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

As an Army Soldier, When Do I Qualify for the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill?


Q: I join the National Guard, on June 2005, and use the GI Bill for my last two years of college, it was only $300 monthly approx. Now I’m serving in the Active Army since 2008 and I want to go back to college again for my Masters. Do I qualify for the Active 2009 GI Bill?

A: Yes, you do qualify for the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, but with less than 2 years of Army active duty, you will not get the full benefit. Two years of service puts you at the 80% tier; the full benefit comes with 36 months of service.

I believe a better plan would be to

  • use Tuition Assistance (TA) instead of your G.I. Bill to work on your master’s degree. Then use Tuition Top-up to cover some of what TA doesn’t cover. The Top-up comes out of your G.I. Bill benefits and would reduce the amount you would have to pay out-of-pocket, or;
  • wait for another year until you get the full Post 9/11 G.I. Bill benefit. Once you get the full benefit, then you may be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon program.

Colleges in the Yellow Ribbon program agree to pay up to half of the tuition not covered by the G.I. bill and the VA pays an equal amount. While most Yellow Ribbon schools primarily apply to undergraduate programs students, many schools also pay their agreed-upon portion for graduate study programs also.


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