Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill®
What is Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill®?
Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits provide 36 months of financial support for education and training, books and supplies, and housing for 15 years if release from active duty was before 01/01/13 or unlimited time if release from active duty was on or after 01/01/13. Tuition payment is made by the VA to the school. Books and supplies payment is made at the beginning of the term by the VA to the student. Housing allowance is paid a monthly basis by the VA to the student.
Tuition will be paid based on the highest in-state tuition charged by a public educational institution in the state where the school is located. The amount of support that an individual may qualify for depends on where they live and what type of degree they are pursuing. Learn about and compare your GI Bill® benefits at approved schools, employers, and VET TEC providers here https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool.
Effective August 1, 2018
Per Public Law 115-48-Section 107, the VA is required to calculate the Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® based on the location zip code where the student physically attends the majority of their classes.
MHA will no longer be based on the “Institution” location of the school where the individual is enrolled. For example, a student pursuing a degree at Los Medanos College but taking a majority of their courses at Sacramento City College may receive a different MHA than a student taking a majority of their courses at the LMC Pittsburg or Brentwood campuses. The MHA is based on the military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) at the E-5 with dependents rate. The zip code for LMC is 94565. The BAH Calculator can be found here: http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm
Rate of pursuit (ROP) applies specifically to Chapter 33. The VA calculates ROP by dividing the number of credit (or credit hour equivalents) being pursued by the number of credits considered to be full-time by the school. The resulting percentage is the student’s ROP.
Examples: full-time is12 credits, then RoP:
- 6 credits (or credit equivalents) is 50% (6 ¸ 12 = 50%)
- 7 credits (or credit equivalents) is 58% (7 ¸ 12 = 58%)
The MHA is paid if the student’s ROP is more than 50%. If the ROP is 50% or less, then the student does not receive the housing allowance. A student will not receive the housing allowance if enrolled exclusively online. Please review the (insert comparison tool).
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® also offers some service members the opportunity to transfer their GI Bill® to dependents.
Who Is Eligible?
You may be eligible if:
- You were honorably discharged, and
- You served at least 90 days on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service) on or after 09/11/01, or
- You received a Purple Heart on or after 09/11/01, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service, or
- You served for at least 30 continuous days (all at once without a break in service) on or after 09/11/01, and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability, or
- You’re a dependent child using benefits transferred by a qualifying veteran or service member.
Where Can I Apply?
If you have specific questions, please call toll-free 1-888-442-4551.