Undergraduate and graduate degrees
You can use GI Bill benefits for college as a Veteran, service member, or qualified dependent. Learn how we determine your payments for undergraduate and graduate degree courses at institutions of higher learning—like a community college, 4-year university, or graduate school.
How does VA determine my monthly payment rate?
If you’re using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits (Chapter 33)
We determine your monthly payment rate based on these factors:
- How many credits you’re taking each term (credit hours), and
- How long you served on active duty (your eligibility tier), and
- Your active duty status, and
- The location of your classes, and
- If your classes are in-person or online (distance learning), and
- The dates of your term
If you’re using other VA education benefits (Chapters 30, 1606, or 35)
For the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD), Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR), and Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA), we determine your monthly rate based on these factors:
- How many credits you’re taking each term (credit hours), and
- The dates of your term, and
- Your active duty status
You’ll get a set rate for what we consider to be full time, three-quarter time, half time, and less than half time:
- 12 or more credit hours is full time
- 9 to 11 credit hours is three-quarter time
- 6 to 8 credit hours is half time
If you’re taking fewer than 6 credit hours, we’ll reimburse you at a set rate that’s no more than the cost of your tuition and fees.
Check the current payment rates by benefit:
How much does VA cover for graduate-level programs?
We determine payments for graduate-level and undergraduate programs in the same way. The difference is that for graduate-level programs, we pay based on what the school reports for your rate of pursuit or training time. For example, if your school reports 9 credit hours as full time for your graduate program, we’ll pay you the full-time rate if you’re taking 9 credit hours.
Can I take courses at more than one school at a time?
You can take courses at more than one school under the GI Bill if you meet these requirements:
- The school granting your degree considers the courses at the second school to be required in order to get your degree, and
- The school granting your degree authorizes the second school to certify the courses to us
Can I use the GI Bill to pay for courses toward more than one degree?
Yes. After earning your first degree, you can use any GI Bill benefits you have left over to pay for courses for another degree.
You can also take courses for 2 separately approved degrees at the same school or within the same school system at the same time. This is called a dual degree program.