How to Check Your GI Bill Status
If you are new to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you’re probably wondering how to check the status of your GI Bill application.
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides a way to check the status if you are a veteran or currently serving service member. Dependents and spouses also have options, just not the same ones.
Checking Your GI Bill Status
The first thing to remember about the Post 9/11 GI Bill is that the VA typically takes 30 days to process an application for benefits. Until you receive notification from the Department of Veterans Affairs that your GI Bill application has been approved, you won’t be able to check the status of the GI Bill.
At this stage, some wonder what we mean by “checking GI Bill status.” After all, if the VA approves your application, isn’t that all you need to move forward?
Not quite. Not all applicants have the same GI Bill benefits to use. Some qualify for 100% entitlement, while others did not serve long enough to do so and are approved with lower percentages of the benefit.
Some used GI Bill benefits in the past and no longer have the whole duration of the GI Bill to use–they have X amount of months remaining to use at the new school.
Checking your GI Bill status can tell you how much you initially qualified for, how much of the benefit remains, and how much time you have left to use your benefits where applicable.
How to Check Your GI Bill Status
You can use any of the following accounts to check your GI Bill status:
- Login.gov
- ID.me
- DS Logon
- My HealtheVet
Once logged in, the Department of Veterans Affairs says those using the Post 9/11 GI Bill can review it by reading their GI Bill Statement of Benefits. This document shows the benefits used to date and how much you have left to use. This is not the same procedure as verifying enrollment for the GI Bill, but you may use some of the same portals.
What Happens If You Cannot Check Your GI Bill Status?
Some log into one of the portals above but cannot locate their Statement of Benefits. According to VA.gov, some don’t have access to the statements due to the following issues:
- The name on the account you’re signed in with doesn’t exactly match the name in your other VA records;
- The VA is still processing your GI Bill application and hasn’t decided yet. This problem typically happens when people try to check their status before 30 days have passed since the application.
- The applicant is not eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.
- The applicant is trying to log in during scheduled downtime.
The Department of Veterans Affairs says, “If none of the above situations applies to you, and you think your Statement of Benefits should be here, please call the GI Bill Hotline at 888-442-4551 (TTY: 711).”
Checking the Status of a GI Bill Transfer
In some cases, an applicant may need to check the status of a GI Bill transfer to a dependent or spouse.
This process is different from checking the status of the GI Bill benefit itself; applicants transferring GI Bill benefits must contact a representative from their branch of service to check the transfer status.
You can find the right point of contact for your branch of military service at the Department of Veterans Affairs official site. Be advised that members of Space Force may need to use the Air Force point of contact for GI Bill benefits.
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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.
