilling Status

• If on active duty, you can use the benefit as a Top-Up to your Federal Tuition Assistance
  • Top–Up means that FTA will pay first then Chapter 30 will pay the cost of tuition and fees that were not covered by FTA, not to exceed your monthly Chapter 30 rate
  • You have 10 years from the last day of qualifying active duty time to use this benefit
    • Your 10-year window can be reset if you complete a new period of qualifying time by submitting a VA Form 21-4138 along with your DD 214 to your VA Regional Processing Center

3. How Do I Apply?

Step 1. Contact the GI Bill Support Team (GIBST) at arng.esc.ch30@army.mil. The GIBST will reply to applicants via email with enrollment instructions.

Step 2. Apply Online. Once you receive confirmation of enrollment from GIBST, go to https://www.vets.gov to apply.

Step 3. Certificate of Eligibility (CoE). After you apply online, the DVA will send you a CoE in the mail. Take the CoE to the DVA representative (DVA Rep)/School Certifying Official (SCO) at the college (or your place of employment if you are in a job-training program.

Post-9/11 GI Bill, Chapter 33

Overview:

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an education program for Service Members who serve on qualifying active duty after September 10, 2001 and receive an honorable discharge. (Reference: Title 38 USC Chapter 33, DODI 1341.13) 

1. How Do I Qualify?

• Serve at least 90 days in a period of qualifying active duty on or after Sep 11, 2001. Qualifying Active Duty service is:
  • Service in any active component
  • Title 10 U.S.C., Sections 688, 12301(a), 12301(d), 12301(g), 12301(h), 12302, 12304, 12304(a), 12304(b)
  • Title 32 AGR
  • Title 32 U.S.C., Section 502(f), in which orders state “In Support of Operation Noble Eagle” between 11 Sep 2001 – 31 May 2002
  • Serve in a qualifying duty status for more than 30 continuous days and separate due to a service-connected disability or injury.

Basic Training and AIT can be added to established qualifying time if:

• You have already completed 24 months of qualifying active duty time; and
• Your Basic Training and/or AIT occurred on or after 9/11/2001

The following service time does NOT qualify for Chapter 33:

• Title 32 ADOS/ADSW/FTNGD
• Title 10 Service under a U.S.C. not listed above
• Service Academy Contract Period
• ROTC Active Duty Contract Period
• Active Duty used for Active Duty Loan Repayment
• Active Duty period receiving less than Honorable discharge

2. What Do I Get?

• There are three benefit payments for the Post-9/11 GI Bill: Tuition and Fees, a Monthly Housing Allowance, and a Book and Supply Stipend. All three are pro-rated by the Service member's payment tier. The Monthly Housing Allowance and the Book and Supply Stipend are further pro-rated by the Service member's rate of pursuit (number of credit hours). 
• Tuition and Fees
• Up to 100% of in-state tuition if you are attending a public school
• Maximum payment of $23,671 per year for private or foreign school (as of 1 Aug 18)

• Book and Supply Stipend (MUST be attending ½ time to qualify)
• Up to $1,000 per academic year ($41.67/credit hour)

• Monthly Housing Allowance: 
• Equivalent to BAH of E-5 with dependents
• Based on zip code where attending classes
• If exclusively online training (no classroom instruction): $825.50
• Prorated by rate of pursuit and term start and end dates
• AGR/Active Duty Soldiers are NOT eligible for the Housing Stipend 

3. How Do I Apply?

Step 1. Go to https://www.vets.gov.

Step 2. Certificate of Eligibility (CoE). The DVA will send you a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) in the mail. Take the CoE to the DVA representative (DVA Rep)/School Certifying Official (SCO) at the college (or your place of employment if you are in a job-training program). 

Note: For the Post-9/11 GI Bill, a monthly verification is not required.

• Visit www.benefits.va.gov/gibill for more information.
• Contact your State Education Officer 

 Yellow Ribbon Program

Overview:

The Yellow Ribbon Program allows institutions of higher learning in the United States to enter voluntarily into an agreement with DVA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the annual tuition cap. Payment is made directly to the school on behalf of the student when the school's enrollment certification is processed.

References:

DVA website: www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/yellow_ribbon/yellow_ribbon_info_schools.asp for more information.

1. How Do I Qualify?

Only individuals eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill at the 100% benefit level or their dependents using transferred entitlement are eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Active Duty / AGR personnel and their spouses using transferred entitlement are not eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

2. What Do I Get?

The Yellow Ribbon Program can provide additional funding to students who tuition and fees charge exceeds the in-state, undergraduate cap (before August 1, 2011); or charges for out-of-state tuition or charges in excess of the yearly cap for students enrolled in private institutions (after August 1, 2011).

If a school participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, DVA will match each dollar the school contributes up to 50% of the difference between the basic tuition and fees amount payable by DVA and the tuition and fee amount charged to the student. The combined school and DVA contribution can't exceed the tuition and fee amount charged the student.

3. How Do I Apply?

Go to the GI Bill comparison tool to see if the Yellow Ribbon Program is offered at your school: https://www.va.gov/gi-bill-comparison-tool

Contact your VA School Certifying Official for more information and how to apply.

Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB)
Post-9/11 GI Bill

Overview:

TEB is an incentive for continued service offered to Service Members who qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. All ARNG Soldiers considering TEB should initiate the TEB process as soon as they meet the requirements (Ref: Title 38 USC Section 3319; DODI 1341.13).

