The Montgomery GI Bill is one of the most valuable benefits available to military members and veterans. In many cases, it is worth tens of thousands of dollars in education benefits. If you want to know how much you can earn in MGIB benefits, then check out these GI Bill Rates tables to find the corresponding monthly payments based on your GI Bill program and the educational program you are attending.
About these GI Bill rates: Each year the VA reassesses the cost of tuition and updates the benefits paid to GI Bill recipients. In most cases the value of the Montgomery GI Bill increases each year. We do our best to update this information each year to reflect the new GI Bill rates and present the most accurate information we can. However, each person has a unique case, and this chart should be used as a reference only. You should contact the VA and your educational institution to determine your eligibility and the status of your benefits. Remember – Montgomery GI Bill benefits expire 10 years after your last separation from active duty, so be sure to use them before they do (it is possible to get a GI Bill refund, but only under limited circumstances)!
Know your GI Bill benefits: The Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty military members (MGIB-AD/Chapter 30) is probably the most common GI Bill plan, and those are the rates covered in this article. The MGIB is the GI Bill plan military members were given the opportunity to buy into for $1,200 during basic training. There is another GI Bill plan, the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which is available to military members who served after September 11, 2001. The Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits are paid directly to the school or educational institution (more info below).
Montgomery GI Bill Monthly Rates
The Montgomery GI Bill offers eligible recipients a monthly stipend while they are attending classes at a qualified training institution. The checks are sent on a monthly basis and are made payable to the student. Payments to trainees on active duty status are limited to the reimbursement of tuition and fees. If the trainee uses military tuition assistance, the payments are limited to the difference between the tuition assistance and the remaining tuition and fees.
The following payment rates for the Montgomery GI Bill are good for fiscal year 2012, or from October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012:
| Institutional Training Time | Monthly GI Bill Rate |
|---|---|
| Full Time | $1473.00 |
| ¾ Time | $1104.75 |
| ½ Time | $763.50 |
| Less than ½ time more than ¼ time | $763.50** |
| ¼ Time or less | $368.25** |
Using the MGIB for Apprenticeships and On-Job Training
The MGIB can also be used for apprenticeships and On-Job Training. The following rates cover these types of training:
| Apprenticeship and On-Job Training | Monthly GI Bill Rate |
|---|---|
| First six months of training | $1,104.75 |
| Second six months of training | $810.15 |
| Remaining pursuit of training | $515.55 |
Additional notes about these MGIB Rates:
- Rates are given for servicemembers who served 3 years or more on Active Duty. If you served fewer than 3 years, please see the rates on this page.
- Correspondence and Flight — Entitlement charged at the rate of one month for each $1,473.00 paid.
- Cooperative — $1,473.00
- ** Tuition and Fees only. Payment cannot exceed listed amount.
$600 Top up program. The Montgomery GI Bill and Reserve Educational Assistance Program both have a program which allows members to “top up” their GI Bill by buying additional benefits. Also called the GI Bill Kicker, this plan allows members to buy additional benefits in $20 increments, up to a total of $600. MGIB and REAP recipients will then receive an additional stipend on their monthly GI Bill payment, valued at 1/4 the amount they paid into the buy up program for full-time attendance (rates vary based on full-time or partial-time attendance). You can find the full $600 Buy Up Chart at the VA website.
Montgomery GI Bill for Reserves
The above listed rates are for members of the Active Duty Montgomery GI Bill program (Chapter 30). There are other MGIB programs available to military members, including the Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR/Chapter 1606) and the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP/Chapter 1607). You can find the current rates for these programs at the VA website:
Post 9/11 GI Bill Rates
The Post 9/11 GI Bill makes tuition payments directly to the educational institution. Benefits can be used at a variety of higher learning institutions, but rates are capped at the rates of the most expensive state Institution of Higher Learning (IHL). Click to see current rates. Recipients may be eligible to receive BAH benefits based on the rates of an E-5 with dependents, a book stipend, and more. BAH rates are based on the zip code of the school the recipient is attending.
Use your GI Bill Benefits! GI Bill benefits don’t last forever. Your MGIB benefits expire 10 years after your last separation from Active Duty status; Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits are good for 15 years after you separate. Contact the VA, or search GI Bill Schools to start using your GI Bill benefits before they expire!
Comments
I am a vet that would like to go back to school. I was in the Marine Corp from 1976-1984. Can I still get military benefits to go back to school and could I take online class?
Jerry C Smith
Jerry,
Thank you for contacting us. In most cases, Montgomery GI Bill benefits expire 10 years after you last leave military service. It is probable that you are no longer eligible for the MGIB, however, you should contact the VA for a final decision on this matter.
Additionally, there may be other veterans education or training programs available to you at either a state, local, or national level. I recommend speaking with the VA and someone at your state or local veterans office.
There is also a new training and education program available to unemployed military veterans aged 35-60. You can read more about it here: VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 – GI Bill for Unemployed Veterans.
Best of luck, and thanks for your service.
I just recently started school and was wondering if I qualified for the Stipend. My husband is active duty but I am not for sure if I do qualify and if so how do I go about getting the money.
Kayla, Are you in the military, or were you in the military? If you served, then it is possible you are eligible for education benefits. If you never served, then you may be eligible for some spousal education benefits, but it will depend on your situation. If you served, I recommend contacting the VA, if you did not serve, I recommend reading this resource, or contacting your base education office for more information. Best of luck.