The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a great education benefit that can pay for your school plus give you a monthly cash payment (MHA).
The Post-9/11 GI Bill –provides education benefits for those who have served on active duty or in the Selected Reserve for 90 or more days after Sep. 10, 2001. The payment rate depends on how much active-duty time or federal service a member has.
Tuition and Fees – VA pays your tuition & fees directly to the school. This payment is not to exceed in-state (resident) tuition at a public Institution of Higher Learning for public schools or a Congressionally mandated amount for private or foreign schools.
Monthly Living Stipend – VA will pay you a monthly housing allowance based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. This amount is based on the ZIP code of the location of the school you are attending, not your home ZIP code.*Servicemembers currently on active duty or their spouses using transferred benefits are not eligible for the Housing Allowance.
Do these benefits expire?
This depends on when you were discharged from active duty.
If your service ended before January 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) benefits will expire 15 years after your last separation date from active service. You must use all of your benefits by that time or you’ll lose whatever’s left.
If your service ended on or after January 1, 2013, your benefits won’t expire thanks to a law called the Forever GI Bill – Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act.
The Montgomery GI Bill is for active duty service members and helps service members and veterans with education and training costs with a monthly benefit payment.