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Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

The Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) can help you pay for education and training programs. If you’ve served at least 2 years on active duty, find out if you qualify for the MGIB-AD program.

You may qualify for additional entitlement under more than 1 education benefit

If you have 2 or more qualifying periods of active duty, you may now qualify for up to 48 months of entitlement. You must be eligible for benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill and either Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) or Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR).

Note: Even if you gave up your right to use MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR benefits in the past (we call this “relinquishing” your benefits), you may now qualify to use some of that entitlement. 

Find out if you can use more than 1 education benefit 

Am I eligible for education benefits through the MGIB-AD program?

You may be eligible for education benefits through this program if you were honorably discharged and you meet the requirements of one of these categories.

One of these categories must describe you

Category I

All of these are true: 

  • You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
  • You entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985, and
  • You had your military pay reduced by $100 a month for the first 12 months of service

And you’ve served continuously (without a break) for at least one of these time periods:

  • 3 years, or
  • 2 years if that was your agreement when you enlisted, or
  • 4 years if you entered the Selected Reserve within a year of leaving active duty (called the 2 by 4 program)

Category II

All of these are true:

  • You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
  • You entered active duty before January 1, 1977 (or before January 2, 1978, under a delayed enlistment program contracted before January 1, 1977), and
  • You served at least 1 day between October 19, 1984, and June 30, 1985, and stayed on active duty through June 30, 1988 (or through June 30, 1987, if you entered the Selected Reserve within 1 year of leaving active duty and served 4 years), and
  • You had at least 1 day of entitlement left under the Vietnam Era GI Bill (Chapter 34) as of December 31, 1989

Category III

All of these are true:

  • You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
  • You don’t qualify for MGIB under categories I or II, and
  • You had your military pay reduced by $1,200 before separation

And one of these is true:

  • You were on active duty on September 30, 1990, and involuntarily separated (not by your choice) after February 2, 1991, or
  • You involuntarily separated on or after November 30, 1993, or
  • You chose to voluntarily separate under either the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) program or the Special Separation Benefit (SSB) program

Category IV

Both of these are true:

  • You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
  • You had military pay reduced by $100 a month for 12 months or made a $1,200 lump-sum contribution (meaning you paid it all at once)

And one of these is true:

  • You were on active duty on October 9, 1996, had money left in a VEAP account on that date, and chose MGIB before October 9, 1997, or
  • You entered full-time National Guard duty under title 32, USC, between July 1, 1985, and November 28, 1989, and chose MGIB between October 9, 1996, and July 9, 1997

What if I’m eligible for more than 1 VA education benefit?

If you’re eligible, you may be able to use more than 1 education benefit depending on how many qualifying periods of active duty you’ve completed.

If you’ve completed 1 qualifying period of active duty

For a period of active duty that started on or after August 1, 2011

You can use only 1 education benefit. You’ll have to choose which education benefit you’d like to use. Once you make that choice, you give up the right to use the other benefit. You can use up to a maximum of 36 months of education benefits.

If you choose to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you can’t switch at a later date to use one of these other education benefits instead:

  • Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD or Chapter 30)
  • Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR or Chapter 1606)

Note: It’s also true that if you choose to use MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR, you can’t switch at a later date to use Post-9/11 Bill benefits. 

If you decide to use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and you use up all your entitlement for that benefit, we’ll refund you part or all of the payments you made into MGIB-AD. The maximum amount you can get for a refund is $1,200.
Learn more about Montgomery GI Bill refunds

For a period of active duty that started before August 1, 2011

You can use MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR benefits and then switch to use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. 

This is how your decision to switch affects your benefits:

  • You give up the right to use your MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR benefits, and 
  • If you switch from using MGIB-AD to using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, you can use only your remaining entitlement from MGIB-AD when you start using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. 

Example: If you have 6 months of MGIB-AD entitlement left when you switch, you’ll have 6 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to use.

You can’t switch from using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to using MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR. This is because when you choose to use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, you give up your right to use MGIB-AD and MGIB-SR.

If you’ve completed 2 or more qualifying periods of active duty

You may qualify for up to 48 months of benefits if you’re eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill and either MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR benefits.

Recent changes: 

  • If you’re using MGIB-AD benefits and you switch to Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, you’re no longer restricted to your remaining MGIB-AD entitlement, and

  • If you gave up MGIB-AD or MGIB-SR benefits when you switched to Post-9/11 GI Bill, you may now qualify for up to 12 months of additional MGIB benefits (for a maximum of 48 months).  

Note: We consider any reenlistment a separate period of active duty. But an extension isn’t a separate period of active duty. 

How does VA determine how much money I’ll receive?

The amount you’ll receive depends on these factors:

  • Your length of service, and
  • The type of education or training program you choose, and
  • Your category (I, II, III, or IV), and
  • Whether you qualify for a college fund or kicker, and
  • How much you’ve paid into the $600 Buy-Up program
    Learn more about the $600 Buy-Up program

Note: You usually have 10 years to use your MGIB-AD benefits. This may change depending on your situation.

Check the current payment rates for MGIB-AD


How do I get these benefits?

Follow the steps here to apply for these benefits.

Make sure we’ve approved your program

Before you enroll, contact the school or use the GI Bill Comparison Tool to find out if we’ve approved your program for VA education benefits. If you have questions, call us at 888-442-4551 (TTY: 711). We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. Or submit a question online through Ask VA.
Use the GI Bill Comparison Tool
Contact us online through Ask VA

Note: If you want to enroll in a program that we haven’t approved, you’ll need to ask the school to request approval. We can’t take any action until an official from your school (not you) requests approval. If we don’t approve your program, you’ll have to pay all costs at the school, including tuition and fees.

Apply for benefits

You can submit your Application for VA Benefits (VA Form 22-1990) online.
Apply online now

You can also apply by mail, in person, or with the help of a trained professional.
Learn more about other ways to apply

Ask your school or training program to certify your enrollment

The certifying official may be someone in your school’s financial aid, Veterans Affairs, registrar, admissions, or counseling office. For on-the-job training or an apprenticeship, the official may be someone in your school’s training, finance, or human resources office.

Note: You’ll then need to verify your enrollment at the end of each month to keep receiving payments. Learn how to verify your enrollment

How can I use my MGIB-AD education benefits?

You can use your GI Bill benefits in many ways to advance your education and training.
Find out how to use your GI Bill benefits

In some cases, we may help you pay for:

  • Remedial courses (classes some students must take to build up their basic skills in math, reading, or English before they can take regular college courses)
  • Deficiency courses (classes some students must take in order to be admitted to a certain college)
  • Refresher courses (brief courses that help people review and improve their knowledge in a certain subject area)

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 applicants are eligible for only 36 months.

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