Personnel Services Division

Field Support (PSC-PSD-FS)

All service members must have a minimum of 6 qualifying years of service and obligate 4 years from date of TEB request to transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill to their eligible dependents All eligible dependents must be enrolled in DEERS prior to requesting TEB. Only Purple Heart recipients are excluded from the 6/4 year time requirements. There is no maximum time in service requirement as long as the service member is eligible to obligate 4 additional years of service from date of TEB execution. All eligible dependents must be enrolled in DEERS prior to requesting TEB.

2. If I transfer my Chapter 33 Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Education Benefits to my eligible dependents, what is my obligated service requirement?

The transferability is not an entitlement of the service member and the Coast Guard will not automatically approve a Service member’s request to transfer their Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits. Any service member on or after August 1, 2009, who is entitled to the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill at the time of approval of his or her request to transfer that entitlement, may request to transfer that entitlement provided he or she has at least 6 years of military service on the date of election. The service member must agree to serve four additional years in the armed service. Eligibility does not guarantee approval.

3. What if I am unable to obtain the 4 year mandatory retainability requirement to transfer my education benefits to my eligible dependents?

Members who have not applied, must be eligible to be retained for 4 years from the date of election and not be precluded, prior to approval, by either standard policy (Service or DoD) or statute. Members unable to obtain the 4 year retainability requirement are ineligible to transfer their education benefits to their eligible dependents.

4. What if I am being medically separated or retired?

Members who have not applied for TEB, who are on limited duty or involved in a Medical Evaluation Board, Physical Evaluation Board (PEB), or Disability Evaluation System process must wait until the process is completed before applying. If found fir for duty, the Coast Guard will comply with the standard TEB application procedure.

Members who applied to TEB, but were denied due to insufficient retainability due to limited duty status or involvement in a Medical Evaluation Board, Physical Evaluation Board, or Disability Evaluation System process to request transferability again once they are fit for duty and commit to an additional 4-year service obligation. Members subsequently found fit for duty, but only after having accrued more than 16 years of total creditable service, will be allowed to apply to TEB again, provided the member applies to TEB within 90 days of being informed of the fit for duty determination.

5. How do I get started on using my Montgomery or Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits?

Applying is easy. Click here to begin your application process through VA.

6. Can I transfer my Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits to my spouse and children? What if I retired before putting them down as beneficiaries?

Those who meet the time in service requirements and apply for transfer of benefits while still on active duty can transfer Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits to spouses and dependents IAW DoDI 1341.13 and current policy at the time. However, dependents must be named and assigned at least 1 month of the benefits available prior to discharge. The transferred months can be changed at any time. Click here to transfer your Post-9/11 G.I. Bill education benefits to your dependents.

7. If I can't log on with a CAC or DOD logon, can I still transfer my benefits?

Yes. The easiest way to transfer benefit months to your dependent(s) is to create an account in eBenefits. eBenefits is a new portal created by the Department of Veterans Affairs to manage all of your VA claims, including the TEB after you retire. This website will be vital to you if you want to reallocate your months of entitlements to your dependents after you leave active duty. The best time to sign up for eBenefits is while on active duty, utilizing your Common Access Card (CAC) to obtain a personal login/password.

You may also use a surrogate transfer form as long as you are still on active duty. If the member is not on active duty, then they cannot transfer.

8. What is the age limit for me to transfer my Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Education Benefits to my children?

The DEERS eligible dependent child must be under the age of 23 to transfer Post-9/11 G.I. Benefits. If the service member is initially transferring benefits to a dependent child between 21-23 years of age, the dependent child must be a full time student at an accredited institution of higher learning. Dependent children will have until the day before their 26th birthday to exhaust their transferred benefits.

9. Can I transfer Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits to a Ward?

Service members cannot transfer benefits to a Ward. .

10. If I transferred my benefits while on active duty, can I reallocate or revoke the months of entitlement after I retire?

Yes, but only to a dependent or spouse you have already transferred at least one month of the entitlement to. You have to write a letter to the VA with your name and the names of the dependents and/or spouse. Include in the letter the social security numbers (including yours) and "spell out" how many months of entitlement you want each dependent and/or spouse to have.

11. After I transfer my benefits, what is the next step in the process for my dependents?

Each family member must first apply for a "Certificate of Eligibility" from the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) before they can use their transferred benefits. Once the DVA receives the request data and VA Form 22-1990e, they will be able to process your family members' requests to use their benefits. The application for the certificate of eligibility (VA Form 22-1990e) can be found through the Department of Veterans Affairs' website. 

12. What is a Certificate of Eligibility (COE)?

A letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs stating the individual requesting benefits is eligible for these benefits.

 13. How do I get a certificate of eligibility?

Complete an application for a certificate of eligibility by filling out an online application at: https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/apply.asp. Or you can complete a paper application and send it to the DVA for approval consideration. Service members must complete a VA Form 22-1990 and dependents must complete a VA Form 22-1990e. The COE will arrive within 4 – 6 weeks of submission, if approved.

14. Does prior Reserve time count toward the 6 years of service requirement?

Yes, when a service member integrates into active duty from SELRES, any Title 10, ADOS or call-up on active orders while SELRES count toward the 6 years of service required for Post-9/11 GI Bill TEB. Training time does not count toward this 6 year requirement.

15. If I have been rejected, can I reapply? If so, how soon after rejection can I reapply?

You can reapply if you have been rejected as soon as you meet the requirements to transfer benefits.

16. If I paid my $1200 into the Montgomery GI Bill and switched to the Post 9/11, will I get my $1200 back? If so, what are the guidelines?

Possibly.

If the service member is no longer a member of the Armed Service and you are the one to exhaust the final month of your Post 9/11 benefits, you will receive your MGIB payment in your last housing stipend check from the VA. You must be going to school and receiving a housing stipend to receive this refund. This reimbursement will be prorated if any MGIB benefits were used. No reimbursement will be received if a dependent uses the final month of Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits.

17. My dependent child will be going to school full time. Can you tell me how much he/she will receive for their housing stipend?

Defense travel BAH calculator

Enter the zip code of the degree granting institution and select E-5 pay grade. Click on the "Calculate" button and it will determine the monthly allowance that the student will receive. Students will receive E-5 "dependent" rate BAH. The student must be full time and take at least one in residence course per semester/term to receive the full housing stipend.

18. My wife and I are both in the military. We have a son and a daughter. She transferred her benefits to our son. When I went in milConnect to transfer my benefits to our daughter, I couldn't because our daughter is also under my wife in DEERS. Can I transfer my benefits to my daughter?

Yes, the easiest way for you to add the children is for you to take their birth certificates and social security cards to your local DEERS/RAPIDS office and have the children added under your DEERS account for "education" purposes only. Once added, you should be able to go into the TEB and transfer your benefits to your daughter.
Click here for milConnect.

19. My spouse and I do not have children yet. Assuming we have children in the future, can I transfer the benefits to my spouse now and then subsequently transfer the benefits to our children? Can this be accomplished even though we are both active duty military members?

Yes, if the service member is eligible and transfers education benefits to their spouse, they can transfer any portion of their education benefits to their spouse and reallocate these benefits to their children at a later date, as long as the Post-9/11 GI Bill TEB program is still available and the service member is still in the military service.

If you are both in the Armed Service, each of you must show as a dependent of the other in DEERS. If you are not shown as a dependent of the other in DEERS, you must take your marriage license and two forms of identification to your local DEERS/RAPIDS office and have your spouse added to your DEERS account. Once added, you will be able to transfer any portion of your education benefits to your spouse. If you are still a member of the military service and have a child, you can reallocate benefits to your child once they are added DEERS. This does not affect your prior obligated service requirement.

 20. If I transfer my benefits to my spouse prior to having 16 years in the military, can I transfer benefits to children we are planning to have in the future?

You cannot transfer benefits to a “future unborn” child but the service members can “reallocate” benefits from the spouse to the child once they are added to DEERS. This can only be accomplished while the individual is still a member of the military service.

21. What happens if I transfer benefits now but get out of the CG prior to fulfilling my four-year GI Bill obligation?

If the service member elects to leave the armed forces prior to fulfilling his/her obligated service requirement, they must revoke transfer of education benefits (TEB) to their dependents prior to OPM, EPM or RPM approving their request for separation/discharge/retirement.

 22. If I transfer my benefits to my spouse, do I have to transfer the benefits back to me before transferring to my child? Is there any obligated service associated with that?

No, there is no need to transfer your Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits back to you before "reallocating" the benefits to your child. As long as you "reduce" the amount that's transferred to your spouse to at minimum one month, you can reallocate as many months to your child as you wish; up to a maximum of 36 months transferred benefits. This is assuming no VA Education benefits were used prior to transfer. Once you have successfully reallocated the amount to your child, if you choose, you can then "revoke" the last month that you initially transferred to your spouse and reallocate that month to your child; for a total of 36 months to your child. This keeps you in the same initial TEB "contract" and you will not incur any additional obligated service associated with the "reallocation" of your benefits. ***Note*** This office recommends individuals to keep at least one month transferred benefit to each dependent, just in case you elect to reallocate months to your dependents after you leave the armed forces. If you do not have at least one month TEB on each dependent prior to your separation/discharge/retirement from the armed forces, you "CANNOT" allocate months to your dependents later.

 23. I am currently serving obligated service (payback tour for grad school). Does the four-year obligation run concurrently with my current obligated service, or is it cumulative (i.e. added once I complete my grad school obligated service)?

Post-9/11 GI Bill Transfer of Education Benefits obligated service requirement runs concurrently with other USCG obligated service requirements.

 24. I successfully transferred my education benefits to my dependents. I left the "End Date" blank so it will be determined by law. However, I notice that my "Obligation End Date" is listed in the system as 2019-03-04. How will this affect the education benefits in the system when that date comes?

Your “Obligation End Date” is the date that you must stay in the armed forces to complete the time requirement for transfer of benefits.

25. My ESO informed me that the TEB obligation end date resets every time I add a new dependent.  However, after adding my youngest son in January of this year, I see the obligation end date didn't change.   Is this accurate?

Yes, the “Obligation End Date” is associated with your initial TEB and not if/when you add months to a new dependent while in the armed forces. It does not change unless you revoke transfer of benefits to all of your dependents and then reapply for TEB at a later date. The new obligation end date will be 48 months from the date that you reapply for TEB.

26. I plan to RELAD into the SELRES. Will this affect my transfer of education benefits (TEB) to my dependents?

If you leave active duty and enter a drilling billet of the select reserve the very next day, it will not affect your TEB. If there is at minimum one day break in service, your TEB will be revoked and you must reapply for transfer. Your 48 month mandatory obligated service requirement will start with the new TEB application.

27. Can I use my Post-9/11 GI Bill for other vocational training, such as a trade school or to get my CPA?

Yes, the Post-9/11 GI Bill can be used for vocational training. For more information, please click here.

28. Am I entitled to a housing stipend from the Post-9/11 GI Bill if I am attending correspondence school or taking online classes?

If you are taking all classes online you are eligible for up to 50% of the national average housing stipend. If you are taking correspondence courses, special rules apply. To learn more about correspondence schools under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, please click here.

29. How do I check and see how many months of eligibility my dependents have used?

The easiest way is to create an account in eBenefits.  EBenefits is a new portal created by the Department of Veterans Affairs to manage all of your VA claims, including the TEB after you retire.  This website will be vital to you if you want to reallocate your months of entitlements to your dependants after you leave active duty. The best time to sign up for eBenefits is while on active duty, utilizing your Common Access Card (CAC) to obtain a personal login/password.  https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/

After you have created an eBenefits account, you can create an eBenefits account for your dependents. They can then go in their eBenefits account and see exactly how many months of transferred benefits they’ve used.

30. How do I revoke transfer of my Post-9/11 GI Bill Education benefits to my dependents?

You must go back into the DMDC milConnect Portal, https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/beneficiary/consent?continueToUrl=%2Fmilconnect%2Ffaces%2Fpages%2Fprivate_home.jspx and revoke your transfer (Return transfer months to zero, check the “revoke” box and hit submit). If any benefits were used, you will be placed in an overpayment status by the Department of Veteran Affairs. You are also required to complete the revocation memorandum on the PSD(FS) website, print, sign, date, or electronically sign the revocation memorandum and email or fax the completed form to reidus.stokes@uscg.mil.

31. What, if any, are the parameters for being relieved of my obligated service accompanying the transfer?

Parameters are listed in DoDI 1341.13 Post-9/11 GI Bill  

32. Is there an expiration of benefits for the Post-9/11 GI Bill?

Yes. In most cases, servicemembers, spouses and veterans who left the service before August 1, 2013 will need to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill within 15 years of their last discharge from the military. Service members/spouses who left the service after July 31, 2013 fall under the “Forever G.I. Bill” and do not have an expiration date to use their education benefits. Dependent children have to exhaust their transferred benefit before their 26th birthday.

 33. If I retire, can I still transfer my benefits?

No, you cannot. Enacted legislation (38 USC 3319) prohibits service members no longer on active duty from transferring of educational benefits. The legislation specifically states "an individual approved to transfer entitlement to educational assistance under this section may transfer such entitlement only while serving as a member of the armed forces when the transfer is executed."

There are no provisions at this time to allow individuals to transfer benefits once they are no longer members of the armed forces. Unless there is a future change to the enacted legislation, you will not be eligible to transfer educational benefits to your dependents after you retire.

34. I retired from the military before 2009, am I or are my dependents eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill?

Anyone who served at least 90 days on active duty after September 11, 2001, is eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Those who served less than 36 months since 9/11/2001 will receive a reduced benefit. Those who retired prior to August 1, 2009, are not eligible to transfer benefits to their dependents. For information on eligibility and transferability, please click here.

35. If the member dies will on active duty and does not transfer their education benefits, is the spouse/dependents still eligible for VA education entitlements?

Yes. The dependents are eligible for Survivor and Dependent Assistance Program. The spouse would be eligible for the Dependent Assistance Program.

36. I do not have dependents but I want to switch from the MGIB to the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill so I can use the benefits. How can I switch to the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill?

Applying is easy. Click here to begin your application process through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

You should receive a Letter of Eligibility from the DVA within 6 - 8 weeks.

37. I retired from the military before the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill was available. Do I have access to the benefit, and if not, is anything available to me?

Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are dependent on the length of service post-September 11, 2001. Veterans with a service-connected disability may also qualify for the VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program. The VOW to Hire Heroes Act also contains training benefits for unemployed veterans between the ages of 35 and 60. To learn more about eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and other VA educational programs, please click here. 

38. Can I use my Post-9/11 G.I. Bill to a get a pilot's license and does the school need to be a FAA Part 141 school? Will books and other materials be paid for under my benefit?

You cannot use your Post-9/11 GI Bill to pay for your initial private pilot’s license but you can use the Post-9/11 GI Bill for certain types of additional flight training. To learn more about the benefit, please click here.

39. What are the acceptable characters of service to be eligible for the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill?

The only acceptable Character of Service is Honorable.

40. Can I combine my Montgomery and Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits?

No. Service members and veterans are allowed to only use one education benefit program at a time. However, in some cases you may be able to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill when you have exhausted your Montgomery GI Bill. To learn more, please click here. 

41. If I am enrolled in an online-school, which benefit should I choose – Montgomery or Post-9/11 G.I. Bill?

For most students, the Post-9/11 GI Bill is more generous than the Montgomery GI Bill, but every student that qualifies for both should compare the benefits available through each before making a decision. For example, if you are studying strictly online you will see a 50% reduction in your Post-9/11 GI Bill living stipend.

Please note: If someone is eligible for both programs, the decision to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill is an irrevocable decision and the Montgomery GI Bill will no longer be available.

42. I transferred my Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Education benefits to my dependents in 2012. Since I am unable to use tuition assistance for my Master’s Program, I would like to use part of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits that I transferred to my dependents. What do I need to do for me to use part of my Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefit?

The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) uses two separate systems to track Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Transfer of Education Benefits. These two systems do not interact so you will need to:

#1: Go back into the TEB and reallocate the months transferred to your dependents to how many months that you want them to have.

https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/beneficiary/consent?continueToUrl=%2Fmilconnect%2Ffaces%2Fpages%2Fprivate_home.jspx

If you plan on "revoking" your transferred benefit (not recommended), you must return transfer months to zero and select the "revoke" option.

#2: Once you have reallocated, reduced or revoked transferred months to your dependent(s), you will also need to log into the DVA GI Bill Customer Help “Ask a Question” web application (https://gibill.custhelp.com/app/utils/login_form/redirect/ask).  Once logged in, inform the DVA that you have reallocated your benefits between your dependents. Let them know your name and the names of the dependents and/or spouse, informing them that you have reallocated your transfer months in the milConnect TEB web application. "Spell out" how many months of entitlement you want each dependent and/or spouse to have and ensure this match the months you’ve reallocated in the TEB. If you have “days” remaining (not a full month) let the DVA know which dependent you want the remaining days to go to. If you want the remaining un-transferred benefit months/days reverted back to you, let the DVA know.

43. The Coast Guard announced the Temporary Early Retirement Authorization (TERA) which authorizes early retirement for a limited number of eligible personnel prior to completing 20 years of service. If I request retirement by means of TERA, how will this affect my Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB)?

Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) is discretionary authority used as a voluntary comprehensive workforce shaping strategy. Member who have not met their military service obligation stemming from the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill transfer of benefits (TEB), must rescind their previously approved TEB request before OPM will make a final determination on a member's request for TERA. 

44. If I have completed multiple enlistments, my first enlistment was honorable, am I still entitled to the post 9-11 GI bill benefits even if one of my subsequent enlistments results in a general discharge?

The "service member" maintains his/her Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill Education entitlement for "themselves" as long as the honorable period of service covers 90 days - 48 months of Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill Education Benefit entitlement. The service member is "NOT" authorized to keep the Post-9/11 GI Bill Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) to his/her dependents unless they have completed "ALL" obligated service requirements for TEB and the entire TEB obligated service period was completed under an "Honorable" character of service. If any portion of the obligated period of service, completed or not, covered anything other than an "Honorable" period of service, the service member loses the transfer of education benefits to their dependent(s) and the service member and dependent will be placed in an overpay status by the Department of Veterans Affairs for any benefit used.

Mailing Address:

COMMANDER
PERSONNEL SERVICE CENTER

ATTN: PSC-PSD-FS
US COAST GUARD STOP 7200
2703 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR AVE SE
WASHINGTON DC  20593-7200