Some veterans and service members have the Montgomery GI Bill on their record as well as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and the two pay in very different ways. Here is how the older benefit works, what it asks of you as a student, and how to approach the choice between them with the VA's help.
Where the money goes
The Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty, known as Chapter 30, sends a set monthly payment straight to you. The school bills you for tuition, fees and books in the usual way, and paying that bill is up to you. The VA publishes the monthly rate each year, and the payment shrinks when you attend less than full-time.
Many members took part by agreeing to a pay reduction during their first year of service, and some added more later through a buy-up option that raises the monthly rate. A Kicker, sometimes called the College Fund, adds to the payment for members whose enlistment contract included one. Your Certificate of Eligibility lists what applies to you.
Reserve members and the time limit
Members of the Selected Reserve, including the National Guard, may have the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve, known as Chapter 1606. The member's branch confirms it and the VA pays it, and it usually ends when the member leaves the Selected Reserve. Guard and Reserve students planning to separate should ask about it first.
Chapter 30 generally has to be used within 10 years of your last discharge from active duty. Months left after that date are usually lost, which is a reason to check the date on your record before you put off school.
Months left after that date are usually lost, which is a reason to check the date on your record before you put off school.
Choosing between the two GI Bills
A student with both benefits usually has to pick one for a given period of service, and giving up Chapter 30 in favor of the Post-9/11 GI Bill is generally permanent. The Post-9/11 benefit tends to suit students at schools with higher tuition, because it pays the school and adds a housing allowance. The flat Chapter 30 payment can come out ahead for some students at low-cost schools, or for those who also have a Kicker.
A 2024 Supreme Court decision changed how the VA treats veterans with more than one separate period of qualifying service. Some of them can now use both benefits, one after the other, up to an overall limit on months. Ask the VA how this applies to your own service record before you give anything up.
The GI Bill Comparison Tool on va.gov estimates what each benefit would pay at a given school. Run it for each school you are considering, then confirm the result with the VA.
Keeping the payments coming
Students on Chapter 30 confirm their enrollment each month on va.gov, and each payment waits for that step. The school certifying official still reports your classes each term, so drops and withdrawals reach the VA the same way they do for other benefits.
Steps to take
- Check which GI Bills appear on your record
- Run the GI Bill Comparison Tool for each school
- Ask the VA how your periods of service count
- Find the date your Chapter 30 time limit ends
Who decides
The VA, which decides GI Bill claims, and your school certifying official
The Montgomery GI Bill pays you a flat monthly amount and leaves the tuition bill to you, so compare it school by school before giving it up.