How to Use Your GI Bill

So you completed your service commitment with an Honorable Discharge and now you're thinking about going back to school - Great! While you were in, you made sure to buy into the Montgomery GI Bill and even did the extra $600 buy up. Even better! But now that you've got this great benefit, how in the world do you use it?

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• "Copy 4" of your DD Form 214
• Your Social Security Number

1. Verify that you are in fact eligible for education benefits. If you bought into the GI Bill during your first year and you received an Honorable Discharge, you probably are eligible. However, in some cases there may be extenuating circumstances so it never hurts to double check. You can get this information by contacting your Regional VA Office.
2. Decide on what your educational goals are and where you want to pursue them, then verify that your school or vocational program of choice will be approved by the VA. Once that has been established, go ahead and apply for admission.
3. Once you are enrolled in classes, determine which VA educational program you fall under and complete the appropriate form.
   
   If you entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985, you need to complete VA Form 22-1990. You can accomplish this by:
   
   * Filling it out in PDF format and printing off a hard copy
   Or
   * Logging on to the Veterans Online Application website.
4. Submit your form to the VA either by postal mail or online, along with "Copy 4" of your DD Form 214 (this page is also referred to as the "Member" copy).
   
   * If you choose to submit by post, you will need to make sure you send all documentation to the appropriate VA Regional Processing Office.
   
   * If you choose to submit electronically, you will need to print off the final page of your VA form and sign where it says "Signature of Applicant." This must be sent in to the appropriate VA Regional Processing Office along with "Copy 4" of your DD Form 214. Be sure to mark all pages with your social security number and the processing number you were assigned by the Veterans Online Application website (VONAPP).
5. Once you have submitted your application for education benefits, contact the veterans certifying official at your school and ask him or her to send the VA an enrollment certification form (VA Form 22-1999) on your behalf.
6. Wait for the Veterans Affairs office to process your application and notify you of your approval for benefits.
7. Every month you will need to contact the VA to provide verification of continued enrollment. You can do this by phone, or via the website link listed in the resources.
   
   The resources section includes links to accomplish every step listed in this tutorial.

Tips & Warnings

• Payments are made at the end of each month, so you will receive your payment early the following month (i.e. you will receive April's payment in early May).
• How much you paid in while enlisted will determine the maximum amount you can receive each month.
• If you plan to request an advance on your first VA payment, you will need to make sure that all forms arrive at the appropriate VA Regional Processing Office no later than 30 days before your classes are scheduled to start.