How long does it take for GI Bill BAH to kick in?
It takes about four to six weeks to process benefits, so start the application process two to three months before you plan on going to school or beginning your apprenticeship program. However, it is not recommended to use GI Bill benefits while on active duty because there are limitations.
When will I get my first GI Bill payment? If you signed up for direct deposit when you applied for education benefits, we'll deposit your payment into your bank account 7 to 10 business days after you verify your school enrollment. This is the fastest way to receive your payment.
Step One: Go to the VA's VETS.GOV website and follow instructions and prompts.. Step Two: Wait for VA to process your application and notify you of its decision concerning your eligibility for education benefits. You should receive Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in approximately 30 days depending on the VA's backlog.
The amount is prorated based upon rate of pursuit, rounded to the nearest multiple of 10. If a student is training at a rate of pursuit of 75%, he/she would receive 80% of the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rate.
The VA can take up to 4-6 weeks to process a certification. You should receive notification through your eBenefits portal when hours or tuition/fee amounts are submitted to the VA.
Your monthly pay is automatically split in half and distributed twice a month. Use the military pay charts below for a sample of service members' 2024 active-duty pay rates.
| State | MHA_NAME | MHA Rate |
|---|---|---|
| CA | LOS ANGELES | $3,531 |
| CA | SAN DIEGO | $3,792 |
| CA | MONTEREY | $3,039 |
| CA | RIVERSIDE | $3,114 |
You'll need to request a copy of your education decision letter by mail to check your GI Bill benefit status. And you must have 1 of these free accounts: A verified Login.gov account, or. A verified ID.me account, or.
How payments work. Your payments will be sent to the bank account you set up for direct deposit with the VA. You will be paid at the end of each month.
GI Bill Payment Dates: The Basics
First-time users should expect delays as it takes about a full month to receive and process new applications for benefits and in cases where the VA must verify the applicant's military service there may be delays not applicable to other applications.
How long does BAH usually take to kick in?
However, it takes somewhere between 3 weeks to 5 weeks. If a service member experiences a delay in receiving their BAH, they should contact their finance or personnel office to determine the cause of the delay and work to resolve any issues or discrepancies as quickly as possible.
A student can receive the full housing rate by attending one “brick and mortar'' class where he or she physically attends. The housing allowance for attending a foreign school is based on the average of the BAH rates payable for an E-5 with dependents in the continental U.S. (currently $1,368 per month).
You can use the GI Bill for independent and distance learning online. If you're using your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits while taking only distance-learning courses, we'll pay a housing allowance based on 50% of the national average.
The time it takes to review your claim depends on these factors: The type of claim you filed. How many injuries or disabilities you claimed and how complex they are. How long it takes us to collect the evidence we need to decide your claim.
Reach out to the VA's Education Case Manager at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) to request a replacement of your check. This can take up to 6 weeks to process, as the VA needs to verify that they have released your payment and that you were not able to receive it, then issue you another one.
GI Bill housing payment dates are typically paid for the first week of the month after the month you enrolled. GI Bill housing payments go to the student and are different from GI Bill payments which are sent directly to the school.
It depends on whether or not you have legal and physical custody of your children, pay child support, and/or live in single-type Government quarters. If you have legal and physical custody of your children, then you are authorized BAH at the with-dependent rate if not assigned adequate family-type Government quarters.
Eligibility for 100% of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
You're eligible for 100% of the full benefit if you meet at least 1 of these requirements: You served on active duty for a total of at least 1,095 days (at least 36 months), or. You served on active duty and received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, or.
We receive a lot of questions about using education income to qualify for a VA home loan. Unfortunately, the answer is usually disappointing. You cannot use GI Bill income toward your VA loan application.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill also pays a monthly housing allowance based on the ZIP code of the location of the school or campus where you attend the majority of your classes. This stipend currently averages $1,934.80 a month but can exceed $2,700 depending on where you go to school.
Who qualifies for the forever GI Bill?
If you have at least 90 days of aggregate active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001 and are still on active duty, or if you are an honorably discharged veteran or were discharged with a service- connected disability after 30 days, you may be eligible for this VA-administered program.
For many eligible participants, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® is a better solution than other education benefit programs, such as the Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty, Montgomery GI Bill® - Selected Reserve and the Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP).
- Payments to help get vocational or technical training and non-college degrees.
- Veterans technology education courses (VET TEC)
- On-the-job training and apprenticeships.
- Entrepreneurship training.
- Flight training.
- Test fees.
In most cases, the answer is no, you cannot get a refund for your GI Bill. But some veterans may be eligible to receive a Montgomery GI Bill refund once they have used their entire Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit.
So, which GI Bill is better? In most scenarios, the Post-9/11 GI Bill offers veteran students more financial assistance than the MGIB, especially when pursuing a standard, four-year degree at an accredited higher learning institution or passing your benefits to a dependent.