1. How Do I Qualify?

• Qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill at any payment tier
• Be currently serving in the Armed Forces with at least six years completed
• NOT be flagged for an adverse action, APFT/ABCP failure, or as an Unsatisfactory Participant
• Agree to a FOUR-YEAR service obligation
• Transfer to an eligible dependent
  • Spouse and/or dependents must be listed under you in DEERS
  • Transfers to children must be completed before the child's 23rd birthday (21st birthday if they aren't enrolled full-time at an Educational Institution)
  • You must be currently serving to ADD a new dependent to the transfer request

2. What Do I Get?

• Dependent(s) receive the same tier payment as Soldier
• Spouse: is subject to the same rules as the transferring Soldier
  • May use transferred benefits immediately
  • Spouse's eligibility ends 15 years from your last day of qualifying time
  • If your last day of qualifying service is on or after January 1, 2013, your spouse's eligibility never ends
  • Spouse of a Soldier on Active Duty/AGR is NOT eligible for the Housing Stipend
• Children:
  • Cannot use the benefit until you have completed 10 years in the Armed Forces
  • Is always paid as if you are in a Non-Active Duty Status
  • Can begin using the benefit on their 18th birthday or upon high school graduation, whichever comes first
• A child's eligibility ends on their 26th birthday unless you specify an earlier end date. You can modify and/or revoke months between any dependent you originally transferred months to—even after you separate from service.

3. How Do I Apply?

Step 1: Contact the VA

• Call 1-800-GIBILL-1 and ask the VA rep how many months you have used in each GI Bill program
• If you are only eligible for one program, subtract those months from 36. This is the number of months you are eligible to transfer.
• If you are eligible for more than one program, subtract the total months from 48. You may transfer this number of months or 36 months, whichever is less.

Step 2: Complete Extension (If required)

• If you do not have 4 years remaining on your contract from the date you complete the TEB application, you will need to extend. Fill out the DA Form 4836 (Oath of Extension of Enlistment or Reenlistment) and have your extension uploaded into SIDPERS and iPERMS by your unit/state.
• The GI Bill Support Team will NOT approve any transfer requests until they can verify that the extension was uploaded into SIDPERS and appears in your record in GIMS.

Step 3: Complete Application for Transfer

• Complete online application at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/. Must log on with Common Access Card (CAC) or Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS) PIN.
• Verify your dependents are listed as eligible to receive the transfer
  • Your dependents will be listed in the List of Family Members chart. Dependents with a blue YES on the far right of the chart are eligible to receive the transfer.
  • If your dependent(s) is under 23 years old and has a blue N/A instead of a blue YES, contact your DEERS office to enroll that dependent into DEERS.
• Click on the blue YES associated with the dependent you wish to transfer to.
  • Enter the number of months you wish to transfer to that dependent
  • OPTIONAL: Enter a Transfer End Date. If left blank, the dependent will receive the longest period of eligibility allowed by law.
  • Click the OK button.
  • Repeat for each dependent you wish to transfer months to.
• Complete the application by selecting EVERY checkbox and then click SUBMIT.

Step 4: Access AKO Email and follow TEB email instructions

• The GI Bill Support Team will review your application and send you an email in your AKO email with instructions if you have not met all the requirements to get your transfer approved.
• Once you have met all the requirements, you will receive a TEB APPROVED email from the GI Bill Support Team.
• Login to milConnect, review your obligation end date (OED), print your approval form.
• NOTE: IF YOU VOLUNTARILY SEPARATE FROM THE ARNG PRIOR TO COMPLETING YOUR OED, YOUR TEB WILL BE TERMINATED AND ANY FUNDS PAID TO YOUR DEPENDENTS WILL BE RECOUPED!

Step 5: Dependent Application to VA

• When ready to attend school, your approved dependent(s) apply for the Post 9/11 GI Bill at https://www.vets.gov.
• Go to http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp and submit the Veterans Online Application
• Notify the VA Certifying Official at your school so they can certify your enrollment

For More Information:

• Visit www.benefits.va.gov/gibill
• Contact your State Education Officer

General Application Procedures

How Do I Apply?

Step 1. Apply Online. Go to https://www.vets.gov.

Step 2. Certificate of Eligibility (CoE). After you apply online, the DVA will send you a CoE in the mail. Take the CoE to the DVA representative/School Certifying Official (SCO) at the educational institution you are attending, or your place of employment and submit it to the DVA Regional Processing Office (RPO) for processing.

Step 3. Verify Your Attendance. Students receiving Chapter 30, 1606 or 1607 must verify their attendance monthly by Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) or by using the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. When students are awarded benefits, the award letter they receive describes WAVE and IVR. 

• The preferred verification method is WAVE, which includes features not found in IVR. WAVE allows students to verify their enrollment on the Internet. WAVE is on the DVA's Education Service website at www.gibill.va.gov/wave/.
• The WAVE system permits students to perform a multitude of functions.
  • Verify that enrollment has not changed 
  • Report a change in enrollment
  • Change mailing address
  • Initiate or change direct deposit information
  • View the enrollment period and monthly benefit amount
  • View the remaining entitlement
  • Sign up for a monthly e-mail reminder
  • IVR allows students to "call-in" their monthly verification if there are no changes to the enrollment during the previous month. If there were changes in enrollment, the student must notify their DVA Rep/SCO and payments may be delayed while changes are processed. The phone number to use the IVR call-in feature is 1-877-823-2378.
• Important! If you are asked for a copy of your Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE), you will find a copy in your iPERMS record. If a copy of your NOBE is not located in your iPERMS record, contact your State GI Bill Manager or Education Services Officer (ESO).

Note: Non-Prior Service applicants enlisting under the OCS and ROTC enlistment option will not be entitled to receive the benefit until the day after the completion of BOLC. Officers/Officer Candidates should contact their State GI Bill Manager to verify their eligibility.

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