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GI Bill Information: Ask the Expert BlogCan I Get the GI Bill if My General Discharge Is Changed to Honorable?
February 8th, 2010
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
I saw that a discharge of “general under honorable conditions” will not be eligible for the GI Bill. But, what if it was successfully upgraded to an honorable discharge before submitting the GI bill form? — Leigh A.
There are a lot of circumstances under which a discharge is changed officially after a service-member is separated. One of the major reasons that a discharge is upgraded is to qualify for various veterans benefits. And, like any other benefits, the GI Bill (both the old Montgomery GI Bill and the new Post 9/11 GI Bill) only requires that you have an honorable discharge and be otherwise eligible. According to the law, it is as if the discharge were always honorable.
So, if your discharge is changed to honorable, you will be able to collect your GI Bill benefits. Of course, government paperwork being what it is, it may take some time for the change to make it into the Veterans Affairs department’s system, although generally they are very good about getting it done quickly. However, if there is any problem there, all you will have to do is supply the VA with your new discharge orders.
97 Responses to “Can I Get the GI Bill if My General Discharge Is Changed to Honorable?”
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Guys,
Thanks for the info. The bill is for my wife and my kids. I was sweating a a little about it. I am pretty sure becasue of the way it went down and after a couple of years of volunteer work, getting my degree and the petitioning I can get upgraded. However, I needed to know the information you gave me. Again, thanks again for the confirmation of what I thought was my avenue. Take care.
Sincerely,
Phil
I am soo thankful for this thread. Good info, So bottom line, im a second-term airman, when i get out just make sure to double check my DD214 making sure it states I served Honorably during my 1st enlistment and the dates?
Yup, you got it.
Ron
As long as you have at least one discharge resulting in an honorable characterization of service, you are eligible to use your GI Bill. As long as your honorable period of service was for at least 90-days after September 10, 2001, you should be eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill and have 15 years from that honorable discharge date after September 10. 2001 to use your benefits.
Ron
Just to clarify, I served my first 6 year contract honorably. The second contract (which was in conjunction with my first via reenlisting) ended with a general (under honorable conditions). As long as the first 6 years went smooth, I am good to get the benefits right? Thanks for any and all help.
Yes, as long as your first enlistment resulted in an honorable discharge.
Ron
Thanks for the quick response. I called the VA (education office) yesterday to clarify. She told me to send in my enlistment contract (because I wouldn’t have been able to reenlist without an honorable term) and I would receive benefits. In the Army, a Soldier doesn’t receive a DD 214 when he/she reenlists. This is why the reenlistment contract is used to verify honorable service.
I am on my 9th year in the marine corps and I have been reduced from e-5 to e-4 and I wanted to know if I am still eligible for honorable discharge with the low pro/con marks I recieved. I was given 2.0/2.0 for being 6 minutes late to 15 minutes early. P.S. i get out in june 2011
I don’t know the criterion the Marines use to determine characterization of service, but I can tell you this. If you get anything less than fully honorable, you will not be able to use your GI Bill benefits.
Ron
Nick you are fine, pro’s and cons/NJP’s do not effect your honorable discharge. If you complete your term without getting kicked out early you are good.
Nick,
To get a fully honorable discharge at the end of a completed term (i.e. not separated early) in the Marine Corps, you need Pro/Con marks (in enlistment) above 3.0/4.0. If you finish your current enlistment and your pro/cons are below those marks, you will most likely get a General under honorable conditions discharge. Do what you can to fight that before you get out. If you have a lot of good service to outweigh your “problems”, you will have a good defense for a fully honorable discharge, regardless of the bad issues. Good luck, contact me if you have any questions. I’m one of the few to have my discharge upgraded from General to fully Honorable.
Okay, I feel like this has been stated over and over again. But I was just wanting to make sure I understood.
I joined in 2003 and then reenlisted in 2007. I’ve never been in trouble until recently. With the new AF PT standards I’ve hard a hard time getting the minimum for the sit-ups, even though with past tests I’ve always passed. It’s made my life in the AF rather hard since I’ve failed 2 tests in the last 4 months due to being mandated to test at the 43 day mark. It’s a long story and I was injured while deployed and that injury took 9 months to heal and I was only allowed to do sit-ups for my test (they have always been something I’m not good at). So I test for the 3rd time this coming week and have a bad feeling that I won’t do so good since It’s the first time I’m testing on all aspects.
What I’m trying to get at is if I failed and am discharged from the AF for failing the PT test in my second enlistment will I still be able to us the Post 9/11 GI bill?
Thanks for the help.
Lynn
If your enlistment from 2003 ended in an honorable discharge, you secured your GI bill Benefits.
