Montgomery GI Bill Eligibility Details

Montgomery GI Bill Eligibility Details

 

Eligibility details for Montgomery GI Bill

 

Irrespective of how and when someone gains eligibility for MGIB, he needs to adhere to one of the requirements listed below in order to gain eligibility for the bill:

  • Discharge Character: One must be discharged with full honor if you are planning to make use of MGIB post active duty. If you are discharged “Under honorable condition” or “General”, you are not eligible.
    • Remaining time of active duty can be used in case you did not become eligible during the first part of active duty.
  • Completion of High School:- One need to finish diploma or certification from high school before your application if you want to utilize benefits of MGIB either as an active member or even after you are not an active member. This requirement can also be met if you complete 12 hours for a college degree pre-application.

Apart from the above requirements, one of the requirements mentioned in below categories should be met as well:

For those who joined active duty prior to July 1, 1985, they can leave category 1. They need to qualify for any of category 2, 3 or 4.

CATEGORY I

  1. Joined active duty first-time post-June 30, 1985.
  2. $100 per month reduction in military pay for initial 12 months.
  3. 3 years continuous service or if you are initially enlisted for 2 years then for 2 years.
    If within one year of parting away from active duty, you are part of the selected reserve than continuous service for 2 years and you must have served for 4 years.

CATEGORY II

  1. Active duty is joined prior to January 1, 1977.
  2. Between 19th Oct 1984 and 30th June 1985, you must have served for minimum 1 day and be part of active duty up to 30th June 1988. If, in one year of parting away with active duty, you become part of the selected reserve and your service is for four years than this date is 30th June 1987.
  3. If your Vietnam era GI bill entitlement is still left as on 31st Dec 1989.

CATEGORY III

  1. If under Categories mentioned above (I and I), you are not eligible
  2. If as on 30th September 1990, you are part of active duty and have left involuntarily post 2nd Feb 1991.
  3. If you separated involuntarily after or on 30th November 1993.
  4. If you separated voluntarily under SSB (Special Separation Benefit) or VSI (Voluntary separation incentive)
  5. If the military pay is reduced by at least $1200 before separation

CATEGORY IV

  1. If as on 9th October 1996, you are on active duty and has money left in one of your VEAP accounts as of that date and you have opted for MGIB not later than 9th October 1997.
  2. If you join duty with National Guard on a full-time basis as per 32, USC in between 1st July 1985 and 28th November 1989. Also, if you opt for MGIB during 9th October 1996 and 8th July 1997.
  3. If for 12 months, your military pay per month is reduced by minimum $100 or total contribution is made up to $1200.

Type of training joined, service length, the category and if any extra sum is deposited in MGIB Fund by DOD, decides the payment made monthly under this benefit. One needs to use MGIB benefits in not more than 10 years however this time limit has some exceptions and can be more or less in some instances.

VA Form 22-1990 needs to be filled for applying. If you need more information, you can call 1-888-GI-BILL-1 which is Toll-free.

Time Frame Eligibility

MBIG benefits usually end within 10 years. This date is calculated from last discharge date of the veteran and when he was released from the active duty. There are some circumstances under which some exceptions can be granted. If the military has upgraded the discharge of a veteran, he will have 10 years from this upgrade date.

Enrollment Process

An individual can be enrolled originally for MGIB as per below details:

  1. Service members are enrolled automatically when they are at their initial duty station.
    1. If you want to unenroll, it must be opted for in first days of active duty.
    2. At military entrance and processing station, DD Form 2366 is provided for enrollment or disenrollment. However, it can only be confirmed during first processing at duty station post-MGIB briefing.
  2. There is no automatic enrollment for the officers. They need to either enroll or unenroll before OBC (Basic officer’s course).
  3. Individuals who become part of active duty for the first time from selected reserves do not get enrolled automatically. It is the responsibility of fist station to ensure that the individual gets the option to enroll or unenroll in not more than initial 3 working days.
  4. You need to keep in mind that once unenrolled, you cannot revert it.
  5. Enrollment
    An understanding statement has to be signed by an individual which is Form 2366 from Department of Defense. As per the understanding, they get into an agreement for minimum reduction of $100 per month during initial 12 months of service.

    1. Reduced amount is nonrefundable and non-taxable
    2. Reduced amount cannot be suspended or stopped
1 Comment
  • Robert l Calfee
    Posted at 21:32h, 24 July Reply

    I was active duty between August 1995 and August 1981 . It looks like I missed the boat on education benefits is that the case here?

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