Post 9/11 GI Bill® – Dependents

The Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) provides up to 36 months of assistance to dependents of veterans and current service members with qualifying active duty service after September 11th, 2001. The veteran must have completed a Transfer of Entitlement (TOE) in milConnect before leaving service, but any remaining months can be reallocated at any time until the benefit runs out.

If you are a parent or spouse of an incoming UW-Madison student, we recommend involving the student in the education benefits process early. University Veteran Services is here to help everyone understand education benefits, but all correspondence from our office will go directly to the student once they are enrolled. Students have certain protections on what information can be shared and are most successful when given ownership over the use of their benefits.

Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, you may receive:

• • In-state tuition and fees coverage up to 100%
  • Money for housing (if you’re in school for more than half-time)
  • Money for books and supplies

Tuition is paid directly to the school. The book stipend is paid directly to you, ideally at the beginning of the semester. The housing stipend is also paid directly to you the following month (example: September’s payment arrives in October).

Spouses using transferred benefits:

• • May use the benefit right away
  • May use the benefit while you’re on active duty or after you’ve separated from service
  • Don’t qualify for the monthly housing allowance while you’re on active duty
  • May use the benefit for up to 15 years after your separation from active duty

Children using transferred benefits:

• • May start to use the benefit only after you’ve finished at least 10 years of service
  • May use the benefit while you’re on active duty or after you’ve separated from service
  • May not use the benefit until they’ve gotten a high school diploma (or equivalency certificate), or have reached 18 years of age
  • Qualify for the monthly housing allowance even when you’re on active duty
  • Don’t have to use the benefit within 15 years after your separation from active duty, but can’t use the benefit after they’ve turned 26 years old.

In-State Tuition: Non-resident students who start classes at UW-Madison using at least one month of the Post 9/11 GI Bill® will be charged equal to the in-state tuition rate until the completion of their program, even if they exhaust their benefit. However, students who don’t remain continuously enrolled (take a break longer than two semesters) will be assessed the non-resident tuition rate when they return. You can view current tuition rates on the Bursar’s Office website.

UW-Madison benefit rates                         Learn more about transferred Post 9/11