For many young Americans, higher education is a cornerstone of their future, but for those who choose to serve in the military, that path often takes a detour. Nearly 40% of active-duty service members are 25 or younger—the prime age for pursuing college degrees. For these individuals, the GI Bill serves as a bridge to education, helping them transition from military service to civilian life.

Created to support U.S. military veterans, the GI Bill provides assistance for tuition, housing, and fees, as well as access to low-interest home loans, unemployment benefits, and vocational rehabilitation for those with service-connected disabilities. The bill promotes financial growth for individual veterans as well as economic stability for the country as a whole.

Since its inception during World War II, the GI Bill has been amended several times to meet the changing needs of veterans. The most substantial changes were the Montgomery GI Bill, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and, most recently, the Rudisill v. McDonough Supreme Court ruling. 

This article will cover the history and transformation of the GI Bill, the 2025 expansion and implications, and practical tips for accessing and benefitting from the updated GI Bill. 

History of the GI Bill

In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act—better known as the GI Bill. The bill provided World War II veterans with funds for college education, vocational training,  unemployment assistance, and housing loans. At the end of the war, 15 million servicemen returned home to an uncertain economy and faced potential unemployment. Roosevelt’s bill was designed to boost the economy and reduce the chances of another nationwide depression—and it was successful: The GI Bill became a catalyst for economic growth, enabling millions of veterans to pursue higher education and homeownership. Within the next decade, economic growth, social mobility, and access to advanced learning flourished. 

The GI Bill positively impacted U.S. institutions and structures and directly aided veterans and their families by providing opportunities for employment and education. The return to civilian life for veterans is often difficult due to lack of housing and interruptions in education. As a consequence, veterans often encounter difficulties obtaining a well-paying job. The GI Bill was intended to improve veterans’ financial stability and help overcome these difficult challenges of returning to civilian life.

The GI Bill proved successful. Within seven years of enactment, approximately 8 million veterans attended college and/or received training. Since its inception, over 25 million veterans have benefited from the GI Bill. Under the act, approximately 2.3 million attended college, 3.5 million received school training, and 3.4 million received on-the-job training.

Key Developments

The GI Bill has been  modified and improved several times since its inception, with the most recent change in 2025 expanding benefits for veterans and their families. 

The Korean War GI Bill was passed eight years following the original passage of the GI Bill. This gave veterans of the Korean War access to the same benefits World War II veterans received through the original bill. About 2.4 million Korean War veterans received education and training under the Korean War GI Bill– also known as the Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1952. Of these, 1.2 million received training in institutions of higher learning; 860,000 were trained in other schools; 223,000 received on-the-job training; and 95,000 received institutional on-farm training. 

The Korean War GI Bill was followed by the Vietnam Era GI Bill (VEGIB) which granted eligibility to those who served on active duty after November 1955 and prior to January 1977. Directly after came the Veterans’ Education Assistance Program (VEAP), which allotted benefits for those who served on active duty from January 1977 to June 1985 provided they contributed a monthly payment that was matched for an education benefit.  

In June of 1984, Congress launched a test program called the Montgomery GI Bill. Eligibility for the program “required a monthly pay reduction for active duty personnel during the first 12 months of active duty; reservists received reduced benefits for no pay reduction.”  In June of 1987, the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) was made permanent. Similar to the GI Bill of 1944, the Montgomery GI Bill’s educational assistance program, known as Chapter 30, was intended to ease the service member’s readjustment to civilian life. It also served as an incentive for recruitment and retention for the Armed Forces. Eligible individuals contributed $100 per month for the first 12 months of service. Additional monthly benefits, known as “kickers,” were available in certain service branches as an incentive to enhance recruitment in “hard-to-fill” areas. The Montgomery GI Bill was in place until 2008, when it was replaced by the Post-9/11 GI Bill. 

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides educational benefits for those who served active duty or the Selected Reserve for 90 or more days after Sep. 10, 2001. The new bill pays up to full tuition for a college degree, in contrast to the monthly, fixed stipend available through the Montgomery GI Bill. It also provides students with a monthly housing allowance based on the cost of living in the location of the school. One of its highlights is that it allows eligible service members to transfer their unused benefits to family members. While the MGIB required service members to opt in through payments, the Post-9/11 GI Bill is automatically available to veterans who meet eligibility requirements. 

