Home / Veteran benefits
Veteran benefits

Transfer your GI Bill to your family

The one benefit you have to act on while you're still in uniform.

Updated September 2026 · By Joey Kubes, Retired USMC · NMLS #2459919

Short answerYou can transfer up to 36 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to your spouse or children if you have at least 6 years of service and agree to serve 4 more. You must request it in milConnect while you're still serving. You can't do it after you retire or separate.

Who can transfer

  • At least 6 years of service on the date your request is approved.
  • You agree to serve 4 more years.
  • You're still serving. Once you separate, retire or move to the IRR, you can't transfer.
  • The family member is enrolled in DEERS.
  • Purple Heart recipients don't have the service requirement but still have to request while serving.

Step by step in milConnect

  1. Sign in to milConnect and open the Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) page. You can't request a transfer through VA.
  2. Select Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33).
  3. Find each family member and enter the months to give them (0 to 36, minus what you've used or plan to use). Even 1 month locks in their eligibility, and you can change the split later.
  4. Check the acknowledgements and submit. Watch for the status to change from "Submitted" to "Request Approved", and save the approval letter.
  5. Family member not showing up? Get them added to DEERS at a military ID card office first.

How your family uses it

  • Each family member applies with VA Form 22-1990e. Adults apply online at VA.gov with their own login; parents of kids under 18 mail it or upload it.
  • Spouses can use it right away, but get no housing allowance while you're on active duty. If you separated on or after January 1, 2013, there's no time limit.
  • Children can use it after you complete 10 years of service, once they have a high school diploma or turn 18, and must use it before age 26. They do get the housing allowance even while you're on active duty.

If you don't finish the 4 years

If you leave early for a medical condition, disability, hardship or a force reduction, your family generally keeps eligibility. Otherwise, the transferred months go back to you.

The big mistake

Waiting until after retirement. Every year service members retire without transferring and lose the option for good. Even if you're not sure your kids will go to college, transferring 1 month to each keeps the door open.

Sources: VA: Transfer GI Bill · milConnect: TEB overview · VA: Transferred benefits for family. Rules and amounts change; always confirm on the official site. Veteran Mortgage Guys is not a government agency or a VSO.

Common questions

Can I transfer my GI Bill after I retire?

No. The transfer has to be requested and approved in milConnect while you're still serving.

How many years do I need to transfer the GI Bill?

At least 6 years of service, plus an agreement to serve 4 more years.

How old can my child be to use the transferred GI Bill?

Children must use it before age 26, and can start after you've completed 10 years of service.

What form does my spouse or child use?

VA Form 22-1990e, to get their own Certificate of Eligibility.

See your real numbers

Our free calculator uses 2026 pay tables, BAH by ZIP and VA residual income standards. About 2 minutes, no credit pull.

How Much Do I Qualify For?Book a Call

Educational information only, not a commitment to lend or a loan approval. VA guidelines and lender requirements change; your eligibility and terms depend on your full application, credit, income and VA entitlement.