About GIBILLGI Bill

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The GI Bill is designed to assist Soldiers and Veterans with paying education expenses and providing job training skills.  Unlike federal tuition assistance and the state tuition reimbursement program, the GI Bill pays a check that goes directly to you, providing the flexibility for you to decide where it's needed most.  For Soldiers who are currently serving in the Texas Army National Guard, the GI Bill is an added bonus in addition to their monthly drill pay.   

Many Soldiers and Veterans are eligible for more than one Chapter of GI Bill benefits.  Soldiers who are new to the Guard are initially eligible for only the CH 1606.    

A side-by-side comparison below shows a quick overview of current GI Bill chapters.  If you've been serving in the military for awhile and aren't sure which GI Bill chapter you qualify for, contact the Texas Army National Guard Education Center at (512) 782-5155 or the ARNG GI Bill Support Team at (866) 628-5999.  They will be able to provide you with the answers you're looking for. 

Once you know the chapters that you qualify for, you might want to print these side-by-side comparisons, which will help you understand these benefits better. 

Extensive information on all GI Bills is available at the GI Bill Web Site | The Home for All Educational Benefits Provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and should be reviewed thoroughly.  

When you are ready to start drawing your GI Bill benefits, print and follow the steps on the How to Apply Guide.  Please read through the Facts & FAQs before applying.

Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Soldiers take note- while on AGR, GI Bill benefits are suspended, except for TOP UP.  TOP UP allows AGR Soldiers to receive GI Bill benefits to pay the difference between the cost of tuition and fees, and what federal tuition assistance covers. For example, if tuition and fees are $3,000 and federal tuition assistance may only cover $2,000, AGR Service Members can use Top Up to pay the remaining $1,000. 

Top Up is elected through GoArmyEd when applying for TA. 

GI Bill FAQs for current Soldiers and Veterans

YES. Texas Army National Guard Soldiers may use TA and the state tuition reimbursement program (STRP) with any GI Bill.  The only Soldiers who would not benefit from using TA or STRP with GI Bill are Soldiers who qualify for 100% of the CH 33 GI Bill.

YES.  Soldiers who have more than one GI Bill receive an additional 12 months of full-time benefits for a total of 48 months.  Soldiers may use up to 36 months of one GI Bill chapter and they may use the additional 12 months on a different chapter.  Soldiers are not eligible to use more than one chapter of GI Bill benefits at the same time.

The only transferable benefit is the Post 9/11 Chapter 33 GI Bill.

NO. Once a Soldier retires, they are not eligible to transfer benefits to dependents. There are no exceptions. An Exception to Policy will not be considered.  Soldiers must transfer benefits prior to leaving the military. There will be a 4 year service requirement after benefits are transfered.

YES. In order to transfer your CH 33 GI Bill benefits to a spouse or child, you must first complete a minimum of 6 years of service. In addition, 4 years of service will be required AFTER benefits are transferred.

As of 20130801: ALL SOLDIERS WILL INCURE A 4 YEAR SERVICE OBLIGATION upon transferring their CH 33 GI Bill benefits; this means that regardless of how many years of service a Soldier has completed (6 years or 36 years), the Soldier will incur an additional 4 year service obligation from the date of transfer.  Soldiers who are barred from extending due to retirement or being involuntarily separated through the enlisted qualification board (EQRB) should complete the transferability application online regardless.  Upon receipt, the application will be processed on a case-by-case basis.

  • Spouses of Soldiers who are on active guard reserve (AGR) are not eligible to receive the housing stipend.  AGR children are eligible to receive the housing stipend.
  • Spouses of traditional drilling Soldiers and Soldiers who are on active duty operation support (ADOS) orders may receive the housing stipend. 

There is ONE STEP for the Service Member to complete. Print step 1 here:

Essentials for a Successful Post 9/11 CH 33 Transfer

If you have any problems accessing the required Statement of Understanding on the website, you can print it here:  SOU in PDF  or   SOU in Fillable Format 

Once the transfer has been approved, your spouse/ child will need to complete step 2.  Print step 2 here:  

Application Instructions For Family Members to Start Receiving Benefits

  • Submitting through VONAPP 
           When applying for GI Bill benefits, you have the option to upload qualifying documents (DD214s).

  • You may also submit a question at the VA website.  Note, if you have never submitted a question before you will have to register first. In the question you can state you would like an evaluation of your qualifying percentage and upload your documents for review.

  • Or mail them to:
           VA Regional Office

    PO Box 8888

    Muskogee, OK   74402-8888

Soldiers who are eligible for CH 33 GI Bill may choose to use the benefit to pay for books only, which are not covered by TA.  If a Soldier elects to use CH 33 for books only, the Soldier MUST specify this with the school and VA by requesting that the school submit an enrollment certification to VA with the necessary information.  When an individual only receives a books and supply payment, VA will make an entitlement charge of 1 day for every $41.67 paid, with any remaining amount rounded to the nearest amount evenly divisible by $41.67 (FY2012).  This option enables Soldiers to receive benefits to pay for books while preserving benefits for future use or transferability.