Your Veterans Benefits

The Montgomery GI Bill has different sets of eligibility requirements based on your active duty service. The benefits available under each category may vary depending on your particular situation and length of active service. You need to meet only one set of eligibility requirements to obtain benefits.

The basic requirements for eligibility under Chapter 30 are:

• Becoming a member of the armed forces after June 30, 1985.
• Contributing the amount required ($100/month).
• Receiving an honorable discharge.
• Receiving a high school diploma, GED certificate, or having completed 12 semester hours leading to a college degree prior to completing the initial obligated period of active duty, and completing your initial obligated period of active duty.

If you were separated from active duty for reasons that could be classified as "convenience of the government," you may be eligible for Chapter 30 benefits without meeting the length of service requirement.

Additional forms of eligibility include:

• Chapter 34/30 conversion.
• Chapter 32/30 conversion.
• Involuntary separation with an honorable discharge.
• Voluntary separation with VSI or SSB, and an honorable discharge.

Monthly payments under Chapter 30 will depend on time in service, which branch of service you were in, and the amount of hours taken each semester.

To be eligible under Chapter 31, you must receive or be entitled to receive compensation for a service-connected disability at a rating of 20% or greater. You must have been discharged or released from active duty under conditions other than dishonorable. The need and nature of vocational rehabilitation necessary to overcome your disabilities are determined by the DVA.

Generally, Chapter 31 expires 12 years following the date you were notified of your eligibility. That time frame may be extended at the discretion of the DVA. Benefits include payment of tuition, fees, books, supplies, and a monthly subsistence allowance.

In addition to Chapter 31 benefits, you may also want to consider vocational rehabilitation programs administered by the state of Iowa. You may contact the VAS for more information.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill became effective for training on or after August 1, 2009. The amount of support that an individual may qualify for depends on where they live and what type of degree they are pursuing.

Under this bill, you may receive:

• A tuition and fees payment (paid directly to the school) not to exceed the tuition and fees at the most expensive state Institution of Higher Learning (IHL).
• A monthly housing allowance based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents.
• An annual book stipend of $1,000 paid proportionately based on enrollment.
• A one-time rural benefit payment for eligible individuals.

Approved training under the Post-9/11 GI Bill includes graduate and undergraduate degrees, and vocational/technical training. All training programs must be offered by an institution of higher learning (IHL) and approved for GI Bill benefits. Additionally, tutorial assistance, and licensing and certification test reimbursement are approved under the Post- 9/11 GI Bill.

Note: If you participated in the $600 buy-up under the Montgomery GI Bill or REAP, you will not receive that additional benefit under the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Spouses and dependent children (ages 18-26) of deceased veterans or veterans who are 100% permanently and totally disabled are eligible, provided that the veterans death or disability was/is service connected.

Also included are the spouses and dependent children of service persons in cases where those service persons have been listed for more than 90 days, and who remain in one of the following three categories:

• Missing in action.
• Captured in the line of duty.
• Forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign power.

If you are an eligible child 18 years of age or older, or if you are under 18 and have graduated from high school, the DVA may begin your educational benefits. In addition, if you have not yet received your high school diploma, you may use your Chapter 35 benefits for courses leading to a high school diploma, a GED certificate, for deficiency or remedial training, or for refresher training. You may receive up to five months of such full-time training without any entitlement charge if you meet eligibility requirements.

You are entitled to 45 months of training, provided that you complete the training by the delimiting date.

In order to be eligible for Chapter 1606 benefits, you must:

• Commit to a six-year obligation after July 1, 1985 in the Selected Reserves or the National Guard.
• Complete your high school diploma or GED certificate.
• Complete your IADT (Initial Active Duty for Training).
• Be participating satisfactorily in the required training for your unit.

Your period of basic eligibility dates from the time you complete your requirements, and lasts for a period of 10 years. If you separate from the Selected Reserves or National Guard, your entitlement ends on the date of separation. If you separate as a result of a disability, you may remain eligible for the entire 10 years, even though you are not training.