Comparing GI Bill Benefits: Active Duty vs. Guard/Reserve
Which GI Bill is better? Do members of the Guard and Reserve get different options than those on active duty? Are the requirements identical or different? We examine the similarities and differences between GI Bill programs below.
Related: Am I Eligible for VA Education Benefits?
Minimum Military Service Requirements for the GI Bill
Post-9/11 GI Bill
Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility requirements include the following:
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- You must serve 90 days on active duty or “aggregate service after 9/10/01.
- Those who serve 30 days may qualify if discharged for a service-connected disability.
Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)
In the past, you may have qualified for the Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty with the following minimum service:
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- 2 years of continuous service in a 3-year service contract or;
- 3 years of continuous service for a 4-year contract or;
- Separated due to a Service-Connected Disability after 30 days.
There is an extensive list of categories that troops may fall into to qualify for this benefit above and beyond what’s listed above. View the full list.
Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)
You may qualify for the MGIB-SR if you have a 6-year service commitment.
Amount of GI Bill Benefits
Post-9/11 GI Bill
The Post-9/11 GI Bill typically lasts 36 months. But there are exceptions; some may get up to 48 months of benefits combined if you are eligible for multiple VA benefit programs.
Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)
MGIB-AD benefits typically last 36 months or less. Fewer months are offered to those who did not complete their full military commitment. Some may qualify for more, up to 48 months if the student qualifies for more than one VA benefits program.
Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)
MGIB-SR benefits typically last up to 36 months. VA.gov reminds that up to 48 months of benefits are possible if the student qualifies for multiple programs.
Post-9/11 GI Bill Expiration Dates
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- There is no expiration date for today’s new recruits on Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.
- However, those who signed up before 2013 may have 15 years from the student’s “last release” from active duty if the duty happened before January 1, 2013.
- If you left active duty on or after January 1, 2013, the veteran is governed under the Forever GI Bill law ending the time limitation to use Post-9/11 benefits.
- For spouses and dependents using transferred GI Bill benefits, “beneficiaries may be limited“ by the termination date the Veteran selected when the benefit was transferred.
Related: The Yellow Ribbon Program
Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)
The GI Bill expires 10 years from the student’s last day on active duty.
Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)
This benefit ends “on the day the Member separated from the Selected Reserve Component” or when the Department of VA “is notified of any Suspension imposed by the Service Component,” according to VA.gov.
GI Bill BAH Monthly Housing Allowance
There is no monthly housing allowance for any GI Bill program except the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which is paid for those attending greater than half-time training “comparable to the AD Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) pay for an E-5 with Dependents.”
For those attending online classes, half the housing allowance is approved rather than the full allowance.
Related: Using the GI Bill for Non-College Degree Programs
Where GI Bill Benefit Payments Go
Post-9/11 GI Bill
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- Tuition and fees are paid directly to the school.
- Students can use the Yellow Ribbon program where available to cover half the difference in tuition and fees exceeding an annual cap.
Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)
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- Benefits are paid directly to the student.
- Rates are subject to change from year to year.
- To continue receiving GI Bill benefits, students must verify enrollment every month using the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment.
- Payments are on a scale based on the amount of enrollment–full-time, half-time, etc.
Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)
Benefits are paid directly to students, with rates subject to change from year to year. To continue receiving the GI Bill, students must Certify via Web Automated Verification of Enrollment. The benefit is paid based on enrollment.
Related: Who Qualifies for the Fry Scholarship?
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
