Military and Veteran Benefits

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) helps you pay for school or job training. If you’ve served on active duty after September 10, 2001, you may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33).

Am I eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) benefits?

You can get these education benefits if you meet at least one of the requirements listed below.

At least one of these must be true. You:

  • Served at least 90 days on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service) on or after September 11, 2001, or
  • Received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service, or
  • Served for at least 30 continuous days (all at once, without a break in service) on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability, or
  • Are a dependent child using benefits transferred by a qualifying Veteran or service member

Note: If you’re a member of the Reserves who lost education benefits when the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) ended in November 2015, you may qualify to receive restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®.

 

What if I qualify for other VA education benefits too?

You’ll have to pick which benefit you’d like to use. This is an irrevocable decision, meaning you can’t change your mind.

 

What benefits can I get through the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33)?

You can receive up to 36 months of benefits, including:

  • Tuition and fees. If you qualify for the maximum benefit, we’ll cover the full cost of public, in-state tuition and fees. We cap the rates for private and foreign schools, and update those rates each year.
    View current rates
  • Money for housing (if you’re in school more than half time). We’ll base your monthly housing allowance on the cost of living where your school is located.
  • Money for books and supplies. You can receive up to $1,000 per school year.
  • Money to help you move from a rural area to go to school. You may qualify for this one-time payment of $500 if you live in a county with 6 or fewer people per square mile and you’re either moving at least 500 miles to go to school or have no other option but to fly by plane to get to your school.

Do these benefits expire?

This depends on when you were discharged from active duty.

If your service ended before January 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) benefits will expire 15 years after your last separation date from active service. You must use all of your benefits by that time or you’ll lose whatever’s left.

If your service ended on or after January 1, 2013, your benefits won’t expire thanks to a new law called the Forever GI Bill® - Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act. Some letters you receive from us may not yet reflect this change. Thank you for your patience as we work to update our systems.

Who is eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill®-Active Duty (Chapter 30) education benefit (Volunteer force education assistance)?

In general, to be eligible for MGIB®-AD (Chapter 30), you must have entered active duty after June 30, 1985, and not declined participation in the program.

What is the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program?

 The VR&E program is authorized under Title 38, U.S. Code, Chapter 31. It is referred to as the Chapter 31 program. It assists entitled Veterans with service-connected disabilities and an employment handicap to prepare for, find, and maintain a job. It also helps entitled transitioning Servicemembers. 

If you are a Veteran or Servicemember with a service-connected disability and not currently able to work, VR&E also offers services to help you live as independently as possible. 

Basic Period of Eligibility 

There is a 12-year basic period of eligibility for VR&E services. The period begins on the latter of the following dates:

  • Date of separation from active duty
  • Date you were first notified of a service-connected disability rating

Who Is Entitled to Receive VR&E Service? 

Active-duty Servicemembers who:

  • Expect to receive an honorable discharge
  • Obtain a VA memorandum rating of 20 percent or more
  • Are participating in the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) or have an injury or illness that prevents them from performing military duties o Servicemembers participating in IDES are presumed entitled.
  • Are determined by VR&E to need vocational rehabilitation services

Veterans who:

  • Have received an honorable or other than dishonorable discharge
  • Have a VA service-connected disability rating of:
    • 10 percent with a serious employment handicap, or
    • 20 percent or more with an employment handicap
  • Are determined by VR&E to need rehabilitation services

How Is Entitlement Established? 

You are entitled to services if:

  • You have a 20 percent service-connected disability AND
  • You have an employment handicap.

If your service-connected disability is only 10 percent, you must have a serious employment handicap to be eligible. 

A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) will work with you to determine entitlement. The evaluation will:

  • Assess your interests, aptitudes and abilities
  • Assess your service-connected disability and your ability to hold a job
  • Include vocational exploration activities and goal development
    • Used to determine suitable employment and maximize independent living
  • Explore labor markets and wage information
  • Select a VR&E program track
  • Develop an individualized rehabilitation plan

How Can You Apply?

The Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve (MGIB®-SR) program offers up to 36 months of education and training benefits. If you’re a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard, you may be eligible for this benefit. Find out if you qualify.

Am I eligible for education benefits under the MGIB®-SR program?

You can get education benefits under this program if you meet the requirements listed below.

One of these must be true. You:

  • Have a 6-year service obligation (you agreed to serve 6 years) in the Selected Reserve, or
  • Are an officer in the Selected Reserve and you agreed to serve 6 years in addition to your initial service obligation

Note: Your obligation must have started after June 30, 1985, or for some types of training after September 30, 1990.

