This website is not affiliated with the U.S. government or military.

As Far As the GI Bills are Concerned, What Is My Best Option to Pay for My Master’s Degree?


Q: I got my A.A. at a Jr college in Florida before I entered into the military. I am currently using my Chapter 30 GI Bill to finish my B.A. in Nutritional Science from Kaplan University. As it stands I will graduate this Oct. just 3 months shy of 2 years. I’ve read where I can use the Post 9/11 GI Bill for furthering my education. I’ve also read where the VA has a rule of 48, so given that I only used Chapter 30 for a little under two years, I’m planning on taking, if I can, all online classes to finish. Is there a benefit to one over the other? I’ve also read that I only get 50% of the BAH if I go all online. If I take one class on campus am I able to get 100%? Thanks for any info you can give. — Andrew

A: Unfortunately Andrew, to get the additional 12 months of entitlement under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you have to first expend all of your Chapter 30 benefits. If you transfer now with 19 months of Montgomery GI Bill benefits left, you will only get 19 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits and not the additional 12 months. That is just how it works.

As far as your best option to get your master’s degree, it most likely would be the Post 9/11 GI Bill and here’s why. As you know, graduate tuition is outrageously expensive. So if your can get your GI Bill to pick up that cost, it would benefit you greatly. Under the Chapter 30, it would pay you up to $1,648 per month, but you have to pay your own tuition, fees and books; you would have considerable out-of-pocket expenses.

However under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the VA would pay your tuition directly to your school. For a public school, that is at the resident rate at your tier percentage; for a private school it is up to $19,198.31 per year. And you would get a monthly housing allowance and a book stipend once per semester (until you reached your annual cap of $1,000).

By attending all online classes, your monthly housing allowance would be limited to a maximum of $714.50. And yes, by attending one class per semester that you can apply towards your degree plan at a local campus, you could get the full housing allowance authorized for the zip code of your local school. The book stipend calculates up to $41.67 per credit.


Privacy Policy | About Us | FAQ | Terms of Service | Disclaimers | Do Not Sell My Personal Information (CA and NV residents)

Copyright © 2023 EducationDynamics. All Rights Reserved.

This is a private website that is not affiliated with the U.S. government, U.S. Armed Forces or Department of Veteran Affairs. U.S. government agencies have not reviewed this information. This site is not connected with any government agency. If you would like to find more information about benefits offered by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, please visit the official U.S. government web site for veterans’ benefits at http://www.va.gov.

The sponsored schools featured on this site do not include all schools that accept GI Bill® funding or VA Benefits. To contact ArmyStudyGuide, email us.

Disclosure: EducationDynamics receives compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Schools” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”). So what does this mean for you? Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school.

This is an offer for educational opportunities that may lead to employment and not an offer for nor a guarantee of employment. Students should consult with a representative from the school they select to learn more about career opportunities in that field. Program outcomes vary according to each institution’s specific program curriculum. Financial aid may be available to those who qualify. The financial aid information on this site is for informational and research purposes only and is not an assurance of financial aid.

VFW $30,000 Scholarship!
Write an essay on the annual patriotic theme. This year’s theme is, “Why Is The Veteran Important?”

X