
What happens if I Lose my education benefits under the GI Bill?
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.
Do you have to pay back the GI Bill if you fail?
Since non-punitive grades don't count towards your degree you may be required to repay any GI Bill money you received for such classes. What if You Just Stop Going to Class? If you just stop going to class because you are failing you will most likely have to pay back any money you received for it.
What can I do with my GI Bill benefits?
You can use your GI Bill benefits in many ways to advance your education and training. Work toward a degree: Undergraduate and graduate degrees
When do my GI Bill benefits expire?
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.

Can GI Bill be taken away?
Answer: No. There is no ending date for your GI Bill eligibility UNLESS you left the military before Jan. 1, 2013. Then you have 15 years from the date of discharge to use your benefits.
How long do you have to serve to keep your GI Bill?
Transferring GI Bill to your dependents To be eligible for transfer, you must have at least six years of service under your belt and must be able to serve four more after the transfer is approved by the DoD. In early 2019, the DoD proposed a cap on the transfer option at 16 years of service.
Do GI benefits expire?
You get 36 months of full-time GI Bill benefits and have no time limit on when you need to use them by. If you left the military before Jan. 1, 2013, your benefits expire 15 years from your discharge (if using the Post-9/11 GI Bill). If you are using the Montgomery GI Bill you have 10 years to use your benefits.
What can cause a veteran to lose their benefits?
We discuss a few common reasons why veterans may not be receiving all of their VA disability compensation, or why they are suddenly not receiving any.Severance of Disability. ... VA Overpayments. ... Recouping Severance or Separation Pay. ... Run-Ins with the Law.
How can you lose your Post 911 GI Bill?
Attending classes is one of the requirements for receiving GI Bill benefits. If you don't attend, you don't get any money. If you stop attending class, the VA will stop your GI Bill payments retroactive to the beginning date of the term. You will most likely end up owing a lot of money to both the VA and the school.
What happens when my GI Bill runs out?
According to the VA rules, once you run out of GI Bill benefits, they will continue to pay you through to the end of the semester. However, that is not the case if you still have benefits left but hit your delimitation date – the date 15 years from your discharge date when your Post 9/11 GI Bill expires.
Can I get my GI Bill reinstated?
If you apply for and are found eligible for restoration of entitlement because your school closed or your program of education was disapproved while you were attending school and using GI Bill benefits, your entitlement is restored immediately.
Who is eligible for forever GI Bill?
Servicemembers and honorably discharged Veterans who were awarded a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001 will be entitled to Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits at the 100-percent benefit level for up to 36 months. This was effective on August 1, 2018.
How do I find out if my GI Bill is still good?
Call the VA toll free at 1-888-442-4551 to speak with a representative. The representative will request your information and will be able to provide details about the benefits remaining on the GI Bill.
What is the VA 5 year rule?
The VA disability rating 5-year rule states that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) cannot reduce a veteran's disability rating if it has been in place for five years or more unless the condition shows sustained improvement over time. In this situation, the veteran's rating is considered a stabilized rating.
Am I eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) benefits?
You may be eligible for education benefits if you meet at least one of these requirements. At least one of these must be true: You served at least...
What if I qualify for other VA education benefits too?
You can use only 1 education benefit for a period of service. You’ll have to choose which education benefit you’d like to use. Once you make this c...
How many total months of VA education benefits can I get?
You may be able to get a maximum of 48 months of VA education benefits—not including Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits. But many app...
What benefits can I get through the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)?
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 pri...
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) benef...
How do I get these benefits?
You’ll need to apply. Apply for education benefits The benefit amount depends on which school you go to, how much active-duty service you’ve had s...
How do I know how much of my Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are left?
If you already applied for and were awarded Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits, your GI Bill Statement of Benefits will show you how much of your...
Can my family members or I get any additional benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)?
You may qualify for these additional benefits: If you need more money to cover higher private-school or out-of-state tuition, you can apply for the...
How can I use my Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) benefits?
