Post 9/11 G.I. Bill

On August 1, 2009, the long-awaited post-9/11 G.I. Bill goes into effect, providing expanded educational benefits to millions of veterans who have served since 9/11. However, the new bill isn’t one-size-fits-all. Educational benefits are calculated on a variety of factors, including geography, time of service, and type of education pursued.

While the previous G.I. Bill provided a monthly stipend that was the same from state to state, the new bill pays full in-state undergraduate tuition and fees at public colleges and universities. Veterans who served 36 months are eligible for 100 percent of the benefits; eligibility for benefits decreases with less service time. Fees, books, and housing may also be covered; however, these benefits are adjusted based on a number of factors. In some cases, the new program allows veterans to pass their benefits on to dependents.

The following FAQs provide quick links to answers about the new post-9/11 G.I. Bill. For complete details about VA educational benefits, visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs G.I. Bill website.

For veterans:

• How does this bill compare to other GI Bills?
  The Post-9/11 GI Bill expands the number of people who qualify for education support from the VA. To see specific information about how this benefit compares to other education support bills, visit the benefit comparison page.
   
• How much tuition support could I receive if I qualify?
  Tuition support is based on the highest in-state tuition charged by an educational institution in the state where the educational institution is located. To find out what the maximum in-state tuition would be for your state, visit the tuition and fees page.
   
• What could I receive for a housing allowance if I qualify?
  The housing allowance is determined based on where your school is located. For more information about the housing allowance, visit the basic allowance for housing (BAH) page. For those attending foreign schools (schools without a main campus in the U.S.) the BAH rate is fixed at $1,333.00 for 2009.
   
• My tuition expenses are higher than the in-state maximum tuition listed for where I live. Is there any other form of assistance for me?
  Depending on your institution, you may be able to get more assistance via the Yellow Ribbon program. For more information about the Yellow Ribbon Program, visit the Yellow Ribbon page.
   
• I am in an unusual situation. How can I find out more about my potential benefits with the Post-9/11 GI Bill?
  Try accessing the Post-9/11 FAQ page. We have created a link directly to all of the Post-9/11 GI Bill questions, which you can access here.
   
• How can I make sure I have the most up-to-date information about the Post-9/11 GI Bill?
  The VA has established RSS feeds for all of the GI Bills. For information about how to sign up for alerts, see this question in the FAQ. You can also see the list of GI Bill RSS feeds, or go directly to the Post-9/11 GI Bill RSS feed.
   
• Where can I access the official documentation about the Post-9/11 GI Bill?
  The official record of this bill is accessible on the U.S. Government Printing Office site.