If I Let My Montgomery GI Bill Expire, How Many Post 9/11 GI Bill Months Would I Get?
Q: My Montgomery GI Bill expires this August (10-year limit) and I also have eligibility under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. If I allow the Montgomery GI Bill to expire, how many months will I have under the Post 9/11 Bill? Will I lose all benefits if I do not ‘convert’ it now with Form 1922? I have 32 months remaining under the Montgomery GI Bill, and am not currently using it.
A: To answer your first question, you would get the same number of months of Post 9/11 GI Bill entitlement as you had left under the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) whether that GI Bill has expired or not, i.e. 32 months. The only way you could get the additional months is to first exhaust all 32 months of your MGIB and being you will hit your 10-year limit in 6 months, there is no way to expend all of your unused MGIB benefits before they expire.
Besides, in most cases, the Post 9/11 GI Bill is a better deal for you anyway. First, it has a 15-year shelf-life instead of 10 years so you have the additional time to use your GI Bill.
Second, it pays better. Under the MGIB, you would get $1,564 per month as a full-time student and you would have to pay your own education expenses – tuition, fees, books, etc.
If you use the Post 9/11 GI Bill, then the VA pays your tuition directly to your school and you get both the monthly housing allowance and book stipend. The latter is paid once per semester at the rate of $41.67 per credit. Just know there is a $1,000 annual cap on the book stipend. The housing allowance is based on the zip code of your school and the number of credits you take, but on average pays about $1,300 per month.
To convert to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, go to the eBenefits website and submit VA Form 22-1990 (not Form 1922 as you stated in your question.)
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