You can use your GI Bill benefits in many ways to advance your education and training. Work toward a degree: Undergraduate and graduate degrees Tui...
Am I eligible for VA education benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill?
You may be eligible for benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill if you’ve served on active duty for at least 90 days, whether continuous (all at onc...
Am I eligible for VA education benefits through the Montgomery GI Bill?
You may be eligible for benefits through one of our Montgomery GI Bill programs. Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) You can get benefits thro...
How many total months of VA education benefits can I get?
You may be able to get a maximum of 48 months of VA education benefits—not including Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits. But many app...
Can I get VA education benefits through other programs?
You may be able to get help paying for school tuition, testing fees, and advanced licensing and certifications through other VA educational assista...
Can I get educational and career counseling through VA?
You may be able to get free educational and career counseling through the Personalized Career Planning and Guidance program (Chapter 36) if you mee...
Are there any related benefits I may also be able to get?
If you have a service-connected disability that limits your ability to work or prevents you from working, you may be eligible for Veteran Readiness...
What should I do if I received an other than honorable, bad conduct, or dishonorable discharge?
If you’ve received one of these discharge statuses, you may not be eligible for VA benefits. There are 2 ways you can try to qualify: Find out how...
Can my spouse or dependent children get VA education benefits?
In some cases, the dependent or surviving spouse and children of a Veteran can get educational assistance through a GI Bill program. Learn more abo...
How long can you transfer GI Bill benefits to spouse?
Also, if you haven’t used all of your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, you may be able to transfer up to 36 months of benefits to your spouse or a dependent child. Learn more about transferring benefits.
What are the benefits of VA education?
VA education benefits can help you pay your tuition, pick out a school, choose a career, and more. If you’re an active-duty service member or Veteran, a member of the National Guard or Reserves, or a qualified survivor or dependent, find out if you can get VA education benefits through the GI Bill and other educational assistance programs.
How does the Post-9/11 GI bill work?
The Post-9/11 GI Bill pays according to several factors, the main factors being number of months served on active duty and the number of credit pursued. If you are attending a public school, the Post-9/11 GI Bill can pay your full tuition directly to the school. You will receive a monthly housing allowance and up to $1,000 a year for books ...
How many months of education is GI Bill?
The GI Bill benefit provides 36 months of education benefits. The term "months" can often be confusing. The "36 months " of benefits does not mean you have only 36 months to use it, nor does it mean you must use it all in one 36 month period. There are two ways the term month is used.
How long is Montgomery GI Bill?
For the Montgomery GI Bill: If you are a veteran you are basically charged one month of entitlement for each month of full-time training you take. If you are on active duty and you go to school full-time for four months, but your tuition is only $1,000, you will still be charged for four months of your 36 month entitlement.
Can I stop using the GI bill?
Fact #3 - You Can Stop And Start Using The GI Bill As Needed. Unfortunately, many people believe that once you apply for benefits you have to remain enrolled in school to get the full benefit. Thankfully that's not true; you can use the GI Bill for any period of time.
Can I use my GI bill to get a masters degree?
If you use your benefits wisely, your GI Bill benefits can help you finish your associates, work on your bachelor's, and later, complete your master's degree.
Is the GI Bill considered financial aid?
The GI Bill is not considered Financial Aid in the traditional sense. College and University financial aid departments do not consider the GI Bill financial aid because it is normally paid directly to you, not the school. Most schools will require you to sign a promissory note or apply for student loans to pay them upfront.
Do I have to pay GI bill upfront?
Most schools will require you to sign a promissory note or apply for student loans to pay them upfront. You will then be required to pay these loans - hopefully with your GI Bill payments. This also means that you are eligible for student loans, scholarships, and Pell Grants along with the GI Bill.
What happens if you withdraw from a VA school?
If you withdraw during the school's drop/add period (generally the first 30 days of a term), and dropping a class changes your training time, the VA will reduce your training time and any make the pay adjustment effective on the date of your withdrawal. This may or may not result in an overpayment.