Ron
I enlisted in 2005 and Re-enlisted in 2009, I am pending an admin separation due to misconduct with a general under honorable conditions with an RE4 code. I’m aware that I am eligibile for the Montgomery GI bill, however, am uncertain with being eligible for the post 9/11. I’m hearing good and bad.
What if i get admin Sep but the discharge is general and it was within my first year into my contract? what are my chances of getting any benefits?
MY END OF ACTIVE SERVICE IS FEB 14 I SERVED 7 YRS AND 6 MONTHS AND I GOT IN TO A LITTLE TROUBLE RIGHT AT THE END OF MY 2ND ENLISTMENT WHICH GAVE ME A GENERAL UNDER HONORABLE I HAVE BEEN IN SINCE AUG 2003 DO I STILL RATE MY POST 9/11 GI BENIFITS?
Yes, as long as your first enlistment ended with an Honorable discharge. When you are out-processing, be sure to get that Honorable discharge noted on your DD-214. Many miss this step and then it is some extra work to get credited for the honorable enlistment.
Ron
Slim to none. Even if you would meet the minimum eligibility requirements for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which is 90-days after IADT, you would still need a fully honorable discharge to be able to use your benefits.
Ron
I currently receive Ch 30 benefits for school, but they will expire at the end of May 2011. I applied for Ch 33, because I exited active duty in 01′ and enlisted in the Air Guard until 05′. During my active and guard time I had no letters of reprimand or negative paper against me. Unfortunately I could not continue my guard duties due to the birth of my son, school, and excessive work. I attempted to explain to my Massachusetts guard unit, but they didn’t want to hear it. They gave me the option to get out and when I took it I received a General Discharge under honorable, but under these conditions I can not receive Ch 33.
What are the chances of being able to upgrade or change that status to Honorable Discharge? Two reasons for this is 1) I am proud to have served and hate the blemish on my record and 2) is to receive the benefits of education.
Thank you for any help
Ron,
I understand that that as long as ended my first enlistment with an honorable discharge, I would be be eligible for my Montgomery GI bill. Can you give me an instruction or a tell me where this is written at. I too am facing a admin seperation, not for misconduct, but other matters. I also was wondering if I would be entitled to my Post 9/11 GI BIll. Thanks for all your help.
Rob
It is right here in the first paragraph – .
You should be eligible for both the Montgomery and Post 9/11 GI Bill. There is a difference between eligibility and being able to use a GI Bill. You became eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill through your service after September 10, 2011, but you would not be able to use it because of your bad discharge during that period.
But, because you secured your eligibility and use of your Montgomery GI Bill with your first honorable discharge, your should be able to give up your rights to the Montgomery and switch to the Post 9/11 GI Bill being you are eligible for both. Make sense?
Ron
Unless you deployed under a title 10 order in support of a contingency operation after September 10, 2001 in excess of 90-days, you would not be eligible for Chapter 33 anyway. Just because you were in the ANG, doesn’t qualify you for Chapter 33 – it takes Title 10 order time.
However, if you do have the time to qualify for Chapter 33, you can apply to your service branch Discharge Review Board for a discharge upgrade. It can take up to 6 months to hear back and there is no guarantees they will upgrade, but at least it is an avenue of appeal. The application starts with filling out DD Form 293 and you have to be within 15 years of your discharge date.
Ron
i reenlisted in iraq but after 2 years got out under a genaral do i still qualify for the post 911 gi bill
I Got out of the military in October with an under honerable conditions discharge. I want to be able to use my GI bill but I got out 6 months early. What do I have to do to get my GI bill?
I served 6 1/2 years honorably, and was accused of smoking marijuana. I fought it and of course by doing so I faced a BCD instead of an OTH by taking the NJP. Sure enough the government won, but can I still use by post 9/11 GI Bill with my first honorable discharge in order to re enlist? I keep hearing you can but also you can’t and screwed with my type of discharge
So, if you are honorably discharged from the National Guard before you make it to your AIT training, are you still eligible for the GI Bill?
my son got in trouble and is receiving what he calls General under honorable discharge. he paid for 5 years n this bill…can he still get the GI Benefits?
I’m not an expert in all GI Bill benefits, but he will not get his education benefits with a General discharge. If you are talking about the Montgomery GI Bill, he actually only paid in for one year at $100 per month. If you are talking about the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which he probably also qualifies for and is losing out on education benefits, he didn’t pay anything for that GI Bill.
No. You would not have had any GI Bill benefits yet if you only had Basic Training.
If you have one fully honorable discharge, you have your GI Bill benefits secured and you can use them. Just keep in mind that your 15-year delimiting date started at the end of that honorable discharge and not on the date of the Bad Conduct one.
If you have one enlistment ending in an honorable discharge, then yes, you can use your Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.
