Rate Increases and Transferring Benefits to Spouse and Dependents

The maximum amounts for tuition and fees under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® change every academic year. For academic year 2022-2023, the maximum annual reimbursement for those attending a private or foreign school increased from $26,042.81 to $26,381.37. Additionally, the monthly housing allowance (MHA) for those taking online training exclusively (no classroom instruction) is now $916.50 per month. These changes are effective August 1, 2022 - July 31, 2023. 

 

Flight Training:?Those who are enrolled in flight schools will see their annual maximum GI Bill® benefit increase from $14,881.59 to $15,075.05.

 

Licensing/Certification/National Testing: You can be reimbursed up to $2,000 per test for licensing and certification tests. For national testing programs, there is no maximum amount of GI Bill® reimbursement. Your entitlement will be charged one month for every $2,200.96 spent; currently, that trigger point is $2,172.71.

 

Correspondence Courses: You can be reimbursed the actual net costs, not to exceed $12,813.78 annually. That's up from $12,649.34 currently.

 

Monthly Housing Allowance: If you are attending classroom sessions, your housing allowance is based on the ZIP code of the campus location where you attend the majority of your classes. Your MHA is prorated based on the length of your active duty service and how many classes you are taking. If you are attending a foreign school you will receive an MHA of $1,833, that is the U.S. national average amount. If you attend all your classes online, your maximum housing allowance will be $916.50. 

 

The transferability option under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® allows Servicemembers to transfer all or some unused benefits to their spouse or dependent children. The request to transfer unused GI Bill® benefits to eligible dependents must be completed while serving as an active member of the Armed Forces.  The Department of Defense (DoD) determines whether or not you can transfer benefits to your family. Once the DoD approves benefits for transfer, the new beneficiaries apply for them at VA. Apply now.

 

Am I eligible to transfer benefits? 

You may be eligible to transfer education benefits if you’re on active duty or in the Selected Reserve and you meet all of the requirements listed below.

All of these must be true:

• You've completed at least 6 years of service on the date your request is approved, and

• You agree to add 4 more years of service, and

• The person getting benefits has enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)

 

Who’s covered? 

Qualified dependents. (Spouse and children)

What benefits can my qualified dependents get? 

If the DoD approves the Transfer of Entitlement (TOE), your spouse or dependent children can apply for up to 36 months of benefits, and may be able to get money for:

• Tuition

• Housing

• Books and supplies

 

When can they use the transferred benefits? 

 

These conditions apply to family members using transferred benefits:

 

Spouses

• May use the benefit right away

• May use the benefit while you’re on active duty or after you’ve separated from service

• Don’t qualify for the monthly housing allowance while you’re on active duty

• May use the benefit for up to 15 years after your separation from active duty

 

Children

• May start to use the benefit only after you’ve finished at least 10 years of service

• May use the benefit while you’re on active duty or after you’ve separated from service

• May not use the benefit until they’ve gotten a high school diploma (or equivalency certificate), or have reached 18 years of age

• Qualify for the monthly housing allowance even when you’re on active duty

• Don’t have to use the benefit within 15 years after your separation from active duty, but can’t use the benefit after they’ve turned 26 years old.

 

Your dependents may still qualify even if a child marries or you and your spouse divorce. However, service members and Veterans can revoke (cancel) or change a TOE at any time. If you want to totally revoke transferred benefits for a dependent and you’re still in the service, please turn in another transfer request for the dependent through milConnect. If a dependent’s transfer eligibility (ability to get a TOE) has been totally revoked, you can’t transfer benefits again to that dependent.

 

How do I transfer the benefit? 

While you’re still on active duty, you’ll request to transfer, change, or revoke a Transfer of Entitlement (TOE) through milConnect. Visit https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil

 

If the DoD approves the TOE, your family members may apply for benefits.

 

To apply online, visit www.va.gov and type in “transfer benefits”?in the search box.

 

Apply by mail. Fill out and mail an Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits (VA Form 22-1990E) to the nearest VA regional office. To find your nearest VA regional office, visit https://www.va.gov/find-locations/

 

Once you leave active duty, you can still provide a future effective date for when the TOE can be used, change the number of months transferred, or revoke the TOE by submitting a written request to VA through milConnect.

 

TRANSFER BENEFITS

For more information about transferring benefits, visit 

milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil

 

Click on “Transfer My Education Benefits.”

 

You will need your DS?logon user name and password.

If you do not have an account you can establish one

by clicking “Need an account?”