And all of these must also be true. You:

  • Complete your initial active duty for training (IADT), and
  • Get a high school diploma or certificate of equal value, like a High School Equivalency Diploma or GED, before finishing IADT (Note: You can’t use 12 hours toward a college degree to meet this requirement), and
  • Stay in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit
    (Note: You’ll still be eligible if you’re discharged from Selected Reserve service due to a disability that was not caused by misconduct)

 

How do I get these benefits?

Follow the steps below to apply for these benefits.

  1. Get your Notice of Basic Eligibility (DD Form 2384-1) from your unit
  • Your unit will also code your eligibility into the Department of Defense (DoD) personnel system so the VA can verify it.
  1. Make sure the VA approved your program
  • Before you enroll, contact the school or use the GI Bill® Comparison Tool to find out if the VA has approved your program for VA education benefits. If you have questions, call the VA at 888-442-4551. Or submit a question through the GI Bill® website.
  • Use the GI Bill® Comparison Tool
    Ask a question online
  1. Apply for the MGIB®-SR program
  • If you haven't started training
  • If you already started training
    • Fill out an Application for VA Education Benefits (VA Form 22-1990): Download VA Form 22-1990 (PDF)
    • Take your application and your Notice of Basic Entitlement to your school or employer. Ask them to complete VA Form 22-1999 and send all 3 forms to us.
  1. Ask the Veterans Center to certify your enrollment
  • Submit a Veterans Benefits Request Form to the Veterans Center so that the Veteran Certifying Specialist knows you want your courses to be certified for the current semester.

Military Tuition Assistance Policy

Military Tuition Assistance is a U.S. Department of Defense program. Tuition Assistance rules vary by branch of service and even vary between different units within the same branch depending on whether the unit is active, reserve, or National Guard. Tuition Assistance funds will be applied to tuition costs only.

Military Tuition Assistance Recipients

Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded. To comply with the U.S. Department of Defense policy, Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) will return any unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through at least 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. If a service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, KCKCC will work with the affected service member to identify solutions that will not result in a student debt for the returned portion.

Withdrawals

A student’s official withdrawal date is used as the last date of attendance and to calculate earned percentage of TA. A student’s official withdrawal date is determined by using the last date of attendance that is documented and submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Once the last date of attendance has been determined, KCKCC will recalculate a student’s TA eligibility.

Tuition Assistance Refund Policy

The amount of TA funding that is earned is determined on a pro-rata basis. For example, if a student completed 30% of the course, s/he earned 30% of the TA funds that s/he was originally scheduled to receive. The remainder of the unearned funds (70%) would be returned to the TA program. If this results in an unpaid tuition balance, payment would be the responsibility of the student. Once a student has attended at least 60% of the period for which TA funds were approved, the student is considered to have earned 100% of the TA funds.

Utilize the following table for the return of unearned TA funds (this may be different than KCKCC’s Tuition Refund Schedule).

8 Week Course Withdraw Submitted

Before or during week 1

During week 2

During weeks 3-4

During week 5

During weeks 6-8

100%

75%

50%

40%

No return

Completion Point:     60%

 

16 Week Course Withdraw Submitted

Before or during week 1

During weeks 3-4

During weeks 5-8

During weeks 9-10

During weeks 11-16

100%

75%

50%

40%

No return

Completion Point:     60%

Dependent Benefits

VA's Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) program provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents and survivors of certain Veterans.

Basic Eligibility

Eligible individuals are Veterans’ and Servicemembers’ dependents, spouses and surviving spouses who have been found eligible by the Regional Processing Office (RPO) because of one of the following:

  • The Veteran’s death was caused by the service-connected disability
  • The Veteran is rated for total and permanent service-connected disability
  • The Servicemember is Missing in Action (MIA)
  • The Servicemember is captured in the line of duty
  • The Servicemember is forcibly detained for longer than 90 days
  • The Servicemember who VA determines has a service-connected permanent and total disability that will result in a discharge from military service
  • Participants include a dependent child between the ages of 14 to 31 and a spouse, or surviving spouse, who qualifies for the benefit

First, contact your school’s certifying official to make sure your program is approved for VA benefits. Then, you can:

  • Apply online now, or
  • Apply by mail. You’ll need to fill out a Dependents’ Application for VA Education Benefits (VA Form 22-5490) and mail it to the regional processing office for your state. You’ll find the address on the last page of the form.
    Download VA Form 22-5490

While the Post-9/11 GI Bill® offers a very generous post-service education benefit, a special provision of the program allows career service members the opportunity to share their education benefits with immediate family members.

Allowing career service members to transfer their GI Bill® benefits to family members has long been one of the most requested items among military family readiness and advocacy groups.

