Are you a military veteran planning on pursuing your education but want to use the GI Bill for online classes?
Maybe you’re still active duty and want to use the GI Bill part time online, especially if you’re deployed in a remote location. Or, maybe you want to use the GI Bill to complete a graduate degree online.
You’re in luck, and you're not the first to use the GI Bill to study online.
Yes, you can use the GI Bill for online courses, and the tuition payment rates are the same as when enrolled at a physical institution. The GI Bill can be used for taking online classes that fall under the following categories:
Degree programs (undergraduate and graduate classes)
Non-degree programs
Vocational school
The benefits you can get depends on the GI Bill program you are receiving benefits from, the amount of time you have served on active duty, the school you are attending, and your rate of pursuit.
With the GI Bill, you don’t have to worry about tuition costs that are getting ridiculously steep these days.
You can even receive a housing allowance, as well as a stipend for books and supplies! Want to know how? Keep reading!
Who Can Use the GI Bill for Online Based Education?
- Post 9/11 GI Bill (and the Fry Scholarship)
- Montgomery GI Bill- Active Duty and Selected Reserve
- Reserve Educational Assistance Program
- Survivors and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program
As long as you (or your dependents) qualify for any of the above mentioned programs, you can definitely use the GI Bill to take online classes.
If you are a veteran, then most commonly, you are receiving benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill or the Montgomery GI Bill. Typically, service members that went active duty towards the end of 2009 are under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which is the newer program.
Post 9/11 GI Bill vs Montgomery GI Bill For Online Classes
You might be asking this question if you are still under the Montgomery GI Bill, and thinking of shifting to the Post 9/11 one. Before you make your decision, here are the factors that you need to consider:
Pros of shifting to the Post 9/11 GI Bill
- The maximum reimbursable payment for tuition and fees under the Post 9/11 GI Bill is higher, which is capped at $24,476.79 per year, as compared to $23,928 (based on the monthly cap at $1,994) of the Montgomery GI Bill
- You will receive a monthly housing allowance, and yearly books and supplies stipend. On the Montgomery GI Bill, you do not get this.
Cons of shifting to the Post 9/11 GI Bill
- If you used the Montgomery GI Bill’s Buy Up Program, you cannot refund it, nor transfer it to the Post 9/11 GI Bill
Sounds a bit unfair, doesn’t it? But we have good news for you!
Combining the Post 9/11 and Montgomery GI Bill Benefits
If you want to maximize your money first by using up all your Montgomery GI Bill benefits, and then transfer to the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, you can definitely do so!
You are able to use up to 12 months of Post 9/11 benefits after using up the allotted 36 months under the Montgomery GI Bill.
But first, make sure that you are qualified for the Post 9/11 GI Bill.
Am I qualified for the Post 9/11 GI Bill?
Here are the qualifications set by the VA for receiving benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill:
- Honorable discharge after at least 90 days of active duty service after September 10, 2001, or
- Discharge due to a service related disability after at least 30 days of active duty service after September 10, 2001, or
- A member of the National Guard
GI Bill Payment Rates For Online Classes
The reimbursable payment amounts for taking online classes are the same as when you study at a physical institution, whether you are taking a degree program or a vocational course. The difference lies in:
- Whether you are under the Post 9/11 GI Bill or the Montgomery GI Bill
- The amount of time you have served on active duty
- Whether you are studying full time or part time
Attending a Public vs Private School
Another factor to consider in determining how much benefits you can receive is on whether you are studying at a public or private school. For public schools, the VA pays the full in-state tuition costs of your education. So if your eligibility percentage is at 100% and you are studying full time, then your tuition will be completely free!
On the other hand, there is a set maximum payable amount for private schools, which varies depending on your GI Bill program. Because of this, you have to take into account if the school you want to attend is expensive (this is also affected by the registered location of your school).
You can check out the payment rates for the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill below.
Online Education Payment Rates- Post 9/11 GI Bill
- Degree and Non-Degree Programs:
- Public School- full in-state tuition costs
- Private School- annual maximum of $24,476.79
This also applies for second degrees and postgraduate degrees.
