Introduction
There are two education benefit programs, introduced by the U.S. Government for U.S. military service members and veterans, Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) and Post 911 Bill. These bills have changed the way education is received by ordinary citizens and military members alike. While both of them serve the same purpose, they differ in eligibility criteria, methods of payment, types of programs covered, and benefits offered. Therefore, it is important to understand the difference between the two, so that people can make the best use of them and choose the right opportunity.
MGIB vs Post 911
The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) helps eligible veterans and military service members with 36 months of education benefits, for programs like, college, technical or vocational school, on-the-job training, correspondence courses and flight training. Veterans or military service members are required to work for at least 2 years of active duty service, after which they get a predetermined amount based on their type of internship, schooling or training.
In contrast, the Post 911 bill, established after the events of September 11, 2001 states that, those who were at service on or after 11 September 2001 can avail a certain percentage of benefits depending on the length of service. For partial eligibility, 90 days of active duty service after September 11 is required and after 36 months of active duty, full eligibility is granted. Post 911 bill is beneficial for booking stipends up to $1000, a monthly housing allowance and a one-time relocation payment.
Though both MGIB and Post 911 bills provide benefits to veterans, it is necessary to understand them clearly.
Difference Between MGIB and Post 911 in Tabular Form
| Parameters of Comparison | Montgomery GI Bill | Post 911 |
| Eligibility | Military service members and veterans require 2 years of active duty service. They are also required to pay $1,200 during their first year of service to be eligible. | Beneficiaries receive a percentage of the full benefit depending on the length of service. At least 90 days of active duty after September 11, 2001, to be eligible partially and 36 months of service to be fully eligible. |
| Duration of benefits | Beneficiaries receive up to 36 months of assistance. | Along with 36 months of assistance, some beneficiaries also get the option to transfer these benefits to their dependents. |
| Benefits | A fixed monthly amount based on the type of schooling, internships or training, is provided to the beneficiaries. Both full-time and part-time students are eligible to apply for this program. The rate of the amount can vary annually. | It provides benefits corresponding to the length of service since 11 September 2001. It covers direct tuition and fees remittance to the institution, provides Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) on the basis of the school’s zip code, and book stipends. |
| Expiration period | Beneficiaries can make use of the benefits within 10 years of the last discharge from the service or release from active duty. | For the members who left service before January 1, 2013, the benefits will expire 15 years after release from active service.If the service ended on or after January 1, 2013, the benefits will not expire and can be used throughout life. It is in accordance with a law called Forever GI Bill- Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act. |
| Programs involved | It can be used for various college degrees, vocational or technical courses, flight training, apprenticeships, and more. | In addition, to the courses involved in MGIB, Post 911 Bill also provides assistance to nontraditional training like on-the-job training and correspondence courses. |
| Additional benefit | It does not include any additional benefit or program. | It includes an additional program for suitable service members or veterans, known as the Yellow Ribbon Program. According to this program, beneficiaries attending higher out-of-state, private school, foreign school or graduate school can have a portion of their tuition and fees paid, given their school offers Yellow Ribbon Program and they enroll in the same. |
| Kicker bonus | MGIB does not include the option of a kicker bonus. | It includes the option of a kicker bonus which can be added to the Monthly Housing Allowance. |
What is Montgomery GI Bill?
The Montgomery GI Bill introduced by the American Government, provides up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible service members and veterans for programs such as college degrees, technical or vocational courses, apprenticeships, flight training, licensing and certification exams, high-tech accelerated training, and more. Beneficiaries can make use of benefits within 10 years of the last discharge from the service or release from active duty. According to this bill, a fixed monthly amount based on the type of schooling, internships or training, is provided to the beneficiaries. The amount received depends on the length of service, the type of education or training program and different categories. It requires members to pay $1,200 during their first year of service. The bill provides over $79,000 in dollars and numerous additional support programs.
There are two types of Montgomery GI Bill:
- Montgomery GI Bill- Active Duty (MGIB-AD) - Service members and veterans who served at least 2 years on active duty and were honorably discharged are eligible for this program. It helps to pay for education and training programs. Beneficiaries receive a monthly amount for different programs like college degrees, technical or vocational courses, flight training and more. The amount received is determined by the length of service. In some cases, MGIB-AD can help with remedial, deficiency and refresher courses. Different percentages are offered for different types of programs and the length of enrolment.
It provides up to 36 months of educational benefits that can be used for degree and certificate programs. Students receive their Veterans Affairs (VA) benefit payments on or after the first of the month following the month payment is unpaid.
- Montgomery GI Bill- Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) – it offers up to 36 months of education and training benefits to the members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coastal Guard Reserve, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard. The eligibility requirements to avail of this benefit are:
- 6-year service obligation in the Selected Reserve, or
- An officer in the Selected Reserve, is obliged to serve 6 years in addition to the initial service obligation.
The obligation in either of the two cases must have started after June 30, 1985, and for some types of training after September 30, 1990. In addition to this criterion, Initial Active Duty for Training (IADT) must also be completed. Similar to MGIB-AD, beneficiaries can use the benefits for college degrees, technical or vocational courses, flight training and more. In some cases, MGIB-SR can also help with remedial, deficiency and refresher courses.
What is Post 911 Bill?
Introduced in response to the events of September 11, 2001, the Post GI Bill helps with the disbursement of school and job training. It states that if one has served on active duty after September 10, 2001, then they are qualified for this benefit. The eligibility criteria states that, if one has served at least 90 days on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, or served for at least 30 days continuously with no breaks in service and were honorably discharged with a disability related to the service, then they are eligible for this education benefit. Members of the Reserves who lost their benefits due to the end of the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) in November 2015 are also eligible for restored benefits.
It covers the full cost of public, in-state tuition and fees for those who qualify for the maximum benefit. Beneficiaries receive a Monthly Housing Allowance on the cost of living where their school is located. It also provides money for books and supplies. Moreover, it provides an additional benefit called Yellow Ribbon Program, if one needs extra money to cover higher private school or out-of-station tuition. The schools must be in an agreement with VA to share the cost. It provides payment to help get vocational or technical training, non-college degrees, Veteran Technology education courses, tutorial assistance, tutorial assistance to-up, licensing and certification reimbursement, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, entrepreneurship training, flight training, Co-op training, correspondence training, and more. In 2020, when schools changed to online classes due to COVID-19, the GI bill continued providing their benefits from March 1, 2020, to June 1, 2022.
The amount of benefit depends on the type of school, length of the active duty service since September 10, 2001, and the number of hours spent on training and courses. These benefits may get expired depending on when a member was discharged from active duty,
- If their service ended before January 1, 2013, the benefits will expire 15 years after the last separation date from active duty.
- If their service ended on or after January 1, 2013, then the benefits will not get expire, in accordance with a law called Forever GI Bill- Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act.
These services are transferable unlike in Montgomery GI Bill. A qualified service member or veteran can transfer all 36 months or a portion of the benefits to a family member with the approval of the Department of Defense. The child or a surviving family member of a veteran who died after September 10, 2001, may get qualified for the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship).
Main Differences Between Montgomery GI Bill and Post 911 Bill in Points
- To be eligible for MGIB, veterans and active service members are required 2 years of active duty service and need to pay $1,200 during the first year of service whereas, the eligibility requirement for Post 911 bill is that if one has served at least 90 days on active duty on or after September 11, 2001.
- Both programs offer 36 months of benefits. However, in Post 911 these benefits are transferrable to the family members.
- In MGIB beneficiaries receive a fixed monthly amount based on various factors whereas in Post 911 tuition and fees are covered up to 100% with additional benefits of Monthly Housing Allowance and an annual books and supplies stipend
- In MGIB beneficiaries can make use of the benefits within 10 years of the last discharge from the service or release from active duty whereas, in Post 911 members who left service before January 1, 2013, the benefits will expire 15 years after release from active service. If the service ended on or after January 1, 2013, the benefits will not expire and can be used throughout life.
- MGIB can be used for various college degrees, vocational or technical courses, flight training, and apprenticeships whereas, in addition, to the courses involved in MGIB, Post 911 bill also provides assistance to nontraditional training like on-the-job training and correspondence courses.
- Post 911 offers an additional program known as the Yellow Ribbon Program, unlike Montgomery GI Bill.
Conclusion
Montgomery GI Bill and Post 911 Bill are two education-beneficial programs introduced by the US government to advance education and training for service members and veterans. The Montgomery GI Bill provides a fixed monthly amount dependent on various factors whereas in Post 911 tuition and fees are covered up to 100% with additional benefits of Monthly Housing Allowance and an annual books and supplies stipend. To get qualified for MGIB, military service members and veterans requires 2 years of active duty service along with payment of $1,200 during their first year of service, whereas for Post 911 one has to serve at least 90 days on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, to get partially eligible and 36 months of active duty for fully eligible. MGIB can be used for various college degrees, vocational or technical courses, flight training, and apprenticeships whereas, in addition, to the courses involved in MGIB, Post 911 Bill also provides assistance to non-traditional training like on-the-job training and correspondence courses.
In many cases, the Post 911 bill offers students more assistance financially than MGIB, especially when pursuing a four-year degree at a private university or when it is necessary to transfer the benefits to family members.
References
- https://www.militarytimes.com/education-transition/2021/03/19/montgomery-or-post-911-which-gi-bill-is-right-for-you/
