The GI Bills or Government Issued Bills are the bills that provide financial aid to military soldiers. The bills mainly cover expenses for education and housing.
However, it may also cover other expenses like financial assistance for business. This is available for active-duty members or veterans, or relatives.
Key Takeaways
- The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) provides education benefits to eligible veterans and service members, while the Post-9/11 GI Bill offers more comprehensive benefits to those who served on or after September 11, 2001.
- The Post-9/11 GI Bill covers full tuition and fees at public in-state schools, a monthly housing allowance, and a stipend for books and supplies. In contrast, the MGIB provides a fixed monthly benefit that may not cover all education-related expenses.
- The MGIB has a 10-year time limit to use benefits, while the Post-9/11 GI Bill allows up to 15 years, offering more flexibility to veterans.
MGIB vs Post 911
MGIB (Montgomery GI Bill) is a federal educational assistance program for eligible military members who have served on active duty for at least two years. Post 9/11 GI Bill is an educational assistance program for eligible military members who have served on active duty after September 10, 2001.
The MGIB or Montgomery Bill Active Duty is commonly referred to as the Old GI Bill. This particular GI bill dispenses educational help for a period of three years or 36 months.
All the expenses related to school, including the school fees and additional schooling fees, are paid using this money.
Bill created in 2008 after 9/11 to provide assistance to the soldiers is the Post 9/11. This program also dispenses educational help for a period of three years or 36 months.
Here the soldiers were required to be active at least 90 days after the attack on September 11, 2001.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | MGIB | Post 911 |
|---|---|---|
| Abbreviation | It is an abbreviation for Montgomery Bill Active Duty. | It is an abbreviation for Post-9/11 Bill. |
| Origin | It originated in 1984. | It originated in 2008. |
| Program lifespan | Should be utilized within 10 years of discharge. | Should be utilized within 15 years of discharge. |
| Eligibility | Soldiers are required to sign up for this particular program along with being on active duty for a minimum period of two years. | Soldiers that have served for at least 90 days after 9/11. |
| Coverage | The program pays a fixed rate payment every month. The aid is only for the purpose of school-related expenses. | The entire coverage of school fees is provided along with an amount for covering housing, books, and other fees. |
| Payment transfer | The amount is given to the respective individual directly. | The amount is given to the school. |
What is MGIB?
The MGIB or Montgomery Bill Active Duty is commonly referred to as the Old GI Bill. This particular GI bill dispenses educational help for a period of three years or 36 months.
All the expenses related to school, including the school fees and additional schooling fees, are paid using this money. This money can be used to pay online education and degree program fees.
It also covers other types of education. These include vocational, technical, apprenticeship, job, or flight training.
In order to be eligible for the program, soldiers are required to sign up for this program and be on active duty for a minimum period of two years.
Also, a monthly allocation of $100 monthly for the program is mandatory. In this program, the financial assistance provided to the soldier should be used within 10 years from discharge.
The assistance is provided at a predetermined fixed monthly flat rate. The amount here is directly given to the registered member.
This program has more coverage or a rather wide variety of options when it comes to educational institutions. But on the downside, it does not cover other expenses.
Also, the benefits can be transferred to military spouses or dependents only if they are a part of the given reenlistment conditions.
What is Post 911?
The GI Bill, which was created in 2008 after 9/11 to provide assistance to the soldiers, is the Post-9/11. Similar to the MGIB program, this program also dispenses educational help for a period of three years or 36 months.
In order to be eligible for this program, the soldiers were required to be active at least 90 days after the attack on September 11, 2001.
In this program, the financial assistance provided to the soldier should be used within 15 years from discharge. The program coverage is better in this program.
It covers the complete cost of the tuition fees as well as other expenses. The other expenses include books, stationery, and so on.
In this program, the payment is not made to the registered individual but to the approved educational institution.
Along with the amount, there comes an additional stipend for housing as well. Here, if the sponsor (soldier) completes ten years of service, the benefits can be transferred to the spouses or dependents.
The main purpose was to provide assistance to all the military soldiers who executed their duty in the 9/11 attacks.
Main Differences Between MGIB and Post 911
- MGIB is an abbreviation for Montgomery Bill Active Duty. Post 911 is an abbreviation for Post-9/11 Bill.
- MGIB originated in 1984. Post-911 originated in 2008.
- MGIB should be utilized within 10 years of discharge. Post-911 Should be utilized within 15 years of discharge.
- For the MGIB program, soldiers are required to sign up for this program and be on active duty for a minimum period of two years. For the Post 911, Soldiers that have served for at least 90 days after 9/11.
- In the case of MGIB, the program pays a fixed rate payment every month. The aid is only for school-related expenses. In the case of Post 911, the entire coverage of school fees and an amount for housing, books, and other fees are provided.
- The amount of the MGIB program is given to the respective individual directly. The amount of the Post 911 program is given to the school.
- https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20140728_R42755_86596441d47027f9321ea2f633e03e9d1f97d560.pdf
- https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/veter2§ion=9
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
This is a very accurate comparison, it is very informative.
I agree, it is quite useful to know in depth the benefits of each GI Bill.
It is surprising how beneficial these bills can be for service members.
It’s true, these bills can be quite a relief for veterans.
Absolutely, it is good to have these financial aids for those who serve.
Thanks for breaking down the main differences between these programs, very useful.
I find this topic quite useless and unnecessary to discuss.
It is interesting to know that comparatively the Post 911 lasts longer to use, I didn’t know that.
Yes, the Post-911 is 5 years longer than the MGIB. That’s very useful to know!
I think these programs are important for the military, and deserve further discussion.
Definitely, it is important to highlight the benefits and differences of these programs.