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

Could My Husband Transfer His Post 9/11 GI Bill to Me With Less Than Four Year Left on His Enlistment?


Q: My husband has 12 years of service as an active duty Marine. He plans to do “at least” 20 years in the Marine Corps. He would like for me to use his Post 911 GI Bill to complete my Master’s degree. He is currently half-way through a 4-year enlistment and is not eligible to reenlist for another year. Do I have to postpone taking advantage of this benefit for a whole year since he doesn’t have a 4-year enlistment currently? He was not told about this when he reenlisted 2 years ago. He also has a “letter of intent to reenlist” signed by his CO. His command is fully aware that he is a career Marine and has every intention to reenlist. They are even “grooming” him for a 1stSgt position. I had read that if a service member does not complete the 4 year enlistment after taking advantage of these benefits they may be liable for repaying the costs of tuition etc. Why would that not also be the case in our situation? Any additional information or assistance you can offer would be very much appreciated.

A: Unfortunately rules are rules and one of the stipulations is that he has to have at least four years left on his enlistment at the time of his transfer request. The other two are currently serving and having served for at least six years – both of which he meets and exceeds.

In the end you most likely would have to wait until his reenlistment window opens up and he can extend. Usually letters of intent to reenlist and even his career focus do not meet the rules of having at least four years left on his enlistment at the time of his transfer request.

What usually happens in the case of not fulfilling a four-year commitment as part of a transfer of benefits is that the recipient loses whatever remaining unused portion of their entitlement that they have left. The VA usually does not go after reimbursement, but cancels further Post 9/11 GI Bill use of transferred benefits.

That could be the case in your situation, but the VA is most likely not going to put you into that situation until he has at least a four-year enlistment remaining at the time he make his transfer of benefits request.

I know you want to get started to work on your master’s degree, but most likely you are going to have to wait.


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