- Vocational- annual maximum of $13,986.72
You can look at CURRENT RATES published on the VA website here.
How much you are eligible for also depends on the amount of time you have served on active duty. Find out how much you qualify for:
Duration of Active Duty | Eligibility Percentage |
|---|---|
At least 36 months | 100% |
30 consecutive days or more of active duty and discharged due to service-connected disability | 100% |
30-36 months | 90% |
24- 30 months | 80% |
18-24 months | 70% |
12-18 months | 60% |
6-12 months | 50% |
3-6 months | 40% |
Chart drawn from VA.gov website here:
Moreover, how much you receive also depends on whether you are studying full time or part time.
Online Education Payment Rates- Montgomery GI Bill
Active Duty
3 years or more of completed enlistment: $1,994 monthly rate
Less than 3 years of completed enlistment: $1,619 monthly rate
Selected Reserve: $384 monthly rate
You can look at CURRENT RATES published on the VA website here.
The amount you may reimburse also depends on your training time, and is calculated as follows:
Do Online Classes Count As Full Time? Determining Credit Hours:
Your GI Bill payment rates depend on your rate of pursuit (how much of a course load you are taking).
You must be wondering how many credit hours are considered full time when taking online classes.
The thing is, the requirements are no different than if you were at a physical university. The GI Bill Full Time rate is at 12+ credit hours. 12 units usually counts as full time for undergraduate degree programs. More often than not, this might also be the case for when you are studying through an online program.
But if not, your school prescribes how many hours they consider as a full time load, and the VA pays you following this rate.
For accelerated classes and short term programs, the rates are prorated based on the regular term full time rate as well.
If you'd like to take advantage of the GI Bill on a part-time basis, that is also possible (and a common solution for active-duty members).
How Much Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) / BAH Do I Get When Taking Online Classes
As we mentioned earlier, benefit recipients of the Post 9/11 GI Bill are also entitled to receive a monthly housing allowance (otherwise called as BAH) and a yearly books and supplies stipend.
The housing allowance that the Post 9/11 GI Bill provides for fully online courses is 50% the rate of the national average. The current rate, calculated off the national average, for exclusively online education is $895.50.
You can stay updated on current rates here:
A great loophole for this is if you are take at least one class at a physical classroom. Then, you are eligible to get the full monthly housing allowance!
You can check the actual rates you will receive by clicking this link.
*It is important to note that the GI Bill only provides a housing allowance if you are enrolled in at least a 50% rate of pursuit.
As you can see, the GI Bill has many options to help you with pursuing your online education. But, what if the rate you qualify for is not enough to pay for all your tuition costs?
Fret not- the VA has another solution for you!
What can I do if I have excess tuition that is not covered by the GI Bill?
Say hello to the Yellow Ribbon program. It’s a great additional benefit offered to veterans pursuing higher education such as an undergraduate or a masters degree.
This is a voluntary program that schools can opt to participate in. If you qualify under this program, it comes at absolutely no additional charges to your benefits entitlement.
You can check the list of participating schools as well as the qualifying requirements here.
How Can I Start Receiving the GI Bill for Online Classes?
The process for applying for this benefit is easy, whether you apply online, by mail, or in person. Just follow these simple steps:
- Online
Go to the VA website and log on to your account. Access the VA Form 22-1990 and fill up all the required information. Once you hit submit, it will take around 30 days for your application to be processed.
- By mail
Call the VA hotline at 1-888-GI-BILL-1 (888-442-4551) anytime from Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm, to request a copy of the application form to be mailed to you. Once you have received and filled up the form, mail it to the nearest VA regional processing office. You can visit this link for a list of offices in your location.
- In person
Go to the nearest VA regional processing office and approach an accredited representative to assist you in filing your application. See the list of offices here.
That’s it! Taking advantage of your GI Bill benefits for an online education is easy. You can use it for thousands of different opportunities so that you can broaden your horizons and advance your career after your time in the military.
Find out all the things you can use your GI Bill benefits for by checking out this link: http://milversity.com/explore
