VA to Accept New GI Bill Applications May 1
April 23, 2009

By Terry Howell

News from the Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill Website:

"Starting May 1, 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs will begin accepting applications for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The application form is available online."

"The form requires that individuals currently eligible for another education benefit make an irrevocable election from their existing program to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Typically individuals who are eligible for more than one benefit may use a combined total of 48 months of entitlement. Therefore, for those individuals eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) program, please be advised that if you have entitlement remaining under the MGIB, the number of months of Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement you will be eligible for will be equal to the number of months remaining under MGIB. However, if you exhaust all of your MGIB entitlement, then you may be entitled to a maximum of 12 additional months of entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill."

"Starting May 1, 2009 VA will begin processing applications for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and you will receive a letter explaining VA’s decision regarding your eligibility for the program. Payments for the Post-9/11 GI Bill will not be processed until August 1, 2009."

"Click here to access the application form which includes instructions for submitting completed applications."

FYI - Those of us using our Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) who do not plan to switch to the Post-9/11 GI Bill will not be required to submit a new application (VA-22-1990 or 22-1995).