
The Post-9/11 GI Bill, or Chapter 33, is a benefit for those who have served in the military and their family members. It helps cover the costs of school or training. Service members can transfer their benefits to their spouse or dependent children. To be eligible, service members must be on active duty or in the Selected Reserve and meet certain requirements. The Defense Department (DOD) decides whether benefits can be transferred. Dependents of service members with a service-connected disability may be eligible for educational and career counselling benefits through the Personalized Career Planning and Guidance program (Chapter 36).
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can be a dependent? | Spouse, surviving spouse, and children of service members and veterans |
| Who can transfer benefits? | Service members who are on active duty or in the Selected Reserve |
| Who can receive transferred benefits? | Dependent family members, including spouse and children |
| When can dependents use transferred benefits? | Spouses can use benefits immediately; children can use benefits after the service member has completed 10 years of service |
| How long are the benefits transferable for? | Up to 36 months (3 years) |
| What is the process of transferring benefits? | Service members must request a Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) from the Department of Defense (DOD) through milConnect; dependents can apply online or by mail |
| What other benefits are available for dependents? | The Fry Scholarship, Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship, Survivors' and Dependents' Assistance, Personalized Career Planning and Guidance program (Chapter 36) |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn

Who is eligible to be a dependent?
The Post-9/11 GI Bill offers financial support to service members and qualifying veterans to attend college, graduate school, or vocational and technical training, as well as stipends to pay for housing and books. Service members can also transfer their benefits to their spouse or dependent children.
To be eligible as a dependent, you must be a spouse, surviving spouse, or child of a service member or veteran. Children can use transferred benefits after the service member has completed 10 years of service. Spouses can begin using transferred benefits immediately.
To apply, the eligible dependent must sign in to their own Login.gov or ID.me account. If they do not have an account, they will be prompted to create one when they start filling out the online application. It is not possible to use your online account to apply on behalf of your dependent.
Dependents of service members with a service-connected disability may be eligible for educational and career counselling benefits through the Personalized Career Planning and Guidance program (Chapter 36). They may also be eligible for the Fry Scholarship, which was created to support surviving spouses and children of fallen service members.
Unlocking Constitution Level 2 in World Monster Hunter
You may want to see also

How do dependents apply?
The Defense Department (DOD) decides whether you can transfer your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to your family. You may be able to transfer these benefits to a dependent family member if you're on active duty or in the Selected Reserve and you meet all of the following requirements:
- You received a Purple Heart.
- You request to transfer your benefits while you're still on active duty.
- You request a Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) from the DOD through milConnect while you're still on active duty.
Your dependent can apply for the transfer of your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits online or by mail. To apply online, your eligible dependent must be signed in to their own Login.gov or ID.me account. If they don't have an account, they will be prompted to create one when they start filling out the online application. You can't use your online account to apply on their behalf. To apply by mail, you'll need to fill out a PDF version of the Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits (VA Form 22-1990e) and mail it to the address listed on the form for your VA regional processing office.
Your dependents may be eligible for the transfer of your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits if you separated from service for any of the following reasons:
- You get sick or injured while serving in the military, or your service makes an existing condition worse.
- You die before completing your service requirement for transferring benefits.
If you separate from service for other reasons, your dependents won't be eligible for the transfer of your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.
Sedition Acts: Do They Breach the Constitution?
You may want to see also

What happens if the service member dies?
If a service member dies, their dependents may still be eligible to use their benefits. The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Assistance Act of 2017 allows for the designation and transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to eligible dependents of the Veteran/service member upon the death of the Veteran/service member or of a dependent who had unused transferred benefits. The law is effective as of August 1, 2018, and applies to deaths that occurred after August 1, 2009.
If a service member transferred benefits to a dependent who has died, they may transfer those benefits to another eligible dependent. The dependent must be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) before making the transfer in milConnect.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill (PGIB) or Chapter 33 helps service members and their families pay for school or cover expenses while training for a job. To qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, service members must have served on active duty after September 10, 2001.
Dependents of service members may be eligible for the GI Bill if the service member separates from service due to illness or injury, or if their service exacerbates a pre-existing condition. If the service member separates from service for other reasons, their dependents won't be eligible for transferred benefits.
Dependents of service members can apply for the GI Bill online or by mail. To apply online, eligible dependents must be signed in to their own Login.gov or ID.me account. If they don't have an account, they will be prompted to create one when they start filling out the online application. Dependents cannot use the service member's online account to apply on their behalf.
To apply by mail, the service member must apply on their dependent's behalf using a PDF version of the Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits (VA Form 22-1990e).
The Length of the US Constitution
You may want to see also
Explore related products

How much can be transferred to each dependent?
The Post-9/11 GI Bill (PGIB) or Chapter 33, is an educational benefit for those who have served on active duty after September 10, 2001. This bill helps eligible individuals pay for school or cover expenses while training for a job.
If you are a qualifying veteran or service member, you can transfer all 36 months or a portion of your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to your spouse or dependent children. The Defense Department (DOD) decides whether you can transfer these benefits to your family.
To be eligible for the transfer, you must be on active duty or in the Selected Reserve and meet the service requirements. If you received a Purple Heart, you are exempt from meeting the service requirement but must request the transfer while still on active duty.
Your dependent can apply online or by mail. To apply online, your dependent must be signed in to their own Login.gov or ID.me account. If they do not have an account, they will be prompted to create one when filling out the application. You cannot use your online account to apply on their behalf. To apply by mail, you must submit a PDF version of the Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits (VA Form 22-1990e).
It is important to note that if you separate from service before meeting the service requirement to transfer benefits, your dependents may still be eligible to use the benefits in certain situations, such as if you get sick or injured while serving in the military, or if you pass away before completing your service requirement.
Term Limits for Congress: Exploring Constitutional Boundaries
You may want to see also

What happens to unused benefits?
If you have unused Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, you may be able to transfer them to your spouse or dependent children. The Defense Department (DOD) decides whether you can transfer your benefits to your family. You may be able to transfer your benefits if you're on active duty or in the Selected Reserve and meet certain requirements. For example, the person getting benefits must be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). If you received a Purple Heart, you don't need to meet a service requirement, but you must request a transfer of education benefits (TEB) from the DOD while you're still on active duty.
Your GI Bill Statement of Benefits will show you how much of your benefits you've used and how much you have left. You can also check how much time you have left to use your benefits. If you decide to use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and you use up all your entitlement, you may be eligible for a refund of up to $1,200 of any payments you made into the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD).
If you die before completing your service requirement for transferring benefits, your dependents may still be eligible to use them. However, if you separate from service for other reasons, your dependents won't be eligible for transferred benefits, and you'll need to pay back any education, training, or fees already paid for your dependents.
Economic Lens: Shaping the Constitution
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Spouses, surviving spouses, and children of service members and veterans can get educational assistance through the GI Bill.
You can transfer your benefits to your dependent family member if you're on active duty or in the Selected Reserve and meet the requirements. You can request a Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) from the DOD through milConnect. Your dependent can then apply online or by mail.
Dependents can receive financial support to attend college, graduate school, or vocational and technical training. They can also receive stipends to pay for housing and books.























