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GI Bill Information: Ask the Expert BlogDo I Qualify for My Dad’s GI Bill?
May 26th, 2010
by Jeffery Anderson
by Jeffery Anderson
Do I qualify for the GI Bill? My dad is in the Army active duty and also in college. My mom is 100% disabled. I want to attend a community college. My mom lives in Alabama and my dad lives in Texas. I need to know if I qualify? Thank you, Shalesia
Hi Shalesia, There is some information I don’t know that can affect my answer to your question. You mention that your mother is 100 percent disabled. If your mother was in the military and is disabled due to a service related accident or injury, then you may be eligible for benefits under the Dependents’ and Survivors’ Education Assistance Program (DEA). This program can provide you with up to 45 months of education benefits which can be used for various educational programs.
Okay, lets talk about your dad now. You mentioned that he is on active duty in the Army and attending college. If your father has been in the military for 6 years, he may be eligible to transfer some of his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to you. He will have to agree to stay in the military for another 4 years if the transfer of benefits is approved, unfortunately you will not be eligible to use the benefits until he has at least 10 years of military service.
If he has already been in the military for 10 years, and he agrees to transfer some of his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to you, then you may be in good shape. Otherwise, I suggest you check with your state’s Department of Veterans Affairs. Sometimes states have education benefits programs for the eligible children of veterans. Another place to check is with the Army Emergency Relief. They often have grants and scholarship programs for the children of Army veterans, and they also have links to others sites which offer education benefits for eligible dependent children.
47 Responses to “Do I Qualify for My Dad’s GI Bill?”
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my mom retired from the military four years ago.she was in it for 30 years.her branch of military was the army.i was born in fort riley,kansas on a military base in 1991.at that time my mother was in desert storm.in the year 2004 my mother was sent to iraq for 18 months,leaving behind her husband and three children.I was wondering do any of us get to use her benefits from the G.I bill to pay for college???
Hi Adrienne, The answer to your question is no as the Post 9/11 GI Bill stands right now. The Post 9/11 GI Bill is the only GI Bill that has benefits that can be transferred to a spouse or dependent children. Your mother may also be eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill, but those benefits are only for the veteran to use. Your mother retired before the transfer of benefits provision was added to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and a service member must be on active duty to be eligible to transfer benefits. There is a possibility that this requirement may be changed in the future as it is being discussed in Congress. If it is changed, then your mother may be able to transfer her Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to her family. In the meantime I suggest you try the Army Emergency Relief as they often have grants and scholarships for children of Army veterans and of course the ROTC scholarship program can just about pay all the costs for a 4 year degree.
I heard about parents transferring GI Bill benefits to their children. My father was a Vietnam Veteran and has never used his GI Bill Benefits. I would like to know more about this topic. What is the time line? Can his children use his benefits for college? If he still has benefits what can that be applied towards?
Hi Alfred, I’m afraid your father’s GI Bill benefits would have expired by now and that GI Bill didn’t have a provision allowing the transfer of benefits anyway. If you are looking for financial assistance for an education you might try the relief organization that supported your father’s military branch such as the Army Emergency Relief or the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. They sometimes offer assistance to the children of military veterans who need help to continue their education.
Hi, my name is Tara…My dad was in the Army from 81 to 83, I believe. He had put money into his GI Bill and was honorably discharged. So I was wondering if that money could go to me or my sister?
Thanks.
Hi Tara, I’m afraid any GI Bill benefits your father would have had have expired by now and probably would not have been eligible to be transferred anyway. I suggest you try the Army Emergency Relief as they sometimes have grants and scholarships available for the dependents of Army veterans. You might also try your state’s Department of Veterans Affairs as some states have education benefits for the children of veterans that can be used at state supported colleges and universities. Don’t forget about federal student aid and ROTC scholarships as they can provide a lot of tuition assistance.
Hi,
My name is Jeff, and I was wondering of I could still qualify for the GI bill even though I’ve been out of the service since 1983 (80-83). I spend most of my life in Germany (until 2004), so I had no knowledge of this GI bill. I am now after 20 plus years returned back to the USA (2004) and wish to go to college since my occupation is no more in demand where I am. I need to get myself educated in an occupation where the work is. Plus education is the key to all better employment. so is there any hope for an older vet like myself??
