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 1 school at a time?
You can take courses at more than 1 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 1 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.