Despite the continual progression of the GI Bill, these bills are not without challenges and limitations. Veterans have voiced several issues with many of the varying frameworks of the GI Bill, namely insufficient fund coverage, limited time to use the respective benefits, access difficulty, gaps in support for certain military groups, and lack of modernization. James Rudisill was one of the veterans affected by  this bill’s shortcomings, which ultimately led to the 2024 Supreme Court Case: Rudisill v. McDonough. 

The Supreme Court Case: Rudisill v McDonough (22-888)

In November of 2023, U.S. Army veteran James Rudisill presented a case concerning two GI Bills with overlapping service periods—the MGIB and the PGIB. Over the course of eight years, Rudisill served three separate times, earning educational benefits for both programs. Typically, the GI Bills would provide 36 months of educational benefits each or 48 months total in cases similar to Rudisill’s where service members are eligible for benefits under more than one GI Bill.

Initially, Rudisill used 25 months and 14 days of his MGIB benefits to finance earning an undergraduate degree. Shortly afterward, Rudisill became eligible for more generous benefits under the PGIB and sought to use those benefits to finance a graduate degree. Under the 48-month benefits cap, Rudisill should have had more than 22 months available for use. Yet, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) informed him that he could only use 10 months of the PGIB benefits (equivalent to the length of his unused MGIB benefits) due to a “benefit swap” provision.

Furthermore, the VA claimed that someone in Rudisill’s position is subject to a mandatory coordination clause, in which one must make an election between the two programs, limiting him to 36 months total. Rudisill countered that his years of service qualified him for both programs fully, up to the 48-month cap set by law.

Ultimately, on April 16, 2024, the court ruled in favor of Rudisill (7-2), deciding that veterans who earn benefits under the MGIB and PGIB through separate service periods can use both benefits in any order, up to the 48-month limit. Despite the VA’s claims, the Court found that the law does not force veterans to “swap” their benefits and that Rudisill was indeed entitled to the full 48 months.

The decision set an important precedent for how the VA handles GI Bill benefits, allowing veterans with multiple service periods to fully access educational benefits they’ve earned under both programs, separately. The ruling strengthens veterans’ rights by making it easier to pursue higher education and ensuring fair access to the support they were promised.

Implications of the Supreme Court Ruling

Following the 2024 Supreme Court decision, the VA announced an updated process for awarding GI Bill benefits, effective January 2025. Most notably, veterans who qualify for both the MGIB and PGIB are no longer required to waive one program’s benefits to access the other. Veterans can now receive up to 48 months of combined benefits, removing the previous 36-month limit between the two programs.

Many veterans, like those in the Rudisill case, have served multiple periods of military service, qualifying them for both MGIB and PGIB. With these restrictions lifted, eligible veterans and their families can now access up to 12 additional months of GI Bill benefits, totaling 48 months. This change could impact up to 1.04 million veterans and beneficiaries, ensuring they fully receive the benefits they and their families deserve.

What the 2025 GI Bill Changes Mean

In addition to greater flexibility, these GI Bill updates significantly expand educational opportunities and housing allowances for veterans. By no longer needing to waive MGIB benefits to use PGIB benefits, veterans can now fully utilize both programs. This additional year of benefits offers more financial support for education, further aiding veterans as they pursue successful professional careers following their years of service. While the 48-month combined usage cap remains, veterans now have access to four full years of educational funding.

Moreover, veterans currently or formerly participating in the Veteran Readiness & Employee (VR&E) program on or after August 15, 2018, have been granted new access to PGIB benefits. Previously, these veterans were forced to choose between the standard Chapter 31 Subsistence Allowance and the PGIB housing rate. Now, many of those veterans will be granted PGIB benefits retroactively, allowing them to qualify for Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), which often provides higher rates than Chapter 31.

These changes also extend benefits to veteran families through existing transfer of entitlement requirements. Veterans who receive authority from the Department of Defense to transfer GI Bill benefits to their spouse, dependents, or survivors, will remain eligible to do so under the new changes to the GI Bill. 

