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

Can I Use the GI Bill If My Husband Was Active Duty and Is Still in the Reserves?


Q: Can I use the GI Bill if my husband was active duty and is still in the reserves? Also, if he retires while I am still in school, do the benefits cease? Thank you!

A: You pose an interesting question here, because there is confusion among Selected Reservists as far as which GI Bill expires when. The easy answer is the Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserves (MGIB-SR) expires 10 years from the Notice of Eligibility or if the member has served for more than 10 years, upon discharge. So once the servicemember is out of the Guard or Reserves, their GI Bill benefits expire. However, this GI Bill does not have a transfer benefit option to it.

The other two GI Bills, Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (MGIB-AD) and the Post 9/11 GI Bill both are good after retiring. The MGIB-AD has a 10-year delimitation date with the Post 9/11 GI Bill having a 15-year limit. The time clock on both GI Bills start on the date of the last discharge.

So the answer to your first question is yes – you can still use the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits he transferred to you while on active duty even if he is now in the Reserves. I know you have the Post 9/11 GI Bill because the MGIB-AD does not have a transfer option to it either.

The answer to your second question is no, the benefits you are using do not cease if he retires, however, you are held to the 15-year delimitation date just as he is if he were using the benefits.


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