MILLIONS OF VETERANS NOW ELIGIBLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL YEAR OF GI BILL BENEFITS
One of the best benefits for the military community just got even better thanks to a new court ruling and an expanded effort by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Now, millions of Veterans may be eligible for additional GI Bill benefits. Those who qualify will receive as much as 12 months of additional education benefits, and new policies provide more access to Montgomery GI Bill benefits for Veterans who may have lost them in the past.
Millions of Veterans Can Receive an Additional 12 Months of GI Bill Benefits
As many as 2 million Veterans may now be eligible to receive additional GI Bill benefits of up to 12 months if they have served two or more separate periods of military service.
While speaking at the Student Veterans of America (SVA) national convention in Colorado, VA Secretary Denis McDonough spoke about the changes going into effect for eligible Vets to help them gain fairer access to their educational benefits.
In April 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the VA was limiting access to VA educational benefits unfairly and the new policy moving forward aims to help these issues by providing an additional 12 months of GI Bill benefits.
How to Qualify
To qualify for the additional GI Bill benefits, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:
- You must be a Veteran who has served two separate periods of service in the military or more, where each qualifies you for either the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Montgomery GI Bill.
- If you require additional benefits through the Montgomery GI Bill, you must have served two or more years before being honorably discharged and paid into the program.
To learn more about your eligibility, Veterans are encouraged to check through the VA to confirm their status. You can do so by clicking the link here.
Rudisill v. McDonough
For years, Veterans could not access benefits from both the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill; however, the Supreme Court ruled in the Rudisill v. McDonough case, that these requirements were unfair to Veterans who qualified.
There are still limitations, for example, even if you qualify for an additional 12 months of GI Bill benefits, you may be barred from additional federal assistance once these are exhausted.
Still, it’s an improvement, allowing Vets who have earned eligibility through both programs and the time to take on a qualifying course load the opportunity to access more benefits.
Veterans Can Also Reclaim Lost Montgomery GI Bill Benefits
For Veterans who still had five years of eligibility for the Montgomery GI Bill program when they gave up these benefits, an expansion is also underway.
The VA is providing new eligibility of five years and 90 days effective immediately helping both past and future Veterans better access these educational benefits.
The expansion of additional GI Bill benefits could help as many as 2 million Veterans as 2.7 million people have already benefited from Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits in the past alone.
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