Forever GI Bill FAQ

The Forever GI Bill removes the 15-year expiration date, known as a delimitation date, for veterans separating from service after January 1, 2013. However, veterans discharged before that date will still have their benefits expire 15 years from their discharge date.

Sometimes, schools close unexpectedly or lose their accreditation. In the past, veterans attending those schools could not transfer credits or restore the GI Bill entitlement they used for the classes. Under the Forever GI Bill, students affected after January 1, 2015, can get their lost entitlement restored.

Purple Heart recipients, even those without three years of service or a disability rating, can now receive full Post-9/11 GI Bill coverage.

Before this change, the Yellow Ribbon Program could only be used by veterans at the 100% tier level, which eliminated some Purple Heart recipients. Also, Fry Scholarship recipients — surviving spouses and dependent children of a servicemember killed in the line of duty — were not eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program even though they had full Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.

Since the implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill on August 1, 2009, active-duty members have not been authorized to use the Yellow Ribbon feature of that GI Bill. However, after August 1, 2022, they can use it while on active duty.

One feature of the Post-9/11 GI Bill is reimbursement for certain licensing and certification costs. However, until the change implementation date, veterans were charged one month of entitlement use regardless of how much or little they received back in reimbursement. Under the Forever GI Bill, the entitlement charge is prorated based on the amount reimbursed.

To help pay for the other provisions in the Forever GI Bill, the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) now aligns with the BAH rate used on active duty. MHA recipients receive the same amount as an E-5 with dependents on active duty.

Before the Forever GI Bill, the housing reimbursement rate was based on the school’s zip code. However, for schools with online students, the zip code used for calculation could be a lower BAH amount than where the student lived. The Forever GI Bill aligned the BAH rate with the cost of living rate where the student lives or attends most of their classes.

Under previous legislation, National Guardsmen and Reservists’ time mobilized on active duty under certain order numbers did not count toward Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility. Now, service members ordered to duty after August 1, 2018, or personnel whose service started on or after September 11, 2001, can claim that time.

Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility is a tiered system based on the time served on active duty. In the past, a minimum of 90 days on active duty earned an eligibility tier of 40%, meaning only 40% of that person’s tuition would be paid. Under the change, that percentage has increased to 50%. Selected Reserve personnel serving 6-18 months saw their eligibility rise from 50% to 60%. On average, this resulted in $2,300 more per year, which is paid by the VA for each eligible individual. The eligibility for the remaining tiers stayed the same.