Montgomery GI Selected Reserve GI Bill (MGIB-SR) Information
The Montgomery GI Selected Reserve GI Bill (MGIB-SR) program provides education and training benefits to eligible members of the Selected Reserve, including the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. Eligibility for this program is determined by the Selected Reserve components and VA makes the payments.
The Montgomery GI Selected Reserve GI Bill (MGIB-SR) program provides education and training benefits to eligible members of the Selected Reserve, including the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. Eligibility for this program is determined by the Selected Reserve components and VA makes the payments.
Types of Training
The following assistance is approved under the Post-9/11 GI Bill:
- apprenticeships or on-the-job training
- certain entrance examinations
- college degree and certificate programs
- co-op training
- correspondence courses
- entrepreneurship training
- high-tech training
- licensing and certification tests
- technical or vocational courses
Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.
Eligibility
To qualify for the MGIB-SR, an individual must meet the following requirements:
- Have had a six-year obligation to serve in the Selected Reserve signed after June 30, 1985. For officers, the individual must have agreed to serve six years in addition to his or her original obligation. For some types of training it is necessary to have a six-year commitment that began after Sept. 30, 1990.
- Have completed initial active duty for training (IADT).
- Have a high school diploma or equivalency certificate before completing IADT. An individual may not use 12 hours toward a college degree to meet this requirement.
- Remain in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit. An individual will also retain MGIB-SR eligibility if he or she was discharged from Selected Reserve service due to a disability that was not caused by misconduct. The eligibility period may be extended if an individual is ordered to active duty.
Additional Factors
An individual's eligibility for the MGIB-SR program normally ends the day that person leaves the Selected Reserve.
An exception exists for those who are/were mobilized or recalled to active-duty from reserve status, in which case the eligibility may be extended for the amount of time an individual is mobilized PLUS four months. For example, if an individual is mobilized for 12 months, his or her eligibility period is extended for 16 months; 12 months of active duty PLUS four months. Even if that individual leaves the Reserves after mobilization, he or she may have additional eligibility under the MGIB-SR.
If an individual's unit was deactivated during the period beginning Oct. 1, 2007, through Sept. 30, 2014, or if an individual involuntarily separated for reasons other than misconduct, he or she will retain their original period of eligibility, which is 14 years from the date of their first six-year obligation with the Selected Reserves.
