In My Situation, Can I Give My Wife My Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits?
Q: Sir, I served 4 years from 2002-2006. I got out of the Air Force and began to use my GI Bill. I was under, I think, Chapter 30 at first and then switched over to the Post 9/11. I just recently re-enlisted in the Air Force this past March (2012) for 4 more years. I still have some of my GI Bill left and am interested in signing it over to my wife. Is it true I need to have already served 6 years to do that? Also, I understand there is a way to get the $1200 I invested in the GI Bill back since they no longer charge that. Is that true as well? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
A: Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill transfer-of-benefits-to-dependent rules, yes you have to have served for at least six years of which three of those years had to be after September 10, 2001. So you meet the three-year requirement to qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, but you don’t yet meet the six-year requirement to qualify for the transfer of benefits option.
Once you have served for at least two more years, and have at least four years left on your enlistment at the time of your transfer request, then you can go to the milConnect website and apply for a transfer of benefits by entering into your wife’s record how many months you would like to transfer to her.
Keep checking back at the website periodically and look for a Status change to “Approved”. It can take 8 to 1-0 weeks for the status to be approved.
Once that happens, then she can go to the eBenefits website and submit VA Form 22-1990e to get her Certificate of Eligibility that she will need when enrolling in school as a student using transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.