Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)


You may qualify for additional entitlement under the Rudisill decision.
If you have two or more qualifying periods of active duty, you may now qualify for up to 48 months of entitlement. See "What is the 48-Month Rule?" below. You must be eligible for benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill and a Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB).
Note: Even if you gave up your right to use MGIB benefits in the past (this is called “relinquishing” your benefits), you may now qualify to use some of that entitlement.
Contact ngwi.edu@army.mil or 608.242.3447 with questions on how the Rudisill decision may affect you.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) is a benefit administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that provides educational assistance to veterans and current Servicemembers with qualifying active duty service after September 11, 2001. This benefit can be transferred to dependents with a Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) request.
  1. What you get:
    1. Up to 36 months of entitlement.
      1. Eligible veterans may receive additional entitlement if eligible for the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM scholarship.
    2. Tuition paid directly to the school:
      1. Up to 100% of in-state tuition and fees at public schools.
      2. Up to $28,937.09 per year at private and foreign schools.
      3. While using Chapter 33, you may be eligible for in-state tuition rates at public schools, even if you are not a state resident. To qualify, you must live in the state when classes start and meet criteria as a qualifying individual. Visit the VA’s Veterans Choice Act webpage for more information.
      4. The Yellow Ribbon Program can help you pay for higher out-of-state, private school, foreign school, or graduate school tuition and fees that the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn’t cover.
    3. Book stipend paid directly to the student: Up to $1,000 per year.
    4. Monthly housing stipend paid directly to the student:
      1. The amount is based off the basic allowance for housing (BAH) rate for an E-5 with dependents for the school’s zip code for in-person classes.
      2. If you are in an online program, the housing stipend is a flat rate nationally of up to $1,118.50 per month.
      3. You must be enrolled more than half-time.
      4. You and your spouse (using transferred benefits) cannot receive the monthly housing stipend while you are serving on qualifying active duty orders.
      5. Did you enlist with a GI Bill Kicker? You can receive your GI Bill Kicker with your monthly housing stipend.
    5. Payment rates depend on your qualifying active duty time and are based on these eligibility tiers:
  • At least 1,095 days (36 months), or special circumstance (see How to qualify): 100%
  • 910 to 1,094 days (30 to 35 months): 90% of the full benefit
  • 730 to 909 days (24 to 29 months): 80% of the full benefit
  • 545 to 729 days (18 to 23 months): 70% of the full benefit
  • 180 to 544 days (6 to 17 months): 60% of the full benefit
  • 90 to 179 days (90 days to 5 months): 50% of the full benefit
    1. You can find current payment rates and approved schools, employers, licenses, etc. using the GI Bill Comparison Tool.
  1. How to qualify:
    1. Serve at least 90 days in a period of qualifying active duty after September 11, 2001 and received an Honorable discharge:
      1. Title 10 sections 688, 12301(a), 12301(d), 12301(g), 12301(h), 12302, 12304, 12304a, or 12304b.
        1. These sections include overseas deployments, mobilizations, and service in an active component of any branch of the U.S. military.
      2. Title 32 or Title 10 AGR.
      3. Title 32, Section 502(f) for service during a national emergency that falls under one of these operations:
        • Operation Noble Eagle (Sep 11, 2001 – May 31, 2002)
        • Operation Guardian Shield ​(Feb 15, 2019 – Jan 20, 2021)
        • COVID-19​ Pandemic Response (March 22, 2020 -– July 1, 2022)
        • Support of the Capitol Police/59th Inauguration (January 11, 2021- May 23, 2021).
      4. Basic training and AIT, if completed after Sep 11, 2001, can be added to qualifying time if you have completed 24 months of other eligible active duty listed above.
    2. Serving 30 continuous days with an Honorable discharge due to a service-connected disability or injury qualifies you for 100% eligibility.
    3. Receiving a Purple Heart and an Honorable discharge after any amount of service qualifies you for 100% eligibility.
    4. Non-qualifying service:
      1. A period of active duty with a discharge that is less than Honorable.
      2. Title 32 for Full-Time National Guard Duty - Operational Support or Other Training Duty (unless listed above). For example, Counter Drug orders fall in this category.
      3. Recipients of ROTC scholarships under Title 10 USC, Sec. 2107 have a 4-year exclusionary period after commissioning during which you cannot earn Chapter 33 eligibility.
      4. The service obligation from a Service Academy contract.
      5. Active Duty used for Active Duty Loan Repayment (Title 10, Sec. 109).
 
