How Many Months of Benefits Will I Get If I Switch to the New GI Bill?
Q: I was in the Army for three years, and qualified for the GI Bill. Now I have already used some of my benefits to get a BA degree, but have 7 months left of benefits. My question is can I still switch to the new Post-9/11 GI Bill since I do qualify for it? Am I only going to be able to be paid for the remaining 7 months of my benefits under the new GI Bill?
Somebody told me that if I use up all my Old GI Bill benefits, and then apply for the new GI Bill, I would be given one year of full benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Is this true? Thank you for all the information you can provide.
A: Yes, you can switch to the New GI Bill at any time within your delimiting date. However, note that if you switch now, with 7 months of Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) benefits left, you will only get 7 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.
If you use up your MGIB benefits first, and then switch to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you can get the additional 12 months, but it may not be the full 100% benefit, like you referenced in your question. Which percentage you will get depends on how much active duty time you had after September 10, 2001. A minimum of 90-days of service will get you to the 40% level while three years or more will get you to the 100% level. Other periods of service between these two time-frames, will place you at a percentage somewhere between 40% and 100%.