Education & Training (GI Bill)
Full in-state tuition (up to $29,920 a year at private schools), a monthly housing allowance, and money for books — and you can pass it to your family.
Estimate your Education benefit
Use the interactive calculator below — no sign-up required. All estimates use published VA rates.
Education benefits
See what your GI Bill is really worth
The Post-9/11 GI Bill and Chapter 35 DEA pay in very different ways — one covers tuition and housing, the other sends a flat monthly check. Put in your own numbers below and see the real dollar value, side by side.
What the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays for
Tuition scales with service length
The Post-9/11 GI Bill pays a percentage of tuition based on how long you served on active duty after 9/10/2001 — from 50% at 90 days up to 100% at 36 months.
A monthly housing allowance
Enrolled more than half-time and in person? You also get a monthly housing stipend tied to your school’s ZIP code. Online-only students receive a fixed national rate.
Up to $1,000 a year for books
A separate books-and-supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per academic year, paid in proportion to your benefit tier.
It can pass to your family
You may transfer unused Post-9/11 benefits to a spouse or child, and survivors of a permanently disabled or deceased veteran may qualify for Chapter 35 DEA.
The money most veterans forget to count
Most veterans hear the words GI Bill, picture free tuition, and stop counting there. But at the full tier the monthly housing allowance often pays out more than tuition does — and it lands in your bank account tax-free, on top of a separate books stipend. Overlook it and you have badly undervalued your own benefit.
A worked example
100% tier · full-time · in person · public in-state school
Tuition & fees covered
example in-state figure
$11,000
Housing allowance
$2,100/mo × ~9 months, tax-free
$18,900
Books & supplies
per academic year
$1,000
About a year
tuition + housing + books
$30,900
Across the full 36-month entitlement (about 4 academic years)
≈ $123,600
Tuition shown is an example in-state figure; housing, books, and the online cap are current VA rates. Your own housing allowance depends on the ZIP code of your school — run your real numbers in the estimator below.
In person = the full check
Attend more than half-time and in person and the housing allowance follows your school ZIP code — often $18,900 or more a year, tax-free and separate from tuition.
Online or half-time = less
Online-only housing is capped at $1,119/mo — about $8,834 a year less than in person. At half-time or below, no housing is paid at all.
Estimate your benefit
Choose the program that fits you, then enter your numbers.
36 or more months earns the full 100% tier.
Public in-state tuition is covered in full at the top tier; private/foreign schools are capped.
What the school charges per academic year, before any benefit.
Housing is only paid when you attend more than half-time.
Look up your school’s ZIP-code MHA in the VA Comparison Tool. Leave 0 to use a national average.
Most full-time students are in class about 9 months a year.
Your yearly GI Bill value
Enter your months of service and tuition on the left, and your estimate — tuition, housing, and books — appears here instantly.
The rate tables, in plain numbers
Current figures for the 2025–2026 academic year. VA updates the tuition cap and housing rates every August 1; DEA rates update every October 1.
Post-9/11 tuition tiers
Percentage of your benefit by qualifying active-duty service.
| Qualifying service | Benefit |
|---|---|
| 36+ months of active duty | 100% |
| 30 - 35 months | 90% |
| 24 - 29 months | 80% |
| 18 - 23 months | 70% |
| 6 - 17 months | 60% |
| 90 days - 5 months | 50% |
Private/foreign cap: $29,920.95 per year
Books stipend: up to $1,000 per year
Online-only housing: $1,118.50 per month (max)
Chapter 35 DEA monthly rates
Flat monthly stipend paid to the student, by enrollment level.
| Enrollment | Per month |
|---|---|
| Full-time | $1,574.00 |
| Three-quarter time | $1,244.00 |
| Half-time | $912.00 |
| Quarter-time or less | $393.50 |
Entitlement: 36 months of full-time benefits
Full-time potential: $56,664 over the full entitlement
Education-benefit questions, answered
How much does the Post-9/11 GI Bill actually pay?
At the 100% tier it covers all in-state public tuition and fees, plus up to $1,000 a year for books and a monthly housing allowance while you are enrolled more than half-time. Lower tiers pay the same categories at a reduced percentage. Private and foreign schools are capped (see the rate tables below), with the Yellow Ribbon Program available to close the gap at participating schools.
