One of the most powerful benefits of military service is the educational support, not just for you, but also for your family. The Post‑9/11 GI Bill® offers educational assistance, and one of its key features is transferability of education benefits. This means having the ability to pass the unused GI Bill® VA education benefits to your spouse or children.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
However, a question often arises regarding the transferability of education benefits. The question is whether you can split the GI Bill® VA education benefits among multiple dependents? Explore how transferability works, get to know whether you can divide benefits among more than one dependent, and what rules and limits apply.
GI Bill® Education Benefit: Transfer of Benefits to Dependents
Before delving into the applicability of the GI Bill® education benefit for multiple dependents, let us first understand the general framework for transferring GI Bill® education benefits.
What is the Transferability of the GI Bill® Education Benefit?
When we talk about the transferability of the GI Bill® education benefit, it is the Post‑9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) program, which allows eligible service members like you to transfer your unused education benefits to your children and spouse.
What Benefits Can be Transferred?
- The total benefit available under the Post9/11 GI Bill® program is up to 36 months of entitlement, which is equivalent to four academic years.
- As a service member, you may have already used some of the benefits, but you can still transfer the unused benefits to your family. The total of what is transferred and what you retain cannot exceed your remaining entitlement.
Can GI Bill® Benefits Be Transferred to Multiple Dependents?
- You can split your unused GI Bill® credit among multiple dependents. The law and regulations explicitly allow you to transfer benefit months to one or more of your children, and/or to your spouse, or in combination of both.
- When you submit your transfer request via the DoD/Service transfer process, you designate:
- Which dependents you wish to transfer to, and
- How many months will each receive.
- The total number of months transferred plus any months the service member retains cannot exceed the service member’s unused entitlement.
- It is recommended that you transfer at least one month to each selected dependent initially. This provides flexibility to reassign the remaining months at a later date.
- This way, you are not limited to transferring benefits to just one person, but multiple dependents can benefit from the shared GI Bill®.
How the Benefit Division Works
Let us look at a scenario to understand how the division of benefits works.
Suppose you have 36 months of unused Post9/11 GI Bill® entitlement. You have a spouse and two children. You decide to allocate:
- Spouse: 12 months
- Child 1: 12 months
- Child 2: 12 months
Once the transfer is approved:
- Each dependent receives a Certificate of Eligibility from VA showing how many months they can use.
- Each dependent uses their months independently. They don’t share a pool; each has its own allocated months.
- If a dependent doesn’t use all their months, the service member can revoke or reassign the remaining months if they have not already been awarded for a term.
- You can adjust the allocation of benefits while you are still in service or in Selected Reserve. After separation or retirement, any modifications in allocation may not be allowed.
- A practical tip that many service members follow is to initially transfer one month to each dependent to activate the transfer benefits and then reassign more months as per their need.
Key Rules and Limitations to Consider When Allocating Transfer Benefits
While splitting benefits is possible, there are several important rules and constraints you must keep in mind.
Service Requirements
- You must have completed at least 6 years of qualifying service before the DoD approves the transfer.
- You must agree to serve an additional 4 years or as required after approval.
- If you fail to complete the additional service obligation, the transfer may be revoked, and you may also lose eligibility for dependents.
- Exceptions exist in case of medical, hardship, death in service, or other such scenarios under which benefits might still be honored even if you may not have fulfilled service commitment.
Eligibility of Dependents and their Age Limits
- Dependents must be enrolled in DEERS at the time of transfer.
- Children must meet age requirements (generally under age 23, though in some cases up to 26) to use benefits.
- Children generally cannot use the transferred benefits until the service member has at least 10 years of service (or meets equivalent criteria).
- Spouses may use benefits earlier, and their window to use them may differ depending on when the service member separated.
Unused and Used Benefits
- Only unused months of your GI Bill® can be transferred to your dependents. You cannot retransfer months that have already been used by you.
- The sum of transferred months and the months retained by the service member cannot exceed your unused entitlement.
Modification and Revocation
- While still serving, you can modify or revoke the transfer or change the number of months assigned to each dependent.
- After separation/retirement, you may still make changes to unawarded months, but you cannot transfer newly retained months to someone else or add new dependents.
- If a dependent does not use some of their months, you can reassign, subject to the rules through milConnect. Veterans Affairs.
Time Limits for Use
-
Spouses:
If the service member separated before January 1, 2013, spouses have up to 15 years post-separation to use the benefit. For separations on or after January 1, 2013, there is no time limit, as long as the transfer is not revoked. -
Children:
Must use the education benefit before reaching the age limit of 26.
So, splitting among dependents is allowed, however the rules around service obligation, eligibility, and modification windows must be observed carefully.
Step-by-Step Guide to Transfer Benefits to Dependents
Here is a guide to the Post9/11 GI Bill® education benefit transfer to dependents:
-
Confirm eligibility
- Check that you meet the 6-year service requirement and are eligible for Post9/11 GI Bill® benefits.
- Make sure your dependents are enrolled in DEERS.
-
Log in to milConnect (DoD portal)
- Use the Post9/11 GI Bill® Transfer Education Benefits (TEB) to request the transfer.
- Select the dependents you want to transfer benefits to and allocate months to each of them.
-
Submit and await DoD approval
- DoD will review your submission and either approve or deny your transfer request.
- Once approved, the benefit months shall be officially transferred.
-
Dependents apply via VA
- Each dependent must apply via VA.gov or by mail to use the transferred benefits using the VA Form 22-1990e for family members.
- VA recently simplified the online application experience, making it easier for family members to apply using prefilled fields, fewer steps, and better navigation.
- On approval from the VA, they receive a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE), indicating the number of months for which they are eligible.
-
Monitor usage and remaining months
- If any dependent does not use their months, you can revoke or reassign the remaining months via milConnect before those months are awarded.
Tips to Maximize the Transferability of the Post‑9/11 GI Bill® Benefits
Leverage the education benefit of the Post9/11 GI Bill® by splitting your unused benefits to support your family. The GI Bill® education benefits can be transferred to multiple dependents, including your spouse and your children. The key here is to carefully understand the eligibility rules, service commitment requirements, and timing constraints.
With thoughtful planning and proper use of milConnect and VA processes, you can ensure your dependents can benefit from the GI Bill® education assistance when they need it. Here are some tips to consider when leveraging the GI Bill® benefits for your children and spouse.
-
Plan early:
Do not wait until late in your service career to make transfers; take time to plan everything and make the most of the benefit when needed. -
Start small:
Initially, we recommend allocating atleast one month to each dependent to activate options, and later adjust the allocation, depending on your requirement. -
Keep records:
Save your transfer request confirmation, VA correspondence, and usage statements for future reference. -
Leverage help:
Speak with a VA education representative or your school’s dedicated VA enrollment advisor to verify rules specific to your branch. -
Use official sources:
Monitor VA.gov and military DoD sites, as policies or processes may evolve. -
Check benefit rates:
Transferred benefits are subject to standard Post9/11 GI Bill rates (tuition, housing, books) based on your eligibility tier.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you are still in service, you may adjust the number of months distributed to each dependent or add new ones, provided it does not exceed your unused entitlement. After separation, you may only modify unawarded months.
You can reassign or revoke those unused months, subject to timing and rules.
Yes, each dependent has their own allocated months, and multiple dependents may use their benefit at the same time in separate educational programs.
If you fail to complete the additional service obligation, transferred benefits may be revoked, or dependents might lose eligibility. However, there may be exceptions in case of medical hardship, death in service, or other such scenarios under which benefits might still be honored even if you have not fulfilled service commitment.
No, most likely the transfer request must be made while in service (on active duty or in the Selected Reserve).