What is the VA's mitigating circumstance?
The VA calls these things "mitigating circumstances", in fact they list several on their website: An illness or injury afflicting the student during the enrollment period.
How many hours can you withdraw from a VA class?
The VA realizes that sometimes you need to drop a class and for this reason they have something called "the six credit hour exclusion". Basically, your first withdrawal (up to six credit hours) is excused. The VA will adjust your training time on the date of withdrawal, not all the way back to the start of the term. This can only be used once, and you can't combine two 3 hour withdrawals to game the system. If you drop 3 hours and get the exclusion it is gone forever.
What happens if you drop a class because of a valid reason?
So, if you have to drop a class because of a valid reason, the VA will possibly pay you through your drop date. Remember, the VA keeps all your information on file and they are stewards of public funds.
Can you get overpaid for failing classes?
You can avoid being overpaid by going to all your classes and get straight A's, but if this isn't going to happen there is one trick to remember. If you are failing a class miserably, just keep taking it and finish it with a failing grade. The VA will pay you to take that class again, if it is needed for graduation.
Does taking a class lower your GPA?
Sure, it will lower your GPA, but you might learn something that will help you get a better grade when you retake it. The easy way to remember it is: if the class counts towards your GPA (no matter how bad the grade is) the VA will pay for it. You can take the class as many times as necessary and get paid each time.
Can you combine 2 3 hour withdrawals to game the VA?
The VA will adjust your training time on the date of withdrawal, not all the way back to the start of the term. This can only be used once, and you can't combine two 3 hour withdrawals to game the system. If you drop 3 hours and get the exclusion it is gone forever.
What are the benefits of GI Bill?
One of the many benefits afforded to service members is access to the GI Bill to help pay for tuition costs. However, many student veterans wonder what happens with the GI Bill if failing a class. Grades are a common worry because life has a way of getting in the way of academic progress.
What does it mean to be certified for GI Bill?
What does is it mean to become certified for my GI Bill? If you have the GI Bill benefits, you work with your school to verify your benefits. Colleges have a School Certifying Official (SCO) that represents the school and has the training to certify enrollment with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Can you fail a class and still get GI Bill?
Despite struggling with a class and the anxiety that follows, you can fail a class and still maintain your GI Bill benefits. However, there are a few decisions to make and conversations with the administration to help you decide the next steps.
Do veterans qualify for tutorial assistance?
To qualify for tutorial assistance, you need only to take a course you need for your educational program, and the course must be difficult.
Can I drop a class on the GI bill?
GI Bill Fail Class: Dropping a Class. Another option you have is dropping your class as long as you are within the drop/add phase of the academic semester. If you drop your class early enough, you can focus your efforts on your other courses and maintain your GPA.
Do you have to pay back GI bill if you drop a class?
This scenario is especially true if your GI Bill is Post-9/11. However, remember, dropping a class might still be the best decision to maintain your GPA or avoid academic probation, even if you have to pay back some funds.
Do you lose your GI bill if you fail a class?
You will not lose your benefits if you fail a class. Also, you will not have to repay the portion of the GI Bill if you stay in the class until the end of the semester. You have resources if you find you are in a challenging class. For instance, you have access to a tutor through your VA Benefits.
What happens if you fail a class on academic probation?
If you are on Academic Probation and continue to fail classes the school can kick you out and the VA will stop any future GI Bill payments at ANY school until you prove to them that you can successfully complete your classes.
Do you have to repay GI Bill?
Since this grade counts towards your graduation progress you are not required to repay any GI Bill money you received for that class. And, according to the VA, you may take the class again in an attempt to receive credit towards graduation or raise your grade for it and you may receive GI Bill payment for the retaking of the class.
Does the VA pay you if you fail a class?
The VA doesn't care if you fail a class, nope they won't come after you for the money you got. In fact they will let you retake that class as many times as you need to until you get a passing grade, and they will pay you each time. Sounds pretty unlike the VA doesn't it?