  1. Period of eligibility:
    1. Your Chapter 33 benefits do not expire if your most recent period of qualifying service ended on or after January 1, 2013 under the Forever GI Bill.
    2. If your qualifying service ended before January 1, 2013, your benefits have an expiration date. They will expire 15 years after your last period of qualifying service ended, not from your separation date from the Wisconsin Army National Guard.  You must use all of your benefits by that time or you’ll lose whatever’s left.
    3. If you complete another period of service that qualifies for the Forever GI Bill after your benefits expired, your prior periods of qualifying service will roll forward. The new period of eligibility may be used to increase your eligibility percentage. You will not receive any additional months of benefits, only what you had remaining when your benefit expired.
Example: SFC Jones deployed in 2009 and was on mobilization orders for 10 months, earning 36 months of the Post 9/11 GI Bill at 60%. He used 12 months of the benefit before it expired in 2024. He deployed again for 10 months in 2025. SFC Jones is now eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill at 70% for the remaining 24 months of his benefit, and these months do not expire.
 
  1. How to apply:
    1. Gather the following information:
      1. social security number
      2. bank account direct deposit information
      3. education and military history
      4. name of school you want to attend or are attending
    2. Submit the online application at www.va.gov.
    1. If you have a Kicker, you have to give up your Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606) in order to receive your Kicker payments with your monthly housing stipend.
      1. We recommend reaching out to our office for counseling on maximizing your months of GI Bill before giving up a Montgomery GI Bill.
      2. If you decide to receive your Kicker with your Chapter 33, send a message to the VA stating “I would like to give up my Montgomery GI Bill – Chapter 1606 in order to receive my Kicker with my Post 9/11 GI Bill.”
    1. The VA will mail you a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) at least 30 days after your application. You can also check on your eligibility by using the Check your Post 9/11 GI Bill tool.
      1. Provide your COE or statement of benefits to your School Certifying Official (SCO), so they can certify your enrollment to the VA.
    2. Continue to verify your enrollment each month.
Note: If you receive an eligibility percentage you believe is incorrect or a denial letter from the VA, email a photo or scan of your letter to ngwi.edu@army.mil for assistance.
  1. How to use it:
    1. You can use your GI Bill while pursuing opportunities like undergraduate and graduate (including doctorate) degrees, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships.
    2. Your GI Bill can only be used while taking classes that are required for your degree. It’s often a good idea to declare your major early and verify your courses meet requirements with your SCO before starting classes.
Other Things to Know:
  1. Can I use other benefits?
    1. Yes. If Chapter 33 doesn’t cover your full tuition and fees, you may be able to combine it with other tuition-only state benefits for Federal Tuition Assistance.

Keep in mind that the federal VA is the last payer, so most other tuition-only education benefits or aid must be applied before the school can bill the VA.  If you're considering using the Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant, Wisconsin Veterans Grant, or Federal Tuition Assistance along with your Chapter 33 benefits, check with your SCO to determine the best approach.
 
  1. What is the 48-Month Rule?
    1. Federal GI Bills generally provide benefits for up to 36 months. It's possible to receive up to 48 months of GI Bill benefits overall if you qualify for more than one program. For instance, if you've used all 36 months of your Chapter 1606 benefits, you might be able to receive an additional 12 months from the Post 9/11 GI Bill.
If you only have one qualifying period of service for both Chapter 30 and Chapter 33, you will be limited to 36 months of benefits. To review your qualifying periods of service, please reach out to ngwi.edu@army.mil or 608.242.3447.
 
  1. What if I paid into the Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (Chapter 30)?
    1. You may receive a refund of your $1,200 buy-in if you chose to use your Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits instead of your Chapter 30. The $600 Plus-Up is not refundable. Learn more on the VA’s website.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at the official U.S. government website.