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

Can I Add More Money to My Montgomery GI Bill?


Q: I was wondering if I can add more money to my MGIB benefits, because I have about 11 months left, and I will be able to physically go to school starting this fall. However, I prefer to switch to the Post 9/11 so I can use the housing stipend when I relocate for new school. Is that possible?

A: If you are still serving, the military does have such a program where you can add more money to your Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) – it’s called the Buy-Up program. You can contribute anywhere from $5.00 up to $600.00, however, the monthly increase to your MGIB will be proportionate to the amount you contribute. If you kick in the full $600, you would get a $5,400 boost in education benefits. The part I don’t know is if you can contribute to this program with only 11 months of your MGIB left.

And if you can, don’t do it if you are considering changing to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, because the Buy-Up program cannot be used with the New GI Bill, so you would lose whatever amount of money you put into it.

Just so you know, if you switch with 11 MGIB months left, that is all you will get under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. However, if you first exhaust those 11 months and then switch, you will get an additional 12 months of benefits.

You will have to work the numbers, but you may be better off using your 11 MGIB months and then switching to capture the additional 1 year of 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