The department has established the policies and procedures for this important new program. These policies and procedures are described below.

Application Procedures

Applications for transferability will start on June 29, 2009. However, the effective date of any transfer will be no earlier than August 1, 2009, regardless of application date. All applications will be submitted through the Transferability of Educational Benefits (TEB) website. Service members will be able to securely access this site with a Common Access Card, a DoD Self Service User ID, or a DFAS PIN. Currently this application may be accessed only with Internet Explorer.

Eligible Individuals

Any member of the Armed Forces (active duty or Selected Reserve, officer or enlisted) on or after August 1, 2009, who is eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, and

  • Has at least 6 years of service in the Armed Forces on the date of election and agrees to serve 4 additional years in the Armed Forces from the date of election.
  • Has at least 10 years of service in the Armed Forces (active duty and/or selected reserve) on the date of election, is precluded by either standard policy (service or DoD) or statute from committing to 4 additional years, and agrees to serve for the maximum amount of time allowed by such policy or statute, or
  • Is or becomes retirement eligible during the period from August 1, 2009, through August 1, 2013. A service member is considered to be retirement eligible if he or she has completed 20 years of active duty or 20 qualifying years of reserve service.
  • For those individuals eligible for retirement on August 1, 2009, no additional service is required.
  • For those individuals who have an approved retirement date after August 1, 2009, and before July 1, 2010, no additional service is required.
  • For those individuals eligible for retirement after August 1, 2009, and before August 1, 2010, 1 year of additional service after approval of transfer is required.
  • For those individuals eligible for retirement on or after August 1, 2010, and before August 1, 2011, 2 years of additional service after approval of transfer are required.
  • For those individuals eligible for retirement on or after August 1, 2011, and before August 1, 2012, 3 years of additional service after approval of transfer required.

Eligible Family Members

An individual approved to transfer an entitlement to educational assistance under this section may transfer the individual’s entitlement to:

  • The individual’s spouse.
  • One or more of the individual’s children.
  • Any combination of spouse and child.
  • A family member must be enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS) and be eligible for benefits, at the time of transfer to receive transferred educational benefits.
  • A child’s subsequent marriage will not affect his or her eligibility to receive the educational benefit; however, after an individual has designated a child as a transferee under this section, the individual retains the right to revoke or modify the transfer at any time.
  • A subsequent divorce will not affect the transferee’s eligibility to receive educational benefits; however, after an individual has designated a spouse as a transferee under this section, the eligible individual retains the right to revoke or modify the transfer at any time.

Nature of Transfer

An eligible Service member may transfer up to the total months of unused Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits, or the entire 36 months if the member has used none.

Family member use of transferred educational benefits is subject to the following:

Spouse:

  • May start to use the benefit immediately.
  • May use the benefit while the member remains in the Armed Forces or after separation from active duty.
  • Is not eligible for the monthly stipend or books and supplies stipend while the member is serving on active duty.
  • Can use the benefit for up to 15 years after the service member’s last separation from active duty.

Child:

  • May start to use the benefit only after the individual making the transfer has completed at least 10 years of service in the Armed Forces.
  • May use the benefit while the eligible individual remains in the Armed Forces or after separation from active duty.
  • May not use the benefit until he/she has attained a secondary school diploma (or equivalency certificate), or reached 18 years of age.
  • Is entitled to the monthly stipend and books and supplies stipend even though the eligible individual is on active duty.
  • Is not subject to the 15-year delimiting date, but may not use the benefit after reaching 26 years of age.

What Is MYCAA?

  • The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program provides financial assistance for military spouses. 
  • MyCAA provides spouses up to $4,000 over 2 years to pursue degree programs, licenses or credentials that lead to employment in portable career fields. 

Am I Eligible?
The MyCAA program is available to spouses of active duty service members in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2 or spouses of activated Guard and Reserve members at E1-E5, W1-W2 and O1-O2 pay grades (spouses of Guard and Reserve members must be able to start and complete their courses while their sponsor is on Title 10 orders) Note: The MyCAA program does not include Coast Guard spouses.

What Are the Benefits?
MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) pays tuition for education and training courses, and licensing/credentialing fees. This includes: State certifications for teachers, medical professionals and other occupations requiring recognized certifications; Licensing exams and related prep courses; Continuing Education Unit (CEU) classes; Degree programs leading to employment in portable career fields; and High school completion course, GED tests, and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

How Do I Apply?
Eligible spouses can establish a MyCAA account by visiting the MyCAA website. Once a spouse's profile information is provided, MyCAA will verify the spouse's benefit eligibility with the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Eligible spouses will be allowed to create their Career and Training Plan and request financial assistance at least 30 days prior to the course start dates.