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Benefit Comparison Ch. 30 vs. Ch. 33

  Watch brief videos with answers to your questions on Financial Aid TV.

For many eligible participants, the Post-9/11 GI Bill is a better solution than other education benefit programs, such as the Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty, Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve and the Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP). However, this decision depends on several factors, including the type of education or training you plan to take and the amount of benefits received under each program.

In choosing the VA education benefit best suited for you, consider the following questions:

• Which benefit pays you more? 
• What Post-9/11 GI Bill tier are you eligible for? 
• Are you receiving other aid? 
• Will entitlement to that aid change? 
• What type of training will you pursue (i.e. bachelor’s degree, flight training, on-the-job, etc.)? 
  • Is your preferred training covered under Post-9/11 GI Bill? 
  • How much, if any, of your training will be online/distance learning?
• Where will you be living when you pursue training? 
• Is the timeframe to utilize benefits important to you? 
• Will you be a member of the Armed Forces on August 1, 2009? 
• Are you eligible for Transfer of Entitlement? Do you want to transfer entitlement? (Your military service branch determines if you are eligible to transfer entitlement.) 
• Do you have remaining entitlement under other VA Education Programs? 
  • Are you planning to use that entitlement before using the Post-9/11 GI Bill?

View case studies showing the difference between the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty).

View case studies showing the difference between the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill (Reserves) and the REAP program.

What type of training do you plan on taking?
Types of training that can be taken under current GI Bill benefits include college (undergraduate, graduate), certificate programs, on-the-job training, apprenticeship training, flight training, and non-college degree courses. The Post-9/11 GI Bill can only be used for programs taken at a college or university.

View a breakdown of which types of training are covered under each GI Bill click here. 

Federal Student Aid

Election of Benefits
If you wish to receive benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill and you are eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and another GI Bill benefit such as the Montgomery GI Bill you will be required to make an irrevocable choice of which benefit you wish to receive. If you are eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and two or more other education benefit you must make an irrevocable choice to give up ONE of the other education benefits, however you will remain eligible to the benefit you did not relinquish. Because you are now eligible for two education benefits, you MAY be able to change which education benefit you draw depending on your eligibility.

For example: you have eligibility under the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the Selected Reserve GI Bill. You can get a degree in electrical engineering under the Post-9/11 GI Bill at a community college, then you can enroll in an apprenticeship program with the electrician's union under the Selected Reserve GI Bill and receive Journeyman certification.

If you are not planning to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill now, you do not need to make your election immediately but should wait until closer to the time in which you wish to use benefits.

How much will you get under each benefit?
The monetary issue is most likely a very important factor you will consider before selecting a benefit. While you may think you will receive more money under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, that will not always be the case.

Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill you may receive:

• A tuition & fees payment (paid directly to the school) not to exceed the tuition & fees at the most expensive state Institution of Higher Learning (IHL). View the list of maximum tuition and fees by state

• A monthly housing allowance based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. This amount is based on the ZIP code of the location of the school you are attending. Determine the BAH for your ZIP code (link goes to a non-VA website)

• An annual book stipend of $1,000 paid proportionately based on enrollment
  
• You may also receive a one-time rural benefit payment of $500.00 if you reside in a county with 6 persons or less per square mile (as determined by the most recent decennial census) and:
  
  
  
  • Either physically relocate at least 500 miles to attend an educational institution or
    
  • Travel by air to physically attend an educational institution if no other land-based transportation exists

Under all other GI Bill programs:
You will receive a monthly payment at a rate set by Congress that does not vary based on your expenses.  View a breakdown of the monetary benefits under the various GI Bills. 

Factors to Consider

• In some locations the costs of college and housing (which you would receive payment for under the Post-9/11 GI Bill) are less than the payment you would receive under the Montgomery GI Bill
  
• In some states veterans do not have to pay tuition at selected state colleges. The Post-9/11 GI Bill may then pay only the housing benefit and the book stipend. (Since you have no tuition costs the Post-9/11 GI Bill will not pay the college any tuition.) Your payments under other GI Bill programs such as the Active-Duty GI Bill may be higher in these cases. View other GI Bill rates.
  
• If you are eligible for a college fund under other GI Bill programs, you will continue to receive your college fund payments. Rather than receiving them monthly, you will be paid a lump sum payment each quarter, semester, or term that you are enrolled. 
  
• If you participated in the $600 buy-up under the Montgomery GI Bill or REAP you will not receive that additional benefit under the Post 9/11 GI Bill

Different amounts payable based on time served.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill payment is based on the amount of service completed after September 10, 2001. Your tuition & fees payment, housing allowance, and book stipend are all based on this percentage. You will receive a larger benefit if you served more active duty or mobilization time.

Reminder: The Post-9/11 GI Bill is only payable at an Institution of Higher Learning (IHL), you are only eligible for GI Bill benefits for other types of training if you have eligibility under other GI Bill programs such as the Active Duty GI Bill, Reserve GI Bill, REAP, or VEAP. You should contact your Education Service Officer or the VA for more information.

View a breakdown of the benefits under the various GI Bill click here.

For active-duty personnel, the following table applies:

For reservists, the following table applies: