To be eligible to transfer Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits a Soldier must meet three requirements:
1. Be eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill (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).
2. Have at least 6 years of military service when the request to transfer benefits is submitted; all military service counts towards the six year requirement except time in the Individual Ready Reserves.
3. Not have an adverse action flag.
If all three requirements are met, a Soldier is eligible to submit a request to transfer benefits.
Soldiers who transfer benefits incur an additional service obligation in accordance with the following rules:
| Rule | Years of Service When Request is Submitted | Additional Service Obligation |
| 1 | At least six years but less than 10 years | Four years from the date the request was submitted. |
| 2 | 10 or more years | Four years or up to Retention Control Point or Mandatory Retirement date from the date the request was submitted, whichever is less. |
From 1 August 2009 until 1 August 2013, the below temporary rules for additional service obligation apply. Years of service for the temporary rules is always based on length of service as of 1 August 2009 regardless of when the request to transfer is submitted.
| Rule | Years of Service as of 1 Aug 2009 | Additional Service Obligation |
| 3 | 20 or more years | No additional service obligation. |
| 4 | Approved retirement with a date from 1 September 2009 through 1 June 2010 | No additional service obligation. |
| 5 | 19 but less than 20 years | One year of service from the date the request was submitted. |
| 6 | 18 but less than 19 years | Two years of service from the date the request was submitted. |
| 7 | 17 but less than 18 years | Three years of service from the date the request was submitted. |
Eligible dependents are spouse and dependent children who are enrolled in DEERS and eligible for benefits under DEERS on the date the request to transfer is submitted. Dependents of dual military couple have to be sponsored by one Soldier but registered under both Soldiers.
Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill you may receive:
- a tuition & fees payment (paid directly to the school) not to exceed the tuition & fees at the most expensive state Institution of Higher Learning (IHL)
For a listing of the maximum tuition & fees for each state click here - a monthly housing allowance based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. This amount is based on the ZIP code of the location of the school you are attending. For those attending foreign schools (schools without a main campus in the U.S.) the BAH rate is fixed at $1,333.00 for 2009.
To determine the BAH for your ZIP code click here (link goes to a non-VA website) - an annual book stipend of $1,000 paid proportionately based on enrollment
- you may also receive a one-time rural benefit payment of $500.00 if you reside in a county with 6 persons or less per square mile (as determined by the most recent decennial census) and:
- either physically relocate at least 500 miles to attend an educational institution or
- travel by air to physically attend an educational institution if no other land-based transportation exists
Stay tuned for a guide on how to fill transfer your GI Bill benefits to your spouse or children online.
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I am checking the website to transfer my GI bill to my 19 year old son and it is greyed out which means he is not enrolled in deers for benifits, however he is in deers and gets benifits as he lives at home and is going to Ohio University now. I am not flagged for any reason at this time that I am aware of so what can I do to get him eligible in deers so I can transfer my GI Bill
Regards,
Sgt Darrell Huber
Iraq