Where Do I Put the Effective Date When Converting to the Post 9/11 GI Bill?
Q: When I go to the website to apply for Post 9/11 it doesn’t ask for an effective date. I do not want to run the risk of messing up and only getting to convert a few days left on my GI Bill. I have 1 month and 9 days left on my GI Bill and want to exhaust it then apply for Post 9/11….can anyone offer any thoughts or advice?
A: The effective date that you have to fill in is part of VA Form 22-1990 found on the eBenefits , but is not part of the actual website itself.
Once you are in the VA Form 22-1990 form, in Part II – Education Benefit Being Applied For, put a check in Block 9F. This is saying that you want to switch over to Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill.
Now go down 8 lines and you’ll see where it says “I elect to receive Chapter 33 education benefits in lieu of the education benefit checked below, effective _______.” For an effective date, put down a date that is a week or so after when you are sure you will have exhausted your Montgomery GI Bill benefits.
It really won’t make a difference as long as your date is after you have used up the last your MGIB benefits, because it’ll roll over to the Post 9/11 GI Bill the day after you are out of MGIB benefits. Then finish out Part II by checking the Chapter 30 Block. This is the GI Bill you are giving up (even though it doesn’t have any benefits left to use).
Once your switch is approved, your new Certificate of Eligibility will show that you have the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you have 12 additional months of benefits and an additional 5 years to use them.
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