How is my benefit tier decided?
Your tier is set by your total months of qualifying active-duty service after September 10, 2001. Thirty-six or more months earns the full 100% rate. There is also an automatic 100% tier for a Purple Heart recipient, or for anyone discharged for a service-connected disability after at least 30 continuous days.
What is the monthly housing allowance and when is it paid?
The housing allowance (MHA) is a monthly stipend based on the ZIP code of your school and is only payable when you attend more than half-time. In-person students are paid at their local rate; online-only students receive a fixed national online rate. It is not paid for months you are not in class, so most students receive it for roughly 9 months a year.
My school costs more than the private-school cap. What then?
Private and foreign schools are limited to the annual national cap shown in the rate tables below. The Yellow Ribbon Program lets participating schools waive part of the remaining tuition, with the VA matching that amount dollar for dollar — so the out-of-pocket gap can shrink to zero at a school that participates generously.
What is Chapter 35 DEA and who qualifies?
The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance program (Chapter 35, DEA) pays a flat monthly stipend directly to the student — the spouse or child of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, or who died in service or from a service-connected condition. The student pays their own tuition out of that stipend.
DEA vs. a transferred GI Bill vs. the Fry Scholarship — which is better?
It depends on the school. DEA pays a flat monthly check regardless of tuition, so it can be the winner at a low-cost or online school. A transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill or the Fry Scholarship pays tuition directly plus a housing allowance, which is usually far more valuable at a pricey school. The comparison built into the estimator below shows both side by side for your numbers.
How do I apply?
Veterans apply for the Post-9/11 GI Bill with VA Form 22-1990; survivors and dependents apply for DEA with VA Form 22-5490. You can file online at VA.gov, and the VA will mail a Certificate of Eligibility you take to your school’s certifying official.
Not sure which benefit is worth more?
DEA eligibility hinges on the veteran’s permanent & total rating — the same rating that unlocks a transferable GI Bill and thousands more in compensation. We can review your rating for free and map out every education benefit your family has earned.
A stronger disability rating can be the key that opens Chapter 35 for your dependents.
Overview
The Post-9/11 GI Bill helps pay for tuition and fees, housing, books, and certain training for eligible veterans, service members, and some dependents. Your benefit level is based on your total qualifying active-duty service after September 10, 2001. The Montgomery GI Bill is another option for some veterans.
The complete breakdown
Everything below is explained in plain English so you can make a decision without leaving this page.
Which GI Bill? Post-9/11 vs. Montgomery
The two main GI Bills pay in completely different ways. The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) sends tuition and fees straight to your school, then adds a monthly housing allowance and a yearly book stipend on top. The Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) instead pays you one flat monthly check and you cover tuition yourself.
You can only use one program at a time, and switching from the Montgomery GI Bill to Post-9/11 is usually permanent — so it pays to run the numbers before you commit. For most veterans with qualifying post-9/11 service the Post-9/11 GI Bill is worth more, but the Montgomery GI Bill can win when tuition is low, already covered, or you simply want the cash in hand.
Post-9/11 (Ch. 33): Tuition paid to the school, plus a housing allowance and a book stipend. Best for most degree-seekers, especially at higher-cost or out-of-state schools.
Montgomery (Ch. 30 / 1606): One flat monthly payment to you; you pay the school. Can win for low-cost programs or when you are stacking other aid.
What the Post-9/11 GI Bill actually pays
Tuition & fees: 100% of in-state tuition and fees at a public school at the top tier. Private and foreign schools are capped at $29,920.95 for the 2025–2026 year (the cap resets every August 1). Your benefit tier, from 50% to 100%, scales all of this.
Monthly housing (MHA): Based on the military Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents in the ZIP code where you take most of your classes. Fully-online students get half the national average, capped at $1,118.50 a month. It is paid only while you attend at more than half-time, and is prorated by your course load and your tier.
Books & supplies: Up to $1,000 a year, paid at about $41.67 per credit hour.
