What Chapter Am I?
As a veteran, you might be eligible for several types of VA education and training benefits.
Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty (Chapter 30)
The Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty (Chapter 30) benefits generally apply to veterans who begin active duty service for the first time after July 30, 1985, had their pay reduced $100/month for 12 months and received an honorable discharge. Call “MGIB” for short, this bill provides up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible veterans. Generally, benefits are payable for 10 years following your release from active duty.
Veterans using Chapter 30 Benefits, the VA will send funds directly to the student. The student will be responsible for submitting payment for tuition and fees directly to the university.
Chapter 30 Student Veteran Form
Apply for MGIB Chapter 30 Benefits
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program (Chapter 31)
The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program (Chapter 31) assists Veterans with service-connected disabilities to prepare, find, and keep suitable jobs. Veterans are eligible if they:
- Have received, or will receive an honorable or other than dishonorable discharge
- Have a VA service-connected disability rating of 10% with a serious employment handicap or 20% or more with an employment handicap
- Apply for VR&E services
Chapter 31 Student Veteran Form
Apply for VR&E Chapter 31 Benefits
The Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33)
Eligible individuals for the Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) include those who serve on Active Duty at least 90 aggregate days after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days of continuous service. (Individuals must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible). To be eligible for 100% of the benefit, veteran must have served an aggregate of 36 months of continuous service after September 10, 2001.
Under the chapter, effective August 1, 2009, eligible participants (veterans, service members, and dependents) pursuing a VA approved training program may receive the following benefits at a percentage based on the length of active duty service:
- The cost of tuition and fees paid directly to the school. The tuition should not exceed the most expensive in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution of higher education.
- Monthly housing allowance (MHA) will be paid directly to the veteran or dependent, please see the Current Rate Payments for current eligibility requirements. Active duty and spouse of active duty are not eligible for the MHA.
- Yearly book and supplies stipend of up to $1000 per year (paid directly to the service member, veteran, or dependent).
Please note: The VA does NOT pay for the meal plan or dorm fees. This is the responsibility of the student.
Chapter 33 Student Veteran Form
Chapter 33 Student Dependent Form
Apply for Post 9/11 GI Bill® Chapter 33 Benefits
Survivors' & Dependents' Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)
Education benefit for eligible spouses and dependents. To be eligible for Survivors' & Dependents' Educational Assistance (Chapter 35), you must be the dependent of one of the following:
- A veteran who died, or is permanently and totally disabled, as the result of a service-connected disability. The disability must arise out of active service in the Armed Forces.
- A veteran who died from any cause while such service-connected disability was in existence.
- A service member missing in action or captured in the line of duty by a hostile force.
- A service member forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign government or power.
- A service member hospitalized or receiving outpatient care for a VA determined service-connected permanent and total disability may be eligible for DEA benefits.
Eligible beneficiaries attending school will receive a monthly allowance based on the training time. The student will be responsible for submitting payment for tuition and fees to the university. We cannot submit your certification to the VA without your sponsor's social security number.
Chapter 35 Student Veteran Form
Apply for DEA Chapter 35 Benefits
Montgomery GI Bill® - Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)
The Montgomery GI Bill® - Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606) education program provides up to 36 months of education benefits to members of the Selected Reserve. You may be considered an eligible reservist or National Guard member if:
- After June 30, 1985, you signed a six-year obligation to serve in the Selected Reserve, AND
- You completed your Initial Active Duty for Training (IADT), AND
- You got your High School Diploma or GED before you completed your IADT, AND
- You are in good standing in a drilling Selected Reserve Unit.
Reservists using Chapter 1606 Benefits, the VA will send funds directly to the student. The student will be responsible for submitting payment directly to the university.
Apply for MGIB Ch1606 Benefits
Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Chapter 33)
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Chapter 33) provides Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits to the children and surviving spouses of Service members who died in the line of duty while on active duty after September 10, 2001. Eligible beneficiaries attending school may receive up to 36 months of benefits at the 100% level. To be eligible:
- Children and surviving spouses of an active duty member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001.
Chapter 33 FRY Scholarship Student Form
Apply for FRY Scholarship Chapter 33 Benefits
Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship
The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship is a provision of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Forever GI Bill®). This provision provides up to nine months of additional Post-9/11 (Chapter 33) VA education benefits (not to exceed $30,000) to eligible undergraduate students training in the high demand fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Veteran applicants for the scholarship will receive a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) with the amount of additional entitlement added. To certify courses to the VA under the STEM scholarship program, a copy of the STEM COE will need to be provided to the UWF MVRC at mvrc@uwf.edu. Students approved for the STEM Scholarship must do a monthly verification of attendance with the Department of Veteran Affairs at STEM.VBABUF@va.gov. For additional information, contact the MVRC at mvrc@uwf.edu or 850.474.2550.
Full eligibility requirements
To be eligible, you need to meet all of the requirements listed here for your situation.
If you’re currently enrolled in an undergraduate STEM degree or qualifying dual-degree program
All of these must be true:
- You’re enrolled in a qualifying undergraduate STEM degree program that requires at least 120 standard semester credit hours (or 180 quarter credit hours) to complete, and
- You’ve completed at least 60 standard credit hours (or 90 quarter credit hours) toward your degree, and
- You have 6 months or less of your Post-9/11 GI Bill® (or Fry Scholarship) benefits left. To find out how much of your benefits you have left, check your statement of benefits.
Check your Post-9/11 GI Bill® Statement of Benefits
Note: You can’t use the STEM scholarship for graduate degree programs at this time.
If you’re enrolled in a covered clinical training program for health care professionals
All of these must be true:
- You’ve earned a qualifying degree in a STEM field, and
- You’ve been accepted or are enrolled in a covered clinical training program for health care professionals, and
- You have 6 months or less of your Post-9/11 GI Bill® (or Fry Scholarship) benefits left. To find out how much of your benefits you have left, check your statement of benefits.
Check your Post-9/11 GI Bill® Statement of Benefits
If you’re working toward a teaching certification
All of these must be true:
- You’ve earned a qualifying post-secondary degree in a STEM field, and
- You’ve been accepted or are enrolled in a teaching certification program, and
- You have 6 months or less of your Post-9/11 GI Bill® (or Fry Scholarship) benefits left. To find out how much of your benefits you have left, check your statement of benefits.
Check your Post-9/11 GI Bill® Statement of Benefits
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government website at benefits.va.gov/gibill.