Dependents can therefore access funding to cover educational necessities such as tuition, housing, books and supplies, fees for standardized testing, and more. Veterans may transfer up to 36 months of their remaining education benefits to their dependents.  Additionally, the GI Bill offers veterans the option to split their benefits among multiple dependents, provided they transfer the benefits while actively serving. Qualifying dependents receive a myriad of benefits, largely based on the related veteran’s length of active duty service. 

These include: 

• Tuition and Fee Assistance – Depending on the type of school (public, private, foreign, etc), veterans and their dependents may be entitled to up to $28,937.09 per academic year. In some cases, veterans may be eligible for additional payments to cover the remainder of tuition costs through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
• Monthly Housing Allowances – At the end of each month, the VA will provide money to cover housing expenses for dependents who are studying more than half-time.
• Books and Supplies Stipend – The VA provides up to $1000 to cover books and supplies per academic year, paid at the beginning of each enrollment period.
• Relocation Assistance – Veterans and/or dependents in highly rural areas may qualify for a one-time payment of $500 to help cover moving expenses.
• Tutorial Assistance – Veterans and their dependents may be eligible for up to $100 per month in tutorial assistance, with a lifetime maximum of $1,200.
• On-the-Job Training and Apprenticeship Programs – Veterans enrolled in a school or professional training program may earn additional income through part-time VA-related work or apprenticeships. 
• Test Fees and Prep Courses – The VA covers up to $2,000 for qualifying licensing and certification test fees. Fees for courses that prepare veterans for these tests are also eligible, with charges to entitlement based on specific rates. There is no limit on reimbursement for national test fees.

Additionally, in the case that a veteran passes away or becomes permanently disabled due to service-related conditions,  surviving spouses and dependents may qualify for additional education assistance under the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program and/or the Fry Scholarship. 

For a veteran to be eligible for a transfer of benefits, they must meet the following: completed six years of service on the date of approved request, agree to four more years of service, and the person receiving benefits is enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). If they separate from service for any of the following reasons, their dependents may still be eligible to receive their transferred benefits: injury, sickness, hardship discharge, disability, reduction in force, or death. Other reasons for separation will result in the dependents’ loss of eligibility for transferred benefits. Purple Heart recipients do not need to meet all the requirements but must make their request to transfer benefits while still on active duty.

For more information on transferring your benefits, visit va.gov.

How to Access and Benefit from the Updated GI Bill

Navigating the GI Bill can feel overwhelming, but understanding the steps is crucial. Those who may be eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill or the Post-9/11 GI Bill can check their eligibility on the VA’s GI Bill’s Eligibility page.

Once established, those eligible need to then go to the VA’s online portal and complete VA Form 22-1990, “Application for VA Education Benefits,” and provide necessary documentation, such as the DD Form 214. The VA will review the application to confirm eligibility and issue a decision. 

Following submission of their application, veterans can check their status at the VA’s eBenefits portal. This portal will allow veterans to stay current on their application, their granted benefits, and their payment history. Once the VA approves a GI Bill application, they issue a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) that details the type of benefit, the amount of entitlement, and the eligibility period. Veterans can then present their COE to their educational institution to transfer their benefits. If their COE is misplaced or lost, they can acquire a duplicate through the VA eBenefits portal. 

To make the most of these benefits, veterans should explore resources like VA support services and educational counseling. Careful planning can help maximize opportunities, whether pursuing a degree, vocational training, or other educational goals. Through informed educational program selections and effective use of housing allowances, veterans can maximize their benefits to ensure they cover their professional and academic needs. The VA support services and other educational counseling resources are designed to assist veterans in navigating the benefits process and making informed decisions.

Conclusion

The GI Bill has transformed countless lives since its creation, and its latest updates promise even greater opportunities for veterans and their families. Understanding its history—particularly the most recent changes—is essential for veterans, service members, and their families to fully access the educational benefits they have earned. Staying informed empowers veterans to make strategic decisions about their education and future career paths. By being proactive, veterans can unlock the full potential of these benefits, securing brighter futures for themselves and their loved ones.

To learn more about the resources available to veterans, including other GI Bill-related content, visit Mission Roll Call’s website or check out our educational videos on the Mission Roll Call University YouTube page.