Hi Jeff, I’m afraid that any GI Bill benefits that you may have been eligible for have long since expired, but if you were a resident of a state prior to entering the military, you might check with the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs to see if they have any education benefits for veterans you may be eligible for. The fact that you went to Germany rather than back to the state after getting out of the military could complicate the state benefits. You might also check with the relief organization that supports the branch of service you were in such as the Army Emergency Relief or the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society as they sometimes have grants and scholarships for military veterans.
Thank you Jeff Anderson for your info. I will surely do this!
I am 28 years old. My father was in the Army from 1972-1978. He was honorably discharged. He is disabled now. Could I qualify for a grant on his behalf?
It doesn’t sound like his being disabled was due to injuries incurred during his active duty service, so I don’t think you are eligible for any GI Bill benefits, but you may be eligible for a grant or scholarship from the Army Emergency Relief as the dependent of an Army veteran. Your age may be an issue though as most education benefits programs must be used by 26 years of age.
I’m a 100% disabled veteran based on unemployabilty for ptsd. I’ve also got tinnitis, hearing loss, and now cancer. I was told when awarded with this rating that my dependents would be able to go to college if they wanted to. My 2 sons are in High School now, and before long will need to be thinking about college. How does the VA compute what their benefits will be for college, and who should I get in touch with when the time comes to get the ball rolling? My confusion is between what the previous school benefits were back in 1970’s as a Vietnam vet…or what they are now, with the new GI Bill.
Hi Jim, I’m not sure what the benefits for 100% disabled veterans’ children were back in the 70s, but your children would fall under the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program now which would entitle each of them to up to 45 months of education benefits at a VA approved school or program. In most cases they must use the benefits between the ages of 18 and 26, but exceptions are sometimes made. To get things rolling they need to fill out VA form 22-5490 and submit it to the regional VA office that handles your state. If they are under 18, a parent will need to sign the form also. I would think that they would also be eligible for education benefits through your state’s Department of Veterans Affairs.
My dad was in the Navy for 20+ years and he retired about 10 years ago as a Cheif Petty Officer. Now it is time for me to college and I was wondering if there was any type of funding or maybe a “GI Bill” I could have. He is in the process of getting his disability for hearing but works 60+ hours a week (I don’t know if that effects anything). I know with him being disabled I can receive some help. My friend’s dad is in the reserves and her schooling is getting paid for and she is getting money for going to school. How can I get the same thing?
Thank you Jeffrey for the fast reply. With this information I’ll have a good path to follow to get those kids into college. I want them to have a better education than I had. Because in almost every case, a High School diploma just isn’t enough anymore. Thanks again, sir.
Glad I could help, good luck to you and your family. Semper Fi!
Hi Lacey, I don’t think your dad’s disability is going to help you as they normally don’t award 100% disability for hearing loss incurred during military service or I would have applied for it long ago. I’m not sure what program your friend’s father would have had to enable her to receive all of those benefits unless he was on active duty prior to entering the Reserves and transferred his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to her before retiring from active duty. If that is the case, it would have to have happened fairly recently as the provision to transfer Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits didn’t take place until the second half of 2009. Is it possible she’s using an NROTC Scholarship? If that is the case, anyone can apply for those, they don’t have to have a parent in the military. I’m not aware of any benefits your father could transfer you. If you’re not interested in the scholarship idea, you might check with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society as they sometimes have scholarships and grants for children of Navy veterans.
My dad went to the military for about 5 years, and he has been out for about 17 years. I was wondering if anyone knows if I can still use his G.I. bill because he didn’t
Hi Nicole, I’m afraid your dad’s benefits would have expired by now and they were probably not eligible to be transferred anyway. You might consider an NROTC or ROTC Scholarship for educational assistance or check with the relief organization that supports the branch of service your dad was in.
The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and Army Emergency Relief sometimes have scholarships and grants for the children of veterans and they also have links to other helpful organizations. Good luck!
My husband is about to retire from the Army after 24 years of service, and we’re trying to find out about his GI Bill. Can he transfer it to his children?
Hi EllenBeth, He can apply to have his GI Bill benefits transferred to his children, but he has to make application while on active duty and he may be required to remain in the Army past when he intended to retire for the application to be approved.
My father spent some time in the Army, so did I, but I alrready have received a vocational Rehab grant and received a Bs and a Master’s degree. What I am wondering if I can go back to school and get a Doctorial in Ministry Degree under my father’s benefit’s, who in now deceased?
The other question I have is could I use my VA certificate to get a grant to go back to school to get my Doctorial in Ministry Degree? Thank you in advance for your research.
Hi James, It depends on how many months of benefits you used while earning your BS and MS degrees with your Vocational Rehab benefits. Veterans are limited to a total of 48 months of benefits from the programs they may be eligible for. If you used less than 48 months of benefits, you could be eligible for some Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits depending on your service dates.
I don’t know enough about your father’s service to answer definitely one way or the other, but unless he was on active duty after 1 August 2009 and transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to you or was totally disabled while on active duty, I don’t think there are any benefits from his service you could use for your doctorate degree.
Jeff
IF IM 29 YEARS OLD AND MY DAD IS 100% HONORABLE DISCHARGE IS THERE ANY BENEFITS I QUALIFY FOR AT ALL? I DID USE MY EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS, BUT I WAS MORE CURIOUS IN FINDING OUT IF I CAN GET A MILITARY ID CARD FOR DEPENDENTS OR SOMETHING SO I CAN GET THE DISCOUNTS THEY GET AT CERTAIN PLACES WITHOUT MY DAD ACTUALLY BEING WITH ME WITH HIS OWN PERSONAL CARD.
Hi Monique, I’m not sure what type of discounts you’re referring to unless it’s shopping at the PX, but I don’t think you are going to qualify as your father’s dependent at 29 years of age.
Jeff
My father is a disabled veteran from Vietnam and all dependents up until the age of 26 receive 8 semesters of free tuition & books courtesy of the GI bill. He only served for a year but was shot twice and disabled 80%. Some of the advice your giving here is not necessarily true and is context specific. Some of these peoples benefits may not be expired. I would be cautious about taking your advice Jeffery. I think it is well intentioned, but may not be accurate. Please be careful.
Hi Concerned Observer. I appreciate your input and concern that correct information is distributed. I have the same concern and without a doubt my answers are context specific as I can only base them on the information I receive in the question. When I receive a question without many details supplied–I try to address all possibilities that could affect the question’s answer, but may miss on occasion.
Information on Chapter 34, the Vietnam Era GI Bill, is very vague as the program ended over 20 years ago and veterans with remaining benefits usually switched over to the superior GI Bills that replaced it. I have done research on it in the past and have never been able to find any official VA documentation that stated that dependents were entitled to education benefits unless their parent died or was 100 percent disabled while on active duty during that period.
I served during that era and I was never aware of a program giving benefits to dependents except under those conditions, but over the years I have heard of students who thought they were attending school with the assistance of their father’s Vietnam Era GI Bill and their father wasn’t 100 percent disabled or deceased. That aroused my curiosity as I wondered if my own children had missed out on benefits. I was never able to find a GI Bill program like that. I do know that there were and still are some states that provide education benefits for the dependents of Vietnam Era veterans even if they weren’t 100 percent disabled so perhaps that’s what they were using.
If you can find any additional official VA information on the GI Bill program you and your siblings used to attend school, please post it and I will be glad to refer to it in the future.
Jeff
do i qualify for the gi bill my dad was in the army and my friend told me that i can get paid for going to school until i get 25
Hi Tiandria, I need a little more information to give you a definite answer, but in general a veteran cannot transfer their GI Bill benefits to a dependent once they have left the military. If your father received a 100 percent disability or died due to a service related injury, you may be eligible for the DEA program from the VA.
Otherwise you might try Army Emergency Relief. They sometimes have scholarships and grants available for the children of Army veterans.
Jeff
Hello my name is Paige and I was woundering if my dad retired in 2007 and i able to recevie his benifits… thanks for the help
Hi Paige, I’m afraid your father is not going to be able to transfer you his benefits. It sounds like he may be eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, but those benefits must be transferred befor the service member leaves the military.
You might check with the relief organization that supports the branch of service your father was in. Organizations such as Army Emergency Relief and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society sometimes have grants and scholarships to assist the children of veterans with their education costs.
Jeff
My father has been active duty in the air force since 1986. He has served in 4 wars and is still currently active. I am married currently and have a child of my own but we are wondering if i can still get some of the benfits of his GI bill or any other types of benefits that you could suggest me to try and get to help pay for my college. by the way i will be 24 in may. Thanks in advance for all your help. Paying for school is getting to be too much on me and I am paying it all out of my own pocket
Hi. I was wondering if I could qualify to recieve my dad’s GI bill. He was in the Mississippi National Guard for 39 years. He was on active duty in Kuwait for 20 months and he retired in 2007. I am 21, but I am attending Troy University in Alabama. If I am eligible, would there be a problem since I am not attending a University in Mississippi?
Thanks!!
Hi Natalie, I’m afraid none of the GI Bill benefits your father may be eligible for can be transferred to you now that he has retired. If your father was in the National Guard for 39 years, he may have been active during the Vietnam Conflict. You might want to check with your state’s Department of Veterans Affairs office to see if they offer any benefits for the children of Vietnam Era veterans. However, if they do, it is more than likely going to be for public schools in Mississippi.
Jeff
Hi Kylee, Unfortunately you are no longer considered your father’s dependent now that you are married. If you were single, your father could transfer you his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits and you would have until you turn 26 to use them.
Once the benefits have been transferred you can get married and still be eligible to use the benefits, but you must be considered a dependent to receive the benefits and the fact that you are already married changes that classification. You might want to try the Air Force Aid Society to see if you are eligible for any of their grants or scholarships and Federal Student Aid would also be an option.
Jeff
I was a member of the selected reserves from Dec 1992 – Sep 2003. Retired because of disability not related to service. I was qualified to receive educational assistance through Selected Reserve Educational Assistance Program. I never utilized the benefit. Could my dependent daughter, who is a college student utilize these benefits?
Hi, I was on Active duty from 1992-2000 and used my GI Bill benefits while on AD. In 2000 I joined the Army Reserves and was mobilized in support of OEF from 2004-2006. I will reach my 20 years of military service in August 2012. I have two kids, my son is 7 and my daughter is 4 yrs. Can I pass my post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to one of them?
Please Advise.
Thanks!!!
Maria
Yes you can. You can make a transfer to either one or both. Keep in mind you will only be able to transfer the number of months of entitlement you have left from when you first used your GI Bill benefits, so it would be 36 months minus what you used while on active duty.
With two years of Title 10 service in support of a contingency operation, you should be at the 80% Post 9/11 GI Bill tier. The benefits you transfer will also transfer at the same percentage rate – 80%. Be sure to start your transfer process well ahead of your discharge date as the transfer action has to be complete before you leave the military.
No she can’t. One of the unique things of the Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserves is it ends upon discharge.
My ex husband was in the army military. He started from 1998 reserve then full time 1996-2006. He did get out of the military but I’m not sure when after 2006 but he is currently in the indiana reserve. He is only a certain % disabled not 100% but is there any other GI bill can the children qualify for & would he be able to transfer money to them for the GI Bill is it too late? How does that work?
He should qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill with his five years of service after September 10, 2001. He should also qualify for the transfer option as he has served for at least six years of which at least three years were after September 10, 2001. The last piece he would need to have in place is to have at least four years left on his enlistment at the time of transfer.
To make a transfer request, he has to go to the TEB website and enter in the number of months he wants to transfer to each child. Once approved, then each child can go into the eBenefits website and submit VA Form 22-1990e to get their Certificates of Eligibility, which they need when enrolling in school as GI Bill students using Post 9/11 GI Bill transferred benefits.
Hello, my question is my son is getting child support from his father and now he is 17 years old and want to attend college. Is he able to get his father gi benefits?
my son is now 29 yrs old and my husband just rec info that he is now 100% DISABLEShe went to college before drop out went back again are there any gi college bills that e can apply for my other is is only20yrs old i know he can apply
Most likely not. The upper age limit to use GI Bill son/daughter dependent benefits is 26.
Hi….My Dad was in the Navy from 1976 to 1987. He is now a disabled vet and I am a 33 year old adult. Im considering going back to college and was wondering if I qualify for anything through his GI Bill. Also, will it affect him if I use it (if available). Thanks!
Hi April. Most likely, your father doesn’t have any GI Bill benefits left and even if he does, your age is working against you. Most programs for dependents end at age 26.