AF099 · Lesson 51 of 71
GI Bill Programs
Table of ContentsShow
- Overview
- GI Bill Programs Preview
- The three scenarios
- Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)
- General information
- Eligibility requirements
- Rates
- $600 Buy-Up Program (DD Form 2366-1)
- Time period
- Standards
- Training the MGIB pays for
- MGIB pay reduction rules
- Reasons to stay enrolled
- Post-9/11 GI Bill
- Eligibility
- Service Benefit Percentage Levels
- Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
- Comparison: MGIB vs. Post-9/11 GI Bill
- Converting from the MGIB to the Post-9/11 GI Bill
- Making an Informed Decision
- Decision timelines
- Resources
- Summary
A lot of people join the Air Force for the educational benefits. The good news: you have two GI Bill programs to choose between, and during BMT you'll only have to make one decision — whether to stay enrolled in the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) or disenroll. The other program (Post-9/11 GI Bill) doesn't require any decision yet.
This section walks through both programs, the three usage scenarios the Air Force lays out, the timeline for your enlistment-window decision, and a side-by-side comparison so you can pick what fits your goals.
The simplest rule of thumb if you're undecided: stay enrolled in the MGIB. It keeps all options open. If you disenroll, the decision is permanent.
Overview
Objective: Identify basic facts about Airmanship fundamentals in the Air Force.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the differences between the two GI Bill programs offered to Airmen in BMT.
- Identify basic facts about the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) and the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
- Compare both to find the best educational fit.
- Recognize how to convert from the MGIB to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
- Identify which program works best for your future educational and career goals.
Foundational Competencies
- Resource Management — Careful and responsible administration of resources to maximize readiness and lethality.
- Decision Making — Makes well-informed, timely decisions; uses sound judgment to weigh constraints, risks, and rewards.
Summary
- GI Bill Programs Preview
- Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)
- Post-9/11 GI Bill
- Comparison
- Converting from the MGIB to the Post-9/11 GI Bill
- Making an Informed Decision
GI Bill Programs Preview
Two programs are available:
- MGIB ("Chapter 30" of Title 38)
- Post-9/11 GI Bill ("Chapter 33" of Title 38)
You'll be required to make an election to stay enrolled or disenroll from the MGIB between days 180 and 270 in service (a 90-day window). You do not have to make decisions about the Post-9/11 GI Bill until later. If you're unsure, stay enrolled in the MGIB — it preserves all three usage scenarios below.
Guard and Reserve trainees may be eligible for educational benefits through the Montgomery GI Bill–Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR). If your unit hasn't discussed your eligibility before arrival at BMT, raise it during in-processing back at your unit. More info on MGIB-SR is on the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) website.
The three scenarios
Depending on what you decide, you can land in one of three scenarios:
| Scenario | What you do | Maximum benefit | Transferable to dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enroll in the MGIB and use all 36 months of MGIB benefits, then receive an additional 12 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits | 48 months with a second period of eligibility | Only 12 months of benefit available |
| 2 | Enroll in the MGIB, use a portion, then convert unused MGIB to Post-9/11 | 36 months with a second period of eligibility | (per Post-9/11 transferability rules) |
| 3 | Disenroll from the MGIB and use only Post-9/11 | 36 months | (per Post-9/11 transferability rules) |
Example for Scenario 2: if you use 10 months of the MGIB, you'll have 26 months of Post-9/11 benefit remaining after conversion.
Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)
General information
The MGIB is a voluntary educational assistance program designed to offset the cost of your education. Members are automatically enrolled — you make the election to remain enrolled or disenroll on DD Form 2366. Disenrollment is permanent. Your only chance to disenroll is the 90-day election window (days 180–270 in service). Whether you enlisted for two, four, or six years, you may still qualify.
Eligibility requirements
- Received a fully Honorable Discharge ("under honorable conditions" or "general" discharges do not qualify).
- Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for the first 12 months.
- Continuously served for 3 years, or 2 years if that's what you first enlisted for, or 2 years if you entered the Selected Reserve within a year of leaving Active Duty and served 4 years (the "2 by 4" Program).
Rates
- May use the MGIB while serving on AD after 2 years of AD service or after separating from AD.
- Many factors affect monthly payments — see your first duty station's education office for individualized payment information.
- Rates increase 01 October of every year.
