Qualifying for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®
You may be eligible for Chapter 33 benefits if you:
- served at least 90 days on active duty after Sept. 10, 2001, or
- are still on active duty, or
- were honorably discharged from active duty, or
- are a Purple Heart recipient.
You may also qualify if:
- you are eligible for the GI Bill®-Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606) and qualify for Chapter 33. You may make an irrevocable election to receive Post-9/11 benefits.
- you are a Reserve member who lost education benefits when REAP was sunset in November
2015. You may be eligible to receive restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Additional Details
Learn more about Chapter 33 benefits.
Process and Documentation
Your Certification of Enrollment will be sent to Muskogee VA Regional Processing electronically through the VA:
- after you are formally accepted to the university
- up to 120 days prior to the first day of class.
Documentation requirements:
- Apply for benefits through the VA.
- Complete an Enrollment Certification Request.
- Provide a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility or confirmation of your submitted application to the VA.
If you are a dependent who has not yet received your COE, provide:
- confirmation of your submitted application with the VA
- confirmation of the transferred benefit from your sponsor parent's milConnect account.
Your Certification of Enrollment will be sent to Muskogee VA Regional Processing electronically through the VA:
- after you are formally accepted to the university
- up to 120 days prior to the first day of class.
Documentation requirements:
- Notify the VA that you've changed schools.
- Complete an Enrollment Certification Request.
- Provide a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility or confirmation of your submitted application to the VA. If you previously used this benefit in South Carolina, you can provide an award letter from the VA to show your eligibility.
Your Certification of Enrollment will be sent to Muskogee VA Regional Processing electronically through the VA:
- up to 120 days prior to the first day of class.
Documentation requirement:
- Complete an Enrollment Certification Request.
Qualifying for the Yellow Ribbon Program
The University of South Carolina participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which allows institutions of higher learning in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition and fee expenses that exceed the tuition and fee amounts payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®.
To receive benefits under the Yellow Ribbon Program, a student must:
- be eligible for the maximum benefit rate under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®
- have served an aggregate period of 36 months in active duty after Sept. 10, 2001
- have been honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability and served 30 continuous days after Sept. 10, 2001
- be a dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® based on the service eligibility criteria listed above
- be enrolled in an approved program offered by an institution of higher learning that
participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Eligibility
If you submit an application for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® to VA and are eligible at
the 100 percent benefit level, VA will issue you a Certificate of Eligibility advising
that you are potentially eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program. You should provide
your Certificate of Eligibility to the school, which, in turn, will determine if there
are slots available for the Yellow Ribbon Program (based on its agreement with the
VA).
Additional Details
Learn more about the Yellow Ribbon Program, or complete the application [pdf].