Active duty members or those in the Selected Reserve may transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits to their spouse or dependent children while still serving if all of these are true:
- You’ve completed at least 6 years of service on the date your request is approved, and
- You agree to add 4 more years of service, and
- The person getting benefits is enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)
Note: If you received a Purple Heart, you don’t need to meet a service requirement. But you’ll need to request to transfer your benefits while you’re still on active duty.
Special notes for:
Spouses: If the service member was discharged prior to January 1, 2013 the spouse has 15 years to use their transferred benefit.
If the service member is still on active duty, Spouses are not eligible for the Monthly Housing Allowance.
Children: A dependent child can start to use these benefits only after the member has served at least 10 years of service. They can use these benefits while the member is on active duty or after separation.
A dependent child may be eligible for Monthly Housing Allowance even if the member is still on active duty.
Full details on transferring and using transferred benefits can be found on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.
GI Bill®
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill