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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.

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

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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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

  3. 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. You can verify your enrollment online through our Web Automated Verification system (called “WAVE”) or by phone by calling 877-823-2378 (TTY: 711).
    Verify your enrollment online
    Get more information about WAVE

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)

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. 

Compare VA education benefits

Once you choose an education benefit, you can’t change your mind and use a different education benefit.

If you choose to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) instead of the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD or Chapter 30), you can’t switch at some later date to use MGIB-AD. If you decide to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill, we’ll refund you part or all of the payments you made into MGIB-AD. 

Learn more about Montgomery GI Bill refunds

If you have only 1 period of service that begins on or after August 1, 2011, and you start receiving payments for MGIB-AD, you may lose your eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. 

You can also get help deciding which education benefits to use by calling us at 888-442-4551 (TTY: 711). We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET.

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.

How can I get more information?

You can get more information about the GI Bill from these guides:

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