How long it lasts: 36 months of full-time benefits. If any qualifying service was on or after January 1, 2013, your benefit never expires (the Forever GI Bill); older service generally runs on a 15-year clock.
Montgomery GI Bill: the flat-rate option
Because these are flat checks and you pay tuition yourself, they are most valuable when your tuition is low or already covered and the monthly cash beats what the Post-9/11 GI Bill would send your school.
Active Duty (Ch. 30): A flat monthly payment — $2,518 a month full-time for 3+ years of service in 2025–2026 ($2,043 for 2–3 years). It requires the $1,200 pay-reduction buy-in from your service days and must be used within 10 years of separation.
Selected Reserve (Ch. 1606): For Guard and Reserve members with a 6-year commitment — $493 a month full-time in 2025–2026, paid to you rather than the school.
Yellow Ribbon: covering the gap at pricier schools
If your school costs more than the Post-9/11 cap — common at private and out-of-state schools — the Yellow Ribbon Program can erase the difference. Participating schools agree to waive part of the leftover tuition, and the VA matches that amount dollar-for-dollar, with no limit on the matched portion.
It is only available if you qualify at the 100% Post-9/11 tier (plus Fry Scholars and certain active-duty members and transferees). Each school decides how many students it accepts and how much it contributes each year, so confirm the details with the school's certifying official before you enroll.
Passing your GI Bill to a spouse or child
Career service members can transfer unused Post-9/11 months to family. You must have at least 6 years of service, agree to serve 4 more, and request the transfer through milConnect while you are still serving — it cannot be done after you separate.
Spouse: Can start using the benefit right away, even while you are still in. Housing is paid while the sponsor is on active duty.
Children: Can use it once you have served 10 years, after they finish high school or turn 18, and must use it before they turn 26. Children do not get the housing allowance while the sponsor is still on active duty.
Benefits for survivors and dependents
Fry Scholarship (Ch. 33): For the children and surviving spouses of a service member who died in the line of duty on or after 9/11. It pays the full Post-9/11 package — tuition at the 100% tier, plus the housing and book stipends. Spouses have 15 years to use it; children usually start at 18.
DEA / Chapter 35: For dependents of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, or who died from one. It pays a flat monthly stipend — $1,574 a month full-time in 2025–2026 — directly to the student, for up to 36 to 45 months. Children generally use it between ages 18 and 26.
It is not just for four-year degrees
GI Bill benefits reach far beyond a traditional bachelor's degree.
Trades & training: Vocational and technical schools, non-college-degree programs, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training — where you earn a paycheck plus a monthly housing stipend while you learn.
Tests & licenses: Reimbursement for licensing and certification exams (up to $2,000 per test) and national admissions tests like the SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT.
Other paths: Flight training, correspondence courses, and entrepreneurship training are covered too, and some high-tech programs qualify for VET TEC.
Who may qualify
Post-9/11 GI Bill: at least 90 days of aggregate active duty after Sept. 10, 2001 — or 30 continuous days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability.
Your benefit tier scales with service: 100% for 36+ cumulative months (or a Purple Heart, or the 30-day disability discharge), stepping down through 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, and 50% for shorter qualifying service.
The Montgomery GI Bill (Chapters 30 and 1606) is an alternative for some who paid in or who serve in the Guard or Reserve.
Service ending on or after Jan. 1, 2013 has no time limit to use (the “Forever GI Bill”); earlier service generally must be used within 15 years of discharge.
Dependents may receive benefits through Transfer of Entitlement, the Fry Scholarship, or DEA (Chapter 35).
How to apply
Apply for GI Bill benefits on VA.gov- 1
Confirm which program fits you and gather your service history, school, and intended program of study.
- 2
Apply online with VA Form 22-1990 (veterans and service members) or the matching family-member form (22-1990E or 22-5490).
VA Form 22-1990 - 3
Receive your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) — usually within about 30 days — and give it to your school’s certifying official.
- 4
Enroll, then verify your enrollment monthly (by text or online) so your housing payments keep flowing.
Apply for education benefits
Prefer to have an expert handle it?
Our VA-accredited claims agents can prepare, file, and manage this claim for you — free case evaluation, no obligation.