MGIB-SR program provides education and training benefits to eligible members of the Selected Reserve, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard or Air National Guard. Eligibility for this program is determined by the Selected Reserve components and VA makes the payments.
Assistance may be used for college degree and certificate programs, co-op training, technical or vocational courses, flight training, apprenticeships or on-the-job training, high-tech training, licensing and certification tests, entrepreneurship training, certain entrance examinations, and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.
You may be entitled to receive up to 36 months of education benefits. View current payment rates.
To qualify, you must meet the following requirements:
Your eligibility for the program normally ends the day you leave the Selected Reserve.
An exception exists if you are mobilized or recalled to active duty from your reserve status in which case your eligibility may be extended for the amount of time you are mobilized PLUS four months. For example, if you are mobilized for 12 months, your eligibility period is extended for 16 months; 12 months of active duty PLUS four months. Even if you leave the Reserves after mobilization, you may have additional eligibility under the MGIB-SR.
If your unit is deactivated during the period beginning Oct. 1, 2007, through Sept. 30, 2014, or you are involuntarily separated for reasons other than misconduct, you will retain your original period of eligibility, which is 14 years from the date of your first six-year obligation with the Selected Reserves.
Follow these steps to become eligible and apply: