Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty

MGIB-SR (SELECTED RESERVE) - KNOWN AS CHAPTER 1606

The VA provides education benefits to members of the Selected Reserve who meet the requirements under the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve, also known as Chapter 1606. This includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, the Army National Guard, and the Air National Guard.

WHAT IS COVERED UNDER THIS PROGRAM?

Under the MGIB-SR, you may be eligible for up to 36 months of education benefits. The VA makes payments for:

• College
• Co-op Training
• Technical or Vocational Courses
• Correspondence Courses
• Apprenticeship/Job Training
• Flight Training
• High-tech Training
• Licensing & Certification Tests
• Entrepreneurship Training
• Certain Entrance Examinations

Assistance for remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved upon request in certain instances.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

Even if you are a member of the Selected Reserve, there are requirements you must meet to be considered eligible for benefits under the MGIB-SR.

• All reservists must have a 6-year obligation to serve in the Selected Reserve, signed after June 30, 1985. Additionally, officers must have signed on for 6 more years after this obligation. A 6-year commitment that begins after Sept. 30, 1990 might be required for some types of training.
• To be eligible for the MGIB-SR, you must have completed your initial active duty for training (IADT).
• You must also have received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate before completing IADT. Although it is permitted under the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD), you may not use 12 hours of college credits to meet this requirement.
• You must stay in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit. Even if you were discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability, you will remain eligible under the MGIB-SR, as long as it was not caused by misconduct. Your eligibility period may even be extended if you are ordered to active duty.

It's important that you take note of some exceptions as well. Generally, your eligibility for the MGIB-SR ends once you leave the Selected Reserve, but an exception is made if you are mobilized or recalled to active duty. Your eligibility can be extended for the time that you are mobilized, and an additional 4 months after that. You may also receive education benefits under the MGIB-SR even if you leave the Reserves after mobilization.

If your unit was deactivated any time between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2014, or if you were involuntarily separated for reasons other than misconduct, the original period of eligibility still applies, which is 14 years from the date of your first 6-year obligation with the Selected Reserves.

HOW DO I APPLY?

Once you are eligible for the MGIB-SR program, obtain the DD Form 2384-1 (Notice of Basic Eligibility). Your unit will code your eligibility into the Department of Defense personnel system so that the VA may verify your eligibility.

Make sure that your selected program is approved for VA training. If you are not clear on this point, the VA will inform you and the school or company about the requirements.

Then complete the VA Form 22-1990 (Application for Education Benefits), and send it to the VA regional office with jurisdiction over the state where you will train.

If you have already started training, take your application and Notice of Basic Eligibility to your school or employer. Ask them to complete VA Form 22-1999 not available online Enrollment Certification, and send all the forms to VA.