Are you a proud holder of a bachelor’s degree and wanting to expand your horizons by getting another one, or perhaps use the GI Bill to go to grad school?
Do you want to be a lawyer, a doctor, or get an MBA?
Then you must be wondering:
“Can I use my GI Bill benefits to get a second degree, or go to graduate school?”
Yes, you can use your GI Bill to get a second degree, or more. The GI Bill can be used to pay for education such as a secondary bachelor’s degree, or a graduate degree in a field related to your bachelor’s degree. It can also be used for attending law school, medical school, dentistry school, or to get an MBA through business school.
For example, if you previously used your GI Bill benefits to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business, you can use the remaining entitlement benefits you have in order to take up an associates or masters degree in the same field.
Or you can also get a second bachelor’s degree in whatever field you choose!
If you want to know how you can take advantage of this benefit, fret not- we have compiled everything you need to know about using the GI Bill for graduate school (and more), so keep reading!
I’ve Used the GI Bill for a Bachelor’s Degree- Can I Use It Again?
The GI Bill education benefits can be used in getting a second degree- whether for graduate studies, law school, medical school, or a second degree- as long as you have remaining entitlement benefits after taking up your bachelor’s degree.
The following programs are applicable to use this benefit:
- Post 9/11 GI Bill
- Montgomery GI Bill
- Tuition Assistance
- Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
- Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program
You can check the status of your remaining entitlement benefits by logging on to the VA website and clicking “education” or simply go here.
What Will Be Covered Under the GI Bill the Second Time?
Similar to the rates for taking up a bachelor’s degree, the GI Bill pays for all in-state tuition costs for public schools, or up to $24,476.79 per year for private schools.
It also covers a monthly housing allowance, as well as an annual books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000.
The amount you can receive is calculated based on the duration of your service as an active duty member.
You may refer to this guide to see how much you can get from the GI Bill for tuition and fees:
Information sourced from the VA website
To calculate how much monthly housing allowance you can receive, visit this link. You can also compare the rates from different schools by clicking here.
How much you can get also depends on whether you are studying full time.
The school you are enrolled in decides how many units or credit hours are considered full time. As an example, if your school considers 12 hours as a full time load, the GI Bill will pay you the full time rate.
What the GI Bill Will Not Pay For
Take note that your GI Bill benefit does not pay for the following:
- Classes taken at another school that are not required to get your degree
- Retaking failed classes that are not required for you to graduate
How Does The VA Make The Payments, and When?
All the payments for tuition and fees are reimbursed directly to the school on a monthly basis following an arrears payment scheme. This means that the charges for the current month will be paid the following month.
The monthly housing allowance, also known as the GI Bill BAH, has a payment schedule that is paid to you at the end of each month, while the books and supplies stipend is provided at the beginning of each academic term.
To start receiving this benefit, you must apply for education benefits by filling up the VA Form 22-1990 (Application for VA Education Benefits). You will need to provide the following information:
- Social Security Number
- Bank account direct deposit information
- Education and military history
- The school you are attending and the degree program you are enrolled in
You can accomplish this via the VA.gov website, by mail, or at the nearest VA regional processing office.
The VA takes up to 30 days to process your application. They will be sending your acceptance letter in the mail.
I’ve Exhausted All My GI Bill Benefits- What Are My Options?
The GI Bill is an extremely helpful program in pursuing higher education to advance your career. But what if you have already used up all your entitlement benefits and still want to go to graduate school?
Here is the good news:
There are a lot of other programs that can help you pay for your studies, such as the Yellow Ribbon Program, the Tuition Assistance Top Up, the GI Bill Kicker, and the Tutor Assistance. Here is how you can take advantage of these:
Yellow Ribbon Program
The Yellow Ribbon Program is an education assistance in conjunction with the VA wherein schools voluntarily participate in order to provide discounted rates and scholarships to military servicemen and veterans.
To know whether your school is participating in this program, check here.
Tuition Assistance & Top Up
The Department of Defense provides its service members with a tuition assistance of up to $250 per credit hour for those studying while on active duty.
The requirements for eligibility as well as application are different for each branch. You may check this site for more details on how you can take advantage of this program.
Apart from the tuition assistance being offered by the Department of Defense for military members on active duty, the Top Up program pays for tuition charges in excess of the $250 maximum payable amount, which is charged to your entitlement benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill or the Montgomery GI Bill.
GI Bill Kicker
Each service branch of the Department of Defense also provides an additional education benefit that works in conjunction with the GI Bill.
The GI Bill Kicker, also known as the Army, Navy, or Marine Corp College Fund, is often part of an enlistment contract for those with specialized skills needed in the military field.
The requirements for eligibility and how much you can receive varies on a case to case basis, but the program pays up to $950 per month that is sent directly to you under the label of housing allowance.
Tutoring Assistance
Finally, the GI Bill also allows for the use of tutoring assistance for classes that are required for you to graduate and in which you are having difficulty. This pays up to $100 per month for a total maximum of $1,200.
You can use this assistance with no charge at all to your entitlement benefits if you are under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, or for no charge up to $600 if you are under the Montgomery GI Bill.
The first step to open more doors of opportunities for yourself in the civilian world is by furthering your education. The GI Bill education benefits and its related programs are a helpful tool in pursuing higher education- from a bachelor’s degree, to graduate school, or even law, medical, business school, and more.
Check out all of the 29,000+ VA Approved GI bill opportunities here: https://milversity.com/explore/