- Rates and months of entitlement are adjusted proportionally to your enrollment (full time, ¾ time, ½ time). If you enroll less than full-time, your months of entitlement increase to match.
- Maximum monthly MGIB benefit varies year-to-year — check the DVA for the current rate.
$600 Buy-Up Program (DD Form 2366-1)
You may contribute up to an additional $600 while serving on AD, in increments as small as $20 per month, to receive increased benefits.
The math: an extra $600 contribution increases your total benefit by $5,400.
Time period
Your eligibility ends when either condition hits first:
- 10 years from your date of separation from AD, or
- You use all of your months of entitlement.
Standards
To continue receiving benefits, you must maintain satisfactory attendance, conduct, and progress. The DVA stops your benefits if you fail to maintain these standards.
Training the MGIB pays for
The MGIB pays for many training options, but the DVA must approve each program before you start.
| ✅ Approved types of training | ❌ Training restrictions |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate or graduate degree at a college or university | Bartending and personality development courses |
| Certificate or diploma from a business, technical, or vocational school | Non-accredited courses |
| Accredited independent study courses leading to a certificate | Self-improvement courses (reading, speaking, woodworking, seamanship, ESL, etc.) |
| Correspondence courses | Audited courses |
| Farm cooperative courses | Any course not leading to an occupational, educational, professional, or vocational objective, or recreational courses |
| Apprenticeship or on-the-job training (OJT) | Courses you have taken before and successfully completed |
| Flight training (must have a private pilot certificate and meet medical requirements) | Federal Government Employees' Training Act courses |
| High-cost, high-technology programs | Programs at proprietary schools where you are an owner or official |
| Licensure, national admissions, and certification tests | Periods during which Federal or State law enforcement identifies you as a "fugitive felon" |
| Training to run a small business | |
| Programs held overseas leading to a college degree | |
| Remedial, deficiency, or refresher training | |
| Tutorial assistance | |
| Work study programs |
MGIB pay reduction rules
When you reach 180 days in service, you have 90 days to complete DD Form 2366 to confirm you want to remain enrolled or disenroll.
If you enroll (or fail to decline) during the 90-day window, your base pay is reduced by $50 per pay period ($100 per month) for 12 consecutive months of AD — a total of $1,200. Reduction begins on day 271 in service.
The $1,200 cannot be refunded, suspended, or stopped — unless you later convert to the Post-9/11 GI Bill (covered below).
Reasons to stay enrolled
- Education is expensive. $1,200 ($100 per month for 12 months) is a small price compared to college and training costs.
- More options. Staying enrolled keeps every scenario open.
- Tax-free.
- Only MGIB participants have the option to use both GI Bill programs (MGIB and Post-9/11).
- MGIB participants who don't use all of their entitlements and decide to convert to the Post-9/11 GI Bill may qualify for a refund of the initial $1,200 pay reduction. Refunds are disbursed by the DVA.
Post-9/11 GI Bill
This program pays for a variety of degree- and certificate-granting programs and other assistance — including apprenticeship / OJT programs offered by a college or university.
For Airmen whose last discharge or release from active duty is on or after 1 January 2013, individual entitlements do not expire.
You don't have to make any decisions on the Post-9/11 GI Bill right now. If you meet the requirements below, the benefits are already available to you.
Eligibility
- All Airmen (veterans or AD) with honorable active service since 11 September 2001 are eligible.
- Service benefits for most Airmen begin 90 days after completing Technical School.
- Maximum benefit is based on 36 months of AD service.
- Benefits prorate as you serve more time.
Service Benefit Percentage Levels
| Time served on AD | Percentage of Maximum Benefits Payable |
|---|---|
| At least 36 months | 100% |
| **30 days on AD *** | 100% |
| 30 – 35 months | 90% |
| 24 – 29 months | 80% |
| 18 – 23 months | 70% |
| 6 – 17 months | 60% |
| 90 days – 5 months | 50% |
* Must be discharged due to service-connected disability.
Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
- Transferability. You have the option to transfer benefits to
qualified family members (max 36 months).
- You incur an Active Duty Service Commitment (ADSC) of 4 years from the date of application.
- Must complete 6 years of service to apply.
- For specifics, contact the Total Force Service Center – San Antonio or the DVA.
- Tuition and fees (paid directly to the school):
- AD: may receive the total amount of tuition and fees.
