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With the passing of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act-Forever GI Bill, changes are coming. See what changes may have an impact on your education benefits.

With the passing of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act - Forever GI Bill®, changes are coming. See what changes may have an impact on your education benefits.

Below are some of the changes.  For more information on all changes, please visit the VA's website at:  Forever GI Bill.

Effective immediately:

  • The 15-year time limitation to use Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits is eliminated for Veterans who left active duty on or after January 1, 2013.
  • Assistance for Students Affected by School Closures and Certain Disapprovals. VA is now authorized to restore benefits and provide relief to education beneficiaries affected by school closures or certain disapprovals.

Changes coming soon on or after August 1, 2018: 

  • Changes to Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA): DEA will decrease the amount of entitlement from 45 months to 36 months.  This change will apply to those individuals who enroll after August 1, 2018.
  • Consolidation of Benefit Levels under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program.  Eliminates the 40-percent benefit level and expands the 60-percent benefit level under the Post 9/11 GI Bill program due to the aggregate service period.
  • Purple Heart Recipients: Servicemembers and honorably discharged Veterans who were awarded a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001 will be entitled to Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits at the 100-percent benefit level for up to 36 months.

More Benefits for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Programs effective August 1, 2019

VA will provide up to nine months of additional Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to certain eligible individuals who:

  • have or will soon exhaust entitlement of Post-9/11 GI Bill program.
  • apply for assistance, and
  • are enrolled in a program of education leading to a post-secondary degree that, in accordance with the guidelines of the applicable regional or national accrediting agency, requires more than the standard 128 semester (or 192 quarter) credit hours for completion in a standard, undergraduate college degree in biological or biomedical science; physical science; science technologies or technicians; computer and information science and support services; mathematics or statistics; engineering; engineering technologies or an engineering-related field; a health profession or related program; a medical residency program; an agriculture science program or natural resources science program; or other subjects and fields identified by VA as meeting national needs.
  • has completed at least 60 standard semester (or 90 quarter) credit hours in a field listed above, or has earned a post-secondary degree in one of these fields and is enrolled in a program of education leading to a teaching certification.

Priority would be given to individuals who are entitled to 100 percent of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and to those that require the most credit hours.

VA can pay each eligible individual the benefits for up to nine additional months, but the total may not exceed $30,000. VA will not be authorized to issue any Yellow Ribbon payments.

These additional benefits cannot be transferred to dependents.

More Things to Know About the "Forever GI Bill"

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.