It sounds like your discharge was under other than honorable conditions which will prevent you from using your GI Bill benefits. The only way you could use your GI Bill is if you get your discharge changed to fully honorable. Apply to the Discharge Review Board using DD Form 293. It can take up to 6 months for a decision and there is no guarantee, but if you can prove the discharge you received was in error, you may stand a chance of getting it upgraded.
i just got out on march 24th. i did the 90 days early out or school, but the day before i got out i saw my dd 214 and showed i was getting a general discharge. does any one know how i can up grade it?????
I am being processed for administrative sep in the Marine Corps. Is there anyway I can still receive my GI Bill benefits, or at least refund of the months I paid in?
It starts with you filling out DD Form 293 and applying to the Discharge Review Board of your service branch.
Question ?? My son-in law was brought up on article 15 from his last unit he failed to show up for his 2 weeks training. The tranfered to a new unit and they helped put a stop to the article 15. But his problems continue with not being able to pass his PT and also has a weight problem that they gave him 6 months to lose, 4 months have passed since being told to lose the weight. He also just went in for a physical and was told his blood pressure is dangerously to high. He has his 2 week training coming up in 3 weeks. Will/can he be discharged under a honorable or will it be under a general. I don’t see the National Guard letting him stay on.
I was an E-5 in the Navy and failed a random drug test while on deployment. I popped positive for PCP, which was quite a shock to me since I never used drugs. They tested me again and my sample was clean. I tried to fight it, but since the no tolerance policy dictated my separation, I had no recourse. I was dropped to E-4 and given an “other than Honorable” administrative discharge. This occurred in 2001. Now to get to my question. I am applying to have my discharge upgraded to honorable. My question is will I get any benefits if I am successful?
Thank you!
Mike
Certainly! That is the primary reason people go through the process – so they can use their GI Bill benefits if their discharge upgrade request is successful. Just know the process can take 6 months to a year before getting back a decision.
However, you may be too late to use your education benefit, especially if you have the Montgomery GI Bill. With a delimitation date of 10 years from your date of discharge, those benefits will expire this year and before you would get a decision back. If you have the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you have up to 15 years to use your education benefit, so you would have some time left.
I received a general under honorable conditions discharge i only did 4 yrs of service and i would like to use my post 9/11 G.I bill to go back to school and i was wondering if i would qualify for the benefits its been about 4 yrs since i got out keeping in mind i don’t have the Montgomery G.I bill i opted out of it and regret every minute of it. would i have to petition to have it upgraded to a straight honorable discharge in order to apply and get the benefits?
I am still in the marine corps right now for 4 more months? My average conduct marks are a 3.7 and im pending my 2nd njp for hazing. The first njp was UA for more than 30 days. I have done two combat deployments to afghanistan,been meritoriously promoted and have completed infantry squad leaders course. I am most likely getting out of my beloved marine corps with a general under honorable discharge but what are my chances of getting it changed to a honorable discharge ?
Is discharge assumed with an Article 15?
Not necessarily. An Article 15 can be just a loss of pay or additional work, (or both).
I was discharged from the navy jan of 2010 and I got a general under honorable conditions because of an alcohol misconduct is there a way I can upgrade my dd214 to receive my educational benefits i.e the G.I. bill since I served the necessary amount of time?
The best way is to submit a discharge upgrade request to the Navy Discharge Review Board. Start the process by submitting DD Form 293. It can take up to a year to hear back and there are not any guarantees they will upgrade your discharge, but it is the avenue of appeal to try. Remember, it is your responsibility to show why the discharge you received was wrong and needs to be upgraded.
i have been in the marine corps for 1 year and 7 months and i have been njp’d twice , my avg pros/cons are 4.2/4.2 i am a lcpl and i was wondering if i could still receive an honorable discharge , if i keep my nose clean for the next two and a half years .. also i was wondering if there was anyway i would be able to reenlist , both charges were for underage drinking , and I’m not underage anymore and i was wondering if the marine corps would take that into consideration when it was time to reenlist or get out for a discharge ?
These are all questions the Marine Corp will have to answer Tyler. Why don’t you sit down with your supervisor and ask him/her these very questions.
The first avenue of appeal you have James is to plead your case to your service branch’s Discharge Review Board. You can start the process by submitting DD Form 293. If it has been over 15 years from your date of discharge, then submit DD Form 149 to your service branch Military Board of Corrections. This last board is also your second level of appeal if your first one is declined. If it is still declined at the second level, then you are stuck with what you have as there is no other avenue to go down.
The success rate is not high to get discharges upgraded (41% for Army) and you have to have a convincing case, (because the Boards go in with your current discharge as being correct) but it is the only chance you have.