- Veterans: prorated by your service-percentage level (full in-state tuition at a public institution, or maximum tuition and fees for a private / foreign institution per academic year).
- Monthly housing stipend:
- AD: not eligible for this benefit.
- Veterans: paid directly to the student. Tied to training time and benefit-percentage level. Full housing benefits for full-time students (more than ½ time); less than full time is prorated by rate of pursuit.
- Annual stipend for books and supplies:
- AD: paid directly to the student.
- Veterans: paid directly to the student, based on amount of service completed and enrollment. Maximum $1,000 annually, proportionally based on enrollment.
- Yellow Ribbon Program — participating institutions may make additional funds available without additional charge to your GI Bill entitlement. Contact the DVA for details.
- License or certification reimbursement — for more than one exam, up to $2,000 per test.
- Exam reimbursement — for fees paid to take national exams used for admission to higher learning (SAT, ACT, GMAT, LSAT, GRE).
- Activated reserve and guard service members may also be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill (in addition to MGIB-SR) if activated under certain conditions.
Comparison: MGIB vs. Post-9/11 GI Bill
| Feature | Post-9/11 GI Bill | MGIB |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum length of service | 90 days aggregate active service after 10 Sep 2001 (or 30 days continuous if discharged for disability); percentage of max benefit based on aggregate service | 2-year continuous enlistment (minimum duty varies by service date and branch) |
| Maximum months of benefit | 36 (Note 1) | 36 |
| Maximum current benefit | Public school: all tuition and fee payments for in-state student. Private or foreign school: up to $27,120.05/year national maximum. Plus: monthly housing allowance ($2,109/mo foreign school, $1,054.50 exclusive online); $1,000/year book & supplies stipend | FY20 AD/FT student: ~$2,050/month (paid direct to student as reimbursement) |
| Cost to Airman | No out-of-pocket expense | $1,200 within 12 months after election window |
| Additional components | Yellow Ribbon Program (private/non-resident state schools, available to AD effective 1 August 2022); Transfer of Entitlement to spouse and/or children | $600 Buy-Up Program → up to $5,400 in additional GI Bill benefits |
| How payments are made | Tuition: paid to school. Housing & books: paid to student. | Paid to student |
| Duration of benefits | 15 years from date of last discharge from service. No delimiting date for veterans whose last discharge was on or after 1 January 2013 | 10 years from date of last separation from active duty |
| Types of training covered | Degree / Non-college degree / OJT / Flight training / Correspondence courses / Licensing & Certifications / National Testing / Work-study / Tuition Assistance (Note 2) | Same |
Notes:
- You may receive a maximum of 48 months of benefits combined if you are eligible for more than one VA education program.
- The VA can pay the difference between the total cost of tuition and fees and the amount of Tuition Assistance paid by the military.
Comparison data current as of April 2024. Source: benefits.va.gov/gibill/comparison_tool.asp
Converting from the MGIB to the Post-9/11 GI Bill
You have the option to convert any unused MGIB to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. You cannot use the same period of AD to qualify for both programs. Contact the DVA or your education office.
To convert after the first year of AD, apply with the DVA.
If you convert after attaining eligibility but before the entire $1,200 has been reduced, you may elect to stop deductions. The refund comes when you exhaust Chapter 33 benefits.
Regardless of when you convert, a proportional amount of the initial $1,200 MGIB pay reduction is refunded in your last monthly housing stipend payment — provided you attend ¾ time or more and don't attend exclusively online.
Making an Informed Decision
Picking the right scenario is a personal call. You give yourself the most options by staying enrolled in the MGIB.
Decision timelines
- MGIB. Eligible Airmen wanting to disenroll must do so within the 90 days following 180 days in service (days 180–270).
- Post-9/11 GI Bill. No decision required right now. Decisions about converting from MGIB to Post-9/11 can be made between 90 days after completing Technical School and time of use.
If you're undecided, let the Academic Instructor know or ask questions so you can make an informed call.
Resources
- DVA — information on all GI Bill programs at gibill.va.gov or 1-888-442-4551.
- AF Personnel Center — answers to questions about transferring to the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the myFSS knowledge base (search Knowledge Article 2274).
Summary
The two GI Bill programs are great tools for hitting your educational goals. If you're undecided, keep your options open — and remember that disenrollment is permanent. Take your time and make the best decision for you.