Special situations
How many months of GI Bill do I have left?
Check your Statement of Benefits on VA.gov. Most chapters start at 36 months, used faster or slower depending on your course load.
Sign in to VA.gov and open your GI Bill Statement of Benefits. It shows your remaining entitlement in months and days. It is the only official source, and it is the first thing I ask a student to pull up when we plan their remaining terms.
How months get used
- Most chapters, including 30, 33, and 1606, start at 36 months of full-time benefits.
- Full-time uses one month per month enrolled. Three-quarter time uses 0.75, and half-time uses 0.5.
- Online and in-person classes use entitlement at the same rate.
- Gaps between terms do not use entitlement, because you are not certified then.
- If you use two or more chapters, there is generally a combined cap of 48 months.
Does my GI Bill expire?
Under the Forever GI Bill, Post-9/11 benefits have no expiration date if your last separation from active duty was on or after January 1, 2013. Earlier separations generally have a 15-year limit. Chapter 30 generally must be used within 10 years, and Chapter 1606 ends when you leave the Selected Reserve. Even with no expiration, the month limit still applies.
Students in approved STEM programs who are close to running out may qualify for extra months through the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship. Apply through VA.gov well before your last term. If the number on VA.gov does not match what you expect, ask your certifying official, then call the VA.