The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) is one of the most valuable benefits available to military members and veterans. It is often worth thousands of dollars in education benefits. To find out how much you can receive in monthly MGIB benefits, find the GI Bill rate table below that corresponds with your GI Bill program and the educational program you are attending.
The Department of Veterans Affairs reassesses the cost of tuition annually and updates the benefits GI Bill recipients receive. MGIB payments increase each year based on the consumer price index.
Each situation is unique, and these charts should only be used for reference. Contact the VA and your educational institution to determine your eligibility and the status of your benefits.
Table of Contents
- Montgomery GI Bill Benefits
- Montgomery GI Bill Monthly Rates: 2023-2024
- Montgomery GI Bill Training Rates (Three or More Years of Service)
- Montgomery GI Bill Training Rates (Fewer Than Three Years of Service)
- Montgomery GI Buy-Up Program: Add Up to $150 Per Month to Your GI Bill Payment
- How Does the VA Charge Your Training Against Your GI Bill Benefits?
- Montgomery GI Bill for Reserves
- Post-9/11 GI Bill Rates
- GI Bill Refunds
- Transfer GI Bill Benefits
- Use Your GI Bill Benefits
Montgomery GI Bill Benefits
The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB-AD/Chapter 30) is one of several GI Bill programs that members of the U.S. military may be eligible for. Other programs include the Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) and Post-9/11 GI Bill. We provide an overview of those programs, but we’ll focus on the MGIB.
Active-duty military members who bought into the MGIB are eligible for education benefits once they complete a minimum service obligation. You can use your MGIB benefits while you are on active duty or after you separate. However, if you are still on active duty, using tuition assistance benefits may be a better option, and you can save your GI Bill until after you leave military service.
Montgomery GI Bill Monthly Rates: 2023-2024
Eligible Montgomery GI Bill recipients receive monthly stipends while they are attending classes at a qualified training institution. The checks are payable to the student and not to the school. If you are using corporate education benefits to pay for your tuition, you may be able to save your MGIB payments or use them for other expenses.
Students who are on active-duty status will only be reimbursed for the actual costs of tuition and fees, according to the VA. Service members using military tuition assistance will receive MGIB payments only for the difference between the tuition assistance and the remaining tuition and fees.
The following payment rates for the Montgomery GI Bill are effective for fiscal year 2023, or from Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024.
Montgomery GI Bill Training Rates (Three or More Years of Service)
MGIB Institutional Training Rates
These are the MGIB rates for service members who served three years or more on active duty, according to the VA.
| Institutional Training Time | Monthly GI Bill Rate |
|---|---|
| Full time | $2,358 |
| ¾ time | $1,768.50 |
| ½ time | $1,179 |
| Less than ½ time more than ¼ time | $1,179** |
| ¼ time or less | $589.50** |
** Tuition and fees only. Payment cannot exceed the listed amount.
MGIB Rates for Apprenticeships and OJT
You can also use the MGIB for apprenticeships and on-the-job training. The following rates cover these types of training for veterans with three or more years of service.
| Apprenticeship and on-the-Job Training | Monthly GI Bill Rate |
|---|---|
| First six months of training | $1,768.50 |
| Second six months of training | $1,296.90 |
| Remaining pursuit of training | $825.30 |
Additional Notes About These MGIB Rates:
- Correspondence programs – 55% of the approved charges
- Flight school – 60% of the approved charges
Montgomery GI Bill Training Rates (Fewer Than Three Years of Service)
MGIB Institutional Training Rates
If you served fewer than three years, these MGIB rates apply:
| Institutional Training Time | Monthly GI Bill Rate |
|---|---|
| Full Time | $1,913 |
| ¾ Time | $1,434.75 |
| ½ Time | $956.50 |
| Less than ½ time, more than ¼ time | $956.50** |
| ¼ time or less | $478.25** |
** Tuition and fees only. Payment cannot exceed the listed amount.
MGIB Rates for Apprenticeships and OJT
If you served fewer than three years, these MGIB rates apply:
| Apprenticeship and On-Job Training | Monthly GI Bill Rate |
|---|---|
| First six months of training | $1,434.75 |
| Second six months of training | $1,052.15 |
| Remaining pursuit of training | $669.55 |
Additional Notes About These MGIB Rates
- Correspondence programs – 55% of the approved charges
- Flight school – 60% of the approved charges
Montgomery GI Buy-Up Program: Add Up to $150 Per Month to Your GI Bill Payment
The Montgomery GI Bill buy-up program allows members to “top up” their GI Bill by buying additional benefits in $20 increments, up to a total of $600. MGIB recipients then receive an additional stipend on their monthly GI Bill payment, valued at one-quarter of the amount they paid into the buy-up program for full-time attendance. Part-time students receive prorated rates.
MGIB Buy-up Rate Chart
The table below lists how much your monthly MGIB payments will increase if you participated in the buy-up program, according to the VA.
| If this amount paid | Add this amount to Full Time payment | Add this amount to ¾ time payment | Add this amount to ½ time payment | Add this amount to less than ½ time but more than ¼ time payment | Add this amount to ¼ time payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | $5 | $3.75 | $2.50 | $2.50 | $1.25 |
| $40 | $10 | $7.50 | $5 | $5 | $2.50 |
| $60 | $15 | $11.25 | $7.50 | $7.50 | $3.75 |
| $80 | $20 | $15 | $10 | $10 | $5 |
| $100 | $25 | $18.75 | $12.50 | $12.50 | $6.25 |
| $120 | $30 | $22.50 | $15 | $15 | $7.50 |
| $140 | $35 | $26.25 | $17.50 | $17.50 | $8.75 |
| $160 | $40 | $30 | $20 | $20 | $10 |
| $180 | $45 | $33.75 | $22.50 | $22.50 | $11.25 |
| $200 | $50 | $37.50 | $25 | $25 | $12.50 |
| $220 | $55 | $41.25 | $27.50 | $27.50 | $13.75 |
| $240 | $60 | $45 | $30 | $30 | $15 |
| $260 | $65 | $48.75 | $32.50 | $32.50 | $16.25 |
| $280 | $70 | $52.50 | $35 | $35 | $17.50 |
| $300 | $75 | $56.25 | $37.50 | $37.50 | $18.75 |
| $320 | $80 | $60 | $40 | $40 | $20 |
| $340 | $85 | $63.75 | $42.50 | $42.50 | $21.25 |
| $360 | $90 | $67.50 | $45 | $45 | $22.50 |
| $380 | $95 | $71.25 | $47.50 | $47.50 | $23.75 |
| $400 | $100 | $75 | $50 | $50 | $25 |
| $420 | $105 | $78.75 | $52.50 | $52.50 | $26.25 |
| $440 | $110 | $82.50 | $55 | $55 | $27.50 |
| $460 | $115 | $86.25 | $57.50 | $57.50 | $28.75 |
| $480 | $120 | $90 | $60 | $60 | $30 |
| $500 | $125 | $93.75 | $62.50 | $62.50 | $31.25 |
| $520 | $130 | $97.50 | $65 | $65 | $32.50 |
| $540 | $135 | $101.25 | $67.50 | $67.50 | $33.75 |
| $560 | $140 | $105 | $70 | $70 | $35 |
| $580 | $145 | $108.75 | $72.50 | $72.50 | $36.25 |
| $600 | $150 | $112.50 | $75 | $75 | $37.50 |
How Does the VA Charge Your Training Against Your GI Bill Benefits?
The VA calculates entitlement in days and months – each month is counted as 30 days – and charges you one full day of entitlement for each day of full-time benefits you receive. If you train part-time, the VA will adjust the entitlement charge according to your training time.
For example, if you receive full-time benefits for 12 months, the charge is 12 months of entitlement. If you receive half-time benefits for 12 months, the charge is six months.
For correspondence, flight training, accelerated payments for high-cost, high-technology courses and tests for licenses or certifications, determine the entitlement charge by dividing the amount you received by your MGIB monthly rate for full-time training.
Montgomery GI Bill for Reserves
The above-listed rates are for members of the active-duty Montgomery GI Bill program (Chapter 30). You can find the current rates for the Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR/Chapter 1606) on the VA website.
Post-9/11 GI Bill Rates
Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits cover tuition and fees for in-state students at public institutions of higher learning. Non-resident students who pay higher fees may be eligible for benefits under the Yellow Ribbon program. Students can attend private or foreign schools; however, a tuition cap applies. The VA makes tuition payments directly to the educational institution. Recipients may also be eligible to receive a monthly housing allowance based on the basic allowance for housing rates of an E-5 with dependents, a book stipend and more. The ZIP code of the school the recipient is attending determines the MHA rate.
GI Bill Refunds
You may qualify to get a Montgomery GI Bill refund in limited circumstances. You must be eligible for both the MGIB and the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and you must exhaust your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits first.
Transfer GI Bill Benefits
Service members who qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill may be eligible to transfer their benefits to family members. You must agree to extend your service in the military.
- This option is only available for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and is not available for the Montgomery GI Bill.
- You cannot transfer GI Bill benefits once you separate or retire from the military.
Use Your GI Bill Benefits
Some GI Bill benefits last forever, but only if you qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and were discharged on or after Jan. 1, 2013. MGIB benefits expire 10 years after your last separation from active-duty status. If you were discharged before Jan. 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are good for 15 years after you separate.
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Megan Wallace says
I am Active Duty military and I was wondering when do you get the money for the Montgomery GI Bill, I have received the letters in the mail stating the amount that I will receive for the month but I am about a month into class and haven’t relieved the money for the class.