What Are All the Possible Ways the GI Bills Can Expire?
Q: When it comes to the GI Bill, what are all the possible ways the GI Bill can expire? If it was used at one point, but not all, is it still transferable? I would like to know all the options or situations when it can be expired.
A: First we have to break it down into the individual GI Bills. Generally speaking, a GI Bill will expire in one of two ways. Either you will run out of months of benefits from using it or hit your delimiting date. Here is a run-down on both from the three major GI Bills:
- Post 9/11 GI Bill;
- 36 months of benefits.
- 15-year delimiting date.
- Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty;
- Up to 36 months of benefit, depending on the amount of time served.
- 10-year delimiting date.
- Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserves:
- 36 months of benefits.
- 10-year delimiting date, as long as the servicemember remains member of a Selected Reserve component – once discharged, the benefit expires.
If a servicemember qualifies for both the MGIB-AD and the Post 9/11 GI Bills, under the Rule of 48, he or she is limited to a maximum of 48 months of combined benefits. The way to keep your MGIB-AD benefits from expiring, due to running out of months of benefits, is to first exhaust your Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB-AD), then switch over to the Post 9/11 GI Bill. It also extends out your delimiting date from 10 years to 15 years.
With any of the GI Bills, your delimiting date is based upon your discharge date. If you get re-called to active duty service, it will extend out your delimiting date from your new discharge date.
In regard to the transferability part, the Post 9/11 GI Bill is the only one having a transfer option. You can only transfer up to the number of months of benefit you have left, but you have to make the transfer while you are still serving. After you are discharged, it is too late. Well I think that about covers all the ways that I can think of.
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