How Does My Brother Get Reimbursement for the Rent He Paid?

Hi Christina, The GI Bills can be a little confusing at times so I can understand why you would think your brother should be eligible for a rent reimbursement, but I’m afraid he isn’t.

The GI Bill your brother would have used for his two years of school was the Montgomery GI Bill which did not have a housing allowance.  The Montgomery GI Bill pays a set amount to the veteran each month they are in school based on the level of benefits they are eligible for and they are responsible for paying their own tuition, fees, and housing.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill was approved for use in August 2009, which sounds like that was when your brother was finishing up his semester, and it does have a housing allowance which veterans can become eligible to use.  Veterans and service members who had the Montgomery GI Bill and are also eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill have the option of switching any remaining Montgomery GI Bill benefits over to the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

It sounds like your brother is eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, so if he has any remaining Montgomery GI Bill benefits, he could switch them over to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and could become eligible for the housing allowance when he uses those benefits.  Not everyone who uses the Post 9/11 GI Bill is eligible for the housing allowance.  There is additional criteria that must be met to receive the allowance.

Your brother would also have the option of using his remaining Montgomery GI Bill benefits if he has any left and then applying for the Post 9/11 GI Bill.  Service members and veterans eligible for both GI Bills can receive 48 months of benefits instead of the usual 36 months if they use all 36 months of the MGIB and then apply for the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

However, I am not aware of any program that allows your brother to be reimbursed for his rent costs while using the Montgomery GI Bill.