GI Bill® Programs

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 July 1, 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?

• $508 per month for full-time enrollment (effective October 1, 2026)
• Payment made directly to you each month
• In most cases, benefit eligibility begins after you complete IADT
• Can be combined with Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) for the same course

Institutional Training

Apprenticeship and On-the-Job Training

Training Time

Monthly rate

Training Period

Monthly rate

Full time

$508

First six months of training

$381

3/4 time

$408

Second six months of training

$279.40

1/2 time

$253

The remaining pursuit of training

$177.80

Less than 1/2 time

$127

Correspondence Payments - 55% of the approved charges

Flight Payments - 60% of the approved charges

Correspondence and Flight - Entitlement charged at the rate of one month for each $508 paid.

Rates change every year on October 1.

View current rates. 

3. How Do I Apply and Enroll?

• Contact your State Education Office and ask for your Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE)
• Gather your information and submit your application
  
• Notify the VA Certifying Official at your school so they can certify your enrollment
• Continue to verify your enrollment each month.

For More Information:

• Visit the VA Education and Training page
  
• 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
• Have a concurrent six-year service obligation from the date of the Kicker contract
• 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 I - Cat IIIA)
• Education Tier level 1 (High school diploma or equivalent)

Prior Service 

• ASVAB or AFCT 50 or above
• 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 IPPS-A

$350 Re-Enlistment/Extension (RE) 

• Reenlist or extend DMOSQ grade E7 or below
• May extend any time after completing three continuous years of service in the Army National Guard, 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 at the $100 and $200 rate
• Have completed or agree to complete the original six-year service obligation
• Be enrolled in a commissioning program
• Complete the Supplement 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
• Must have completed IADT and have an enlisted MOS

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 (NGB Form 5435)
• Have a concurrent six-year service obligation from the date of the Kicker contract
• Must have completed IADT and have an enlisted MOS

Warrant Officer Candidate (WOC)

• Complete Kicker Addendum after entry into the commissioning program and prior to commissioning (NGB Form 5435)
• Have a concurrent six-year service obligation from the date of the Kicker contract
• Must have completed IADT and have an enlisted MOS

Standard Officer Kicker (SOK)

• Within one year of commissioning, complete the MGIB-SR Kicker Addendum and sign a DA 544-7R for a period of six or more years on the same day
• Commissioned Officers without a bachelor's degree and Direct Commissioned Officers are eligible for this incentive

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)

2. What Do I Get?

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

• $350 per month depending on the contracted rate
• Is in addition to your basic 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
• 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

For More Information:

• Visit the VA Education and Training page
• Contact your State Education Services Officer 

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

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). 

Important information! 

• This benefit will sunset on 1 October 2030. There will be no enrollments after this date; however, eligible Soldiers will be able to continue to use the benefit until their expiration date.  
• The enrollment window for Chapter 30 is between 180 and 270 days after starting on qualifying active duty service. 

1. How Do I Qualify?

• Have qualifying active duty service on or after July 1, 1985
• 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)
• Complete a DD Form 2366 during your eligibility window. The eligibility window opens 180 days after starting qualifying active duty and ends 90 days later
• 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 enroll, contact your State Education Services Officer
    

2. What Do I Get?

• A monthly payment paid directly to you based on the amount of active duty time served
• Effective October 1, 2026, rates for those completing an enlistment of three years or more:
  
  

Monthly Rate

Full time

$2,601.00

3/4 time

$1,950.75

1/2 time

$1,300.50

Less than 1/2 time/more than 1/4 time

**$1,300.50

1/4 time or less

**$650.25

Apprenticeship and On-the-Job Training

Months 1 to 6

$1,950.75

Months 7 to 12

$1,430.55

After the first year

$910.35

Correspondence Payments: 55% of the approved charges

Flight Payment: 60% of the approved charges

Cooperative: 55% of the approved charges

** Tuition and Fees ONLY. Payment cannot exceed the listed amount.

Rates change every year on October 1. 

View current rates.

Effective October 1, 2026, rates for those completing an enlistment of less than three years:

Monthly Rate

Full time

$2,110.00

3/4 time

$1,582.50

1/2 time

$1,055.00

Less than 1/2 time/more than 1/4 time

**$1,055.00

1/4 time or less

**$527.50

Apprenticeship and On-the-Job Training

Months 1 to 6

$1,582.50

Months 7 to 12

$1,160.50

After the first year

$738.50

Correspondence Payments: 55% of the approved charges

Flight Payments: 60% of the approved charges

Cooperative: 55% of the approved charges

** Tuition and Fees ONLY. Payment cannot exceed the listed amount.

Rates change every year on October 1. 

View current rates.

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 your State Education Services Officer. The ESO will reply to you via email with enrollment instructions.

Step 2. Once you receive confirmation of enrollment from your ESO, apply online.

Step 3. After you apply online, 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).

Step 4. Verify your enrollment each month online.

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?

• Service in any active component
• Title 10 USC Sections 688, 12301(a), 12301(d), 12301(g),12301(h), 12302, 12304, 12304a, or 12304b
• Title 10 AGR or Title 32 AGR
• Title 32 USC, Section 502(f) ADOS as follows:
  
  • New Orleans Special Safety Mission: Beginning 22 DEC 2025
  • Memphis Safe Task Force: Beginning 15 SEP 2025
  • DC Safe and Beautiful: Beginning 25 AUG 2025
  • COVID-19 Pandemic Response: 22 MAR 2020 – 1 JUL 2022
  • Capitol Police (59th Inauguration): 11 JAN 2021– 23 MAY 2021
  • Southwest/ Southern Border: Beginning 15 FEB 2019
  • Operation Noble Eagle: 11 SEP 2001- 31 MAY 2002

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 Post-9/11:

• Title 32 ADOS/ADSW/FTNGD-OS (unless listed above)
• The Service Obligation from a Service Academy Contract
• The Service Obligation from a ROTC Active Duty Contract (Dedicated Guard only)
• Active Duty used for Active Duty Loan Repayment (Title 10 Sec. 109)
• Active Duty period receiving less than Honorable Discharge

2. What Do I Get?

Tuition and Fees

• Up to 100% of in-state tuition if you are attending a public school
• Maximum payment of $30,908.34 per year for private or foreign school

Book and Supply Stipend 

• 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
• Must be attending more than half-time to qualify
• If attending only online classes: $1,261
• Soldiers serving on Qualifying Active Duty are NOT eligible for the Housing Stipend 

Payment Tiers
Payments for all three benefits are pro-rated based on your percentage tier. The Book and Supply Stipend as well as the MHA are also adjusted based on your enrollment (number of credit hours).

At least 36 cumulative months, or Purple Heart recipients, or at least 30 consecutive days on active duty and discharged due to service-connected disability.

100%

At least 30 cumulative months

90%

At least 24 cumulative months

80%

At least 18 cumulative months

70%

At least 6 cumulative months

60%

At least 90 cumulative days

50%

Effective August 1, 2026

Timeline/Expiration of Benefits:

• If your last day of qualifying Active Duty is before January 1, 2013, your benefits expire 15 years from your last day of Active Duty
• If your last day of qualifying Active Duty is on or after January 1, 2013, your benefits never expire
• You can reset your expiration date by completing another qualifying period of service of at least 90 consecutive days
• Submit VA Form 21-4138 with your new DD214 to the VA Regional Processing Center

3. How Do I Apply?

• Submit the Veterans Online Application
• Notify the School Certifying Official at your school so they can certify your enrollment
• Verify your enrollment each month online

For More Information:

• Visit the VA website
  
• Contact your State Education Office

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, failure to maintain physical fitness or height/weight standards, or as an Unsatisfactory Participant
• Commit to serve at least four additional, continuous years in the Armed Forces (must have an ETS or MRD equal to or greater than four years from the TEB request date and not be in the IRR or ING);
• Transfer to an eligible dependent
  • Spouse and/or dependents must be listed under you in DEERS
  • Natural, step-children, adopted children, and wards and foster children must have been living with you under a court order for the past 12 continuous months
  • Transfers to children must be completed before the child's 21st birthday (23rd birthday if they are a full-time student)
  • 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
  • If your last day of qualifying service is before January 1, 2013, your spouse's eligibility ends 15 years from your last day of qualifying service, unless you specify an earlier end date
  • If your last day of qualifying service is on or after January 1, 2013, your spouse's eligibility never ends, unless you specify an earlier end date
  • Spouse of a Soldier who is serving qualifying duty is not eligible for the MHA
• Children:
  • Cannot use the benefit until you have completed 10 years in the Armed Forces
  • Is eligible for the housing allowance when attending more than half-time, regardless of the Soldier's duty status
  • A child's eligibility ends on their 26th birthday unless you specify an earlier end date

• IMPORTANT! In order to modify/revoke months from your dependents after separating from service, you must transfer at least one month to each dependent while you're still serving.

3. How Do I Apply?

Step 1: Contact the VA

• Call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) 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 four 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 IPPS-A and iPERMS by your unit/state.
• The Education Support Center (ESC) will NOT approve any transfer requests until they can verify that the extension was uploaded into IPPS-A and appears in your record in GIMS.

Step 3: Complete Application for Transfer

• Complete online application at milConnect. You must log in with Common Access Card (CAC), DS Logon 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
  • Soldiers have the option to enter a transfer end date. However, leaving this field blank will allow the VA to pay benefits for 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 reading, understanding and selecting EVERY checkbox and then click SUBMIT.

Step 4: Access Military Email and Follow Instructions

• The Education Support Center (ESC) will review your application and send you an email in your military (army.mil) 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 ESC.
• Login to milConnect, review your obligation end date (OED), print your approval form.
• IMPORTANT: 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 the VA website
  
• Notify the VA Certifying Official at your school so they can certify your enrollment
• Verify your enrollment each month online

For More Information:

• Visit the VA Education and Training page
  
• 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:

Visit the VA website's Yellow Ribbon Program page 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?

Use the GI Bill comparison tool to see if the Yellow Ribbon Program is offered at your school

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

General Application Procedures

How Do I Apply?

Step 1. Apply online.

Step 2. After you apply online, the DVA will send you a Certificate of Eligibility (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 GI Bill benefits must verify their enrollment EVERY MONTH. See the Verify Your Enrollment drop-down for more information.

• 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 Officer Strength Manager or Education Services Officer to verify their eligibility.

Verify Your Enrollment

Overview
Students receiving GI Bill benefits must verify their enrollment every month. If you do not verify your enrollment for two consecutive months, your payments will be placed on hold. You must call the Education Call Center (ECC) to release your payments. 

1. How Do I Verify My Enrollment?

   Via text message:

• This is the preferred verification method by the VA.

• Opt in.

• You can opt into text messaging enrollment verification by replying "YES" when you receive a text from the VA asking if you would like to submit your enrollment via text or by contacting the ECC. 

• Verify.

• Once you opt in, you can verify your enrollment every month by responding to this text from the VA: "Did you remain enrolled in your courses in MONTH YEAR as certified?” 

• Reply "YES" to verify your previous month's enrollment.

• If you do not respond within 6 days, you will have to call the ECC at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551).

   Via email:

• If you are unable to verify enrollment by text, don't have a U.S. mobile phone number or opt out of verification via text, you will automatically be enrolled in email verification.

• The VA will send the emails on the last day of each month to the email address they have on file. Make sure the email on file is one you have access to and check frequently. 

• When you receive an email with the subject line "Action Required: Verify Your Monthly Enrollment," select your response. 

• If you don't respond within 14 days, the links will expire and you will need to call the ECC to verify your enrollment. 

   Via call center:

• You can call the Education Call Center at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) to opt into text verification, verify your enrollment, make changes to your enrollment and check the remaining months of your GI Bill benefits. 

   Via WAVE:

• Post-9/11 GI Bill users going to a non-college degree (NCD) facility (apprenticeship, on-the-job, flight or correspondence training) can verify their enrollment on the internet using the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE).

• All other GI Bill users are encouraged to verify enrollment via text message.

• With WAVE you can:

• Verify enrollment 

• Report a change in enrollment

• Report a change in your mailing address

• Initiate/modify direct deposit information

• View the enrollment period and monthly benefit amount

• View remaining GI Bill months

• First-time WAVE users can follow the WAVE User Guide for help logging on.

2. What If My Enrollment Status Changed?

If your enrollment status has changed, contact your School Certifying Official (SCO) to ensure your enrollment record has been adjusted with the VA.

For more information, visit the VA website.