If you were discharged before January 1, 2013, your post-9/11 GI bill benefits will expire 15 years after you separated from the military. Montgomery GI Bill benefits expire 10 years after your separation from the military. But you may be eligible to extend these benefits. Keep reading on this page to learn about eligibility for a GI bill extension and how to request it.
Eligibility for a GI Bill Extension
You may qualify for a GI bill extension if one of them is valid:
- you have served a subsequent period of active duty of 90 consecutive days or more (meaning that after applying for GI Bill benefits you have served 90 or more days without interruption in service), or
- You have an illness or disability that prevents you from going to school, or
- You have been detained by a foreign government or authority after you have been discharged or discharged from active duty
How to request an extension
If you have served a subsequent term of active duty
Send us a message to request an extension.
Please include one of these documents:
- A copy of your orders to report active duty, or
- A copy of your DD214 or other discharge papers
Mail your documents to your local regional processing office.
Find a regional processing office
If your illness or disability prevents you from going to school
Send us a message to request an extension.
Include this information in your message:
- the type of illness or disability that prevented you from going to school, And
- start and end dates for the period of time you were unable to attend school due to your disability (write the dates as: mm-dd-yyyy), And
- Reasons why you can’t start or continue an educational program
Include a description of each job you held During this period of time when you were unable to go to school because of your disability.
Put this information for each job:
- Type of the job , And
- The name and address of the business owner, And
- Work start and end dates (write the dates as: mm-dd-yyyy), And
- The number of hours you worked in a week
Also include a statement from your doctor during this time period.
Your doctor’s statement should include these details:
- your diagnosis and treatment, And
- How long have you had your illness or disability, And
- start and end dates for the period of time your disability prevented you from going to school (write the dates as: mm-dd-yyyy), And
- Medical evidence such as test results and hospital reports
Mail your documents to your local regional processing office.
Find a regional processing office
If you have been detained by a foreign government
Send us a message to request an extension. Please include the start and end dates for the period of time you were unable to attend school because you were detained by a foreign government. Write the dates as follows: mm-dd-yyyy.
GI Bill STEM Supplement
The Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) scholarship can help you extend your GI Bill or Fry Scholarship benefits after 9/11 for additional training in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). If you are currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or if you hold a STEM degree and are working toward a teaching certification, you may be eligible.
Learn about the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship