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Can I Get Post 9/11 G.I. Bill Benefits After Exhausting My Chapter 30?

May 11th, 2010
by Ron Kness
Hello Mr. Kness, I am currently using the Chapter 30 GI Bill. I have been told by the VA reps at my school that when I run out of benefits under Chapter 30, I can start using the Post 9/11 GI Bill for up to one year. I have been given incorrect information before, so I would like to know if this is correct. It is important for me to find out because I have three months left under Chapter 30 and I would hate to depend on money I won’t have. Thank you. — Felix

Felix, what your school is telling could be true, provided you qualify for the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. Under the VA’s Rule of 48, if you qualify for two G.I. Bills, you can get up to a maximum of 48 months of education benefits.

The way to get the additional 12 months is to first exhaust your Chapter 30 Montgomery G.I. Bill (such as your are doing) and then switch to the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. If you don’t exhaust your Chapter 30 benefits first, then the same number of months you had left on your Chapter 30 just transfer over and you don’t get the extra months.  I know – it is a crazy rule.

To qualify for the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, you need at least 90-days of active duty service after September 10, 2001 for the minimum benefit, and three years for the full benefit.

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Posted in Montgomery G I Bill, New GI Bill | 13 Comments »

13 Responses to “Can I Get Post 9/11 G.I. Bill Benefits After Exhausting My Chapter 30?”

  1. Scott says:
    November 23, 2010 at 12:56 pm

    I am in the same boat with the GI Bill and have been told that I can receive the Post 9/11 for 12 months after I exhaust Chapter 30. I was told this over the phone by 2 VA reps and I also submitted the question online and received the same response. I sure hope I’m not getting the wrong information either.

  2. Ron Kness says:
    November 25, 2010 at 7:44 am

    No, the information is correct. In case you did not know, you will also get your $1,200 Chapter 30 contribution back once you finish using your Post 9/11 GI Bill entitlements. It will come as part of your last housing allowance payment.

    Ron

  3. Cullen says:
    December 7, 2010 at 7:50 pm

    I think the last comment may be incorrect. If you exhaust your Chp. 30 FIRST then switch to the 9/11 bill you will not be refunded your 1200 dollars due to the fact that you used all of that entitlement in the first place.

  4. Ron Kness says:
    December 9, 2010 at 9:13 am

    I may not have been clear in what I meant to say. Let me try to clarify.

    If you have all 36 months of unused MGIB benefits, and switch from the MGIB to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you get the full $1,200 refund after you use up all 36 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.

    If you have some unused MGIB benefits, and switch from the MGIB to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you get a prorated amount of the MGIB contribution back after you use up all remaining Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.

    If you used up all of your MGIB benefits, and then switched to the Post 9/11 GI Bill to get the additional 12 months, you get none of your MGIB contribution back once you use up the 12 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.

    I hope this clarifies the MGIB contribution refund issue. Thanks for pointing that out Cullen.

    Ron

  5. Jacob Lee says:
    December 14, 2010 at 8:23 am

    Ron Kness, how long does it usually take to hear about your qualification when you submit the application online for the 9/11 GI Bill?

  6. Ron Kness says:
    December 15, 2010 at 8:51 am

    It can take 8 to 10 weeks, but it could be sooner. I would think the VA should be getting caught up soon from the deluge they received for the fall term.

    Ron

  7. Rob says:
    August 5, 2011 at 1:44 pm

    What is the process to apply for post 9/11 benefits after I have exhausted all of my chapter 30 benefits.

  8. Don says:
    August 7, 2011 at 3:12 pm

    Hello, I was just wondering I have 10 months of chapter 30 left. When should I apply for the Post911? also how much are the entitlements that can be expected out of curiosity?

    Don

  9. Ron Kness says:
    August 9, 2011 at 4:18 pm

    Make sure your MGIB entitlements are exhausted first before submitting your change to the Post 9/11 GI Bill. If you are eligible for the additional 12 months, the VA will “loan” you the entitlements you need until your Post 9/11 GI Bill is approved. When you get your new entitlement, it may be less than 12 months that you have left, because the VA will deduct what they had loaned you from your additional 12 months.

    As far as how much you will get, I can’t answer that without knowing the zip code of your school and if it is public or private. I can tell you that you will get $41.67 per credit in a book stipend with a $1,000 per year cap. Your housing allowance will depend on the zip code of your school, but across the nation, it averages $1200 per months.

    If you attend a public school, then the VA will pay actual tuition and eligible fee charges. If you attend private school, then your tuition is capped at $17,500 per year.

  10. Michael P Meehan says:
    September 12, 2011 at 12:55 pm

    What about if you only qualify for 90% of the Post-9/11 GI Bill? I was told by my Veteran Coordinator that I only qualify for 90% of the benefit, and therefore I cannot receive the 12 month extension. Is this true?

  11. Ron Kness says:
    September 20, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    It isn’t the 90% Post 9/11 GI Bill benefit that is preventing you from getting the 12 month extension. It is that you have to be eligible for two or more GI Bills to get the extension. If the Post 9/11 GI Bill is all you have, then 36 months will be all your can get for benefits.

  12. shane says:
    November 22, 2011 at 6:47 am

    How is the eligibility determined for the additional 12 months? I am 16 days away from exhausting my MGIB and can not find eligibility criteria for the 9/11 GI Bill besides the normal eligibility criteria of serving 90 days after 9/11.

    Ron thank you for your service of 36 years!!

  13. Ron Kness says:
    November 22, 2011 at 6:55 pm

    That is basically it – you had to serve at least 90 days on a Title 10 order after September 10, 2001 to qualify for the minimum Post 9/11 GI Bill – 40%. Three years of service after the same date gets you to the 100% tier.

    The other thing you have to know is the Rule of 48. That rule says that if you qualify for two or more GI Bills, the maximum number of combined months of benefits is capped at 48 months. So if you have used up your 36 months of the Montgomery GI Bill, you can only get an additional 12 months of the Post 9/11 GI Bill. To get your additional 12 months, submit VA Form 22-1990 from the eBenefits Website.

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