GI Bill® chapters compared: 30, 33, 35, 1606 and 31 (2026 rates)

The GI Bill® chapters do not share one comparable monthly rate: Chapters 30, 35 and 1606 pay education allowances, Chapter 33 separates tuition and housing support, and Chapter 31 follows an approved employment plan. If you are choosing benefits for a civilian degree, compare eligibility and what each chapter pays before comparing the 2026 amounts below.

1. GI Bill chapters and 2026 payment benchmarks

Compare payment structures before amounts. Chapter 30's monthly education payment and Chapter 33's housing payment cover different parts of your education budget. For the service requirements behind Chapter 33, start with the Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility guide.

Overall

• Published amount: No single average applies
• What the amount represents: Different benefits, recipients and payment structures

Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty

• Published amount: $2,601/month
• What the amount represents: Full-time institutional training, qualifying enlistment of at least three years

Chapter 30: shorter qualifying enlistment

• Published amount: $2,110/month
• What the amount represents: Full-time institutional training, qualifying enlistment under three years

Chapter 35: Dependents' Educational Assistance

• Published amount: $1,621/month
• What the amount represents: Full-time education allowance for eligible dependents

Chapter 1606: Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve

• Published amount: $508/month
• What the amount represents: Full-time education allowance for eligible Selected Reserve members

Chapter 33: Post-9/11 GI Bill

• Published amount: Up to $1,198/month
• What the amount represents: Distance-only monthly housing allowance; not total education support

Chapter 31: Veteran Readiness and Employment

• Published amount: Individual approved plan
• What the amount represents: No single comparable total monthly benefit

Sources: VA's Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty, Dependents' Educational Assistance and Selected Reserve rate schedules effective October 1, 2026; VA's Post-9/11 GI Bill rates page, updated October 13, 2026, for the academic year beginning August 1, 2026. Amounts depend on the applicable eligibility and enrollment rules.

Among the full-time education-allowance rows, Chapter 30's longer-enlistment rate is highest at $2,601/month; Chapter 1606 is lowest at $508/month. That does not make Chapter 30 the strongest overall benefit: Chapter 33's housing figure excludes its separate tuition and books provisions.

Scope and limitation

These are published VA payment benchmarks, not averages calculated from student payments. The table compares specified training categories and effective periods; it cannot determine your eligibility, personal award or total education support.

How to use these benchmarks

• Compare the same expense. Do not treat Chapter 33's $1,198/month distance-only housing ceiling as its entire benefit.
• Match the enrollment category. The $1,621/month Chapter 35 and $508/month Chapter 1606 figures describe full-time study.
• Check the Chapter 30 service category. The $2,601/month and $2,110/month rows apply to different qualifying enlistment lengths.

Why this matters: a larger payment to your bank account does not automatically leave you with a smaller education bill. Separate tuition obligations from living costs before choosing a chapter.

2. Who each chapter serves

The chapter number identifies a benefit program, not a degree level. Your service history, family eligibility or employment-related needs determine which programs you should investigate.

Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty

Chapter 30 serves eligible people with qualifying active-duty service. It generally provides an education payment directly to you rather than using Chapter 33's separate tuition-and-housing structure.

Consider Chapter 30 when you are eligible and its payment structure fits your actual education expenses. Its limitation is that you must evaluate the payment against the tuition and other costs you remain responsible for paying.

Chapter 33: Post-9/11 GI Bill

Chapter 33 serves eligible people with qualifying service and certain eligible family members using transferred benefits or other applicable provisions. It may provide tuition and fee payments, a housing allowance and a books stipend, depending on eligibility.

The benefit percentage matters. Review the Post-9/11 GI Bill percentage guide before assuming the published maximum applies to you.

Chapter 35: Dependents' Educational Assistance

Chapter 35, also called Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), serves eligible spouses and children under VA's qualifying circumstances. It is not simply another chapter a veteran can select for themselves.

Consider Chapter 35 when your dependent eligibility is established. Its monthly allowance does not establish that a school's tuition will be fully paid, and Yellow Ribbon does not apply to Chapter 35.

Chapter 1606: Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve

Chapter 1606 serves eligible Selected Reserve members. Reserve status alone does not establish entitlement; confirm the applicable service and participation requirements.

Its published full-time allowance provides a planning reference. It does not replace a review of tuition, other assistance and your remaining personal expenses.

Chapter 31: Veteran Readiness and Employment

Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) addresses employment barriers for eligible veterans with service-connected disabilities. Education may form part of an approved rehabilitation plan, but Chapter 31 is not an unrestricted college benefit.

Consider VR&E when training supports an employment goal and addresses an employment barrier. The VR&E counselor determines entitlement and approves the plan and school; VeteranDegrees provides educational guidance, not claims assistance.

3. What tuition and housing support mean

Start with the curriculum, required skills and career direction. Then divide your education budget into tuition, required materials and living costs so you can compare what each benefit actually addresses.

Chapter 33 separates several kinds of support

VA's Post-9/11 rates for the academic year beginning August 1, 2026, list a private- or foreign-school tuition-and-fee cap of up to $30,908.34 per academic year, depending on eligibility. That is a benefit limit, not a school's tuition or a promise that your education expenses will be covered.

The same benefit framework includes a books-and-supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per academic year, depending on eligibility. Do not confuse that annual stipend with a monthly housing payment.

The GI Bill's housing payment is what most people call BAH; VA calls it the Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). VA's Post-9/11 rates page, updated October 13, 2026, lists distance-only MHA of up to $1,198/month for the academic year beginning August 1, 2026.

Resident MHA is not one national amount

Resident MHA is based on the Department of Defense housing rate for an E-5 with dependents at the applicable class-location ZIP code. Your benefit percentage and rate of pursuit also affect the amount.

A hybrid course schedule may qualify for resident-rate MHA, generally when you study more than half-time and take an in-person class that counts toward your program. Your school's certifying official and VA determine how the enrollment is certified and paid.

VA pays no MHA while you are on active duty. Do not build a service-member education budget around receiving it.

Compare delivery formats without assuming a payment

Fully online

• Practical advantage: No required campus attendance for the coursework
• Benefit limitation: Eligible Chapter 33 students use distance-only MHA rules

Hybrid

• Practical advantage: Combines remote coursework with required attendance
• Benefit limitation: Resident MHA depends on qualifying enrollment and certification

On campus

• Practical advantage: Direct access to scheduled classroom instruction
• Benefit limitation: Location and attendance alone do not establish benefit eligibility

Choose the format you can complete. A housing estimate does not establish that the schedule, commute or curriculum fits your career plan.

4. Which benefit should you consider first?

Use eligibility and education needs to narrow the choice; use payment amounts afterward. There is no universal chapter that wins for every veteran, service member or family member.

If you are eligible for Chapters 30 and 33

Compare the school's actual tuition and required fees, your Chapter 33 percentage, housing eligibility and remaining entitlement. Chapter 33 deserves close consideration when separate tuition support is important; Chapter 30 deserves a calculation when its direct allowance fits your education expenses.

Do not make a benefit election from the table alone. VA's rules governing elections and use of multiple benefits can affect your options.

If you have an employment barrier related to disability

Explore VR&E before assuming you must use GI Bill entitlement for the training. Ask whether the proposed degree supports an appropriate employment goal within an approved plan.

The VR&E-approved schools guide explains why school approval and approval of your individual plan are separate questions. A school's participation does not establish counselor approval for your circumstances.

If you are a spouse, child or Selected Reserve member

For eligible dependents, compare the benefit pathways that actually apply to your relationship and circumstances. The Chapter 35 degree-program guide provides a starting point for connecting dependent benefits with a degree choice.

For Selected Reserve members, verify Chapter 1606 eligibility and examine other available education assistance under its own rules. Do not assume different programs can pay the same expense together.

When this comparison does not fit

This page is not a personal eligibility decision, a school ranking or an award estimate. If you are choosing a disability-claim strategy rather than an education pathway, a Benefits Navigator call is not that service.

5. What to verify before you apply

Changing careers after service involves enough uncertainty. Reduce the education decision to a short set of documents and questions you can verify.

• Define the career goal. Identify the work you want to do and the curriculum or credential it requires.
• Confirm the benefit. Review your Certificate of Eligibility (COE), if applicable, for benefit percentage and remaining entitlement.
• Check the school and program. Use VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool and Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS), and speak with the school's certifying official.
• Confirm the schedule. Ask how the actual courses, dates and attendance requirements will be certified.
• Build the budget. Separate tuition support, education allowances, books and living costs. Keep estimates distinct from confirmed awards.

Before committing to a long program, review how to plan with GI Bill months left. Remaining entitlement belongs in the decision alongside the degree's requirements.

For an initial application for your own GI Bill education benefits, VA Form 22-1990 is the standard starting form. Dependents and veterans seeking VR&E follow their respective application processes; do not assume the same form applies to every chapter.

VeteranDegrees provides free education-benefit guidance for veterans who want help comparing a degree plan with their benefits. It is not a school or VA, and you submit your own applications. VA and, where applicable, your VR&E counselor make the benefit decisions.

6. FAQ

What are the different GI Bill chapters?

The main programs compared here are Chapter 30, Chapter 33, Chapter 35, Chapter 1606 and Chapter 31. They serve different groups and pay differently; Chapter 31 is Veteran Readiness and Employment, while Chapter 35 is Dependents' Educational Assistance.

Which GI Bill chapter pays the most in 2026?

No single chapter pays the most in every situation because the benefits cover different expenses. VA's rates effective October 1, 2026, list Chapter 30 full-time institutional payments of $2,601/month for the longer qualifying enlistment category, but that cannot be compared directly with Chapter 33's housing payment alone.

Is Chapter 33 better than Chapter 30?

Chapter 33 deserves consideration when its separate tuition, housing and books provisions fit your education needs; Chapter 30 requires comparing its direct allowance with your actual expenses. Eligibility, remaining entitlement and benefit-election rules affect the decision, so confirm those details with VA before choosing.

Does Chapter 35 pay tuition directly to the school?

Chapter 35 generally pays an education allowance to the eligible beneficiary rather than following Chapter 33's separate tuition-payment structure. VA's full-time rate effective October 1, 2026, is $1,621/month, subject to applicable eligibility and enrollment rules; it does not establish full tuition coverage.

Can I use Chapter 31 instead of my GI Bill?

You may be able to receive training through Chapter 31 if VA determines entitlement and your VR&E counselor approves an employment-focused plan. A disability rating alone does not establish approval for a particular school or degree.

Do all GI Bill chapters include a housing allowance?

No, the chapters do not all provide Chapter 33's separate Monthly Housing Allowance. Chapter 30, Chapter 35 and Chapter 1606 use education-allowance structures, while Chapter 31 support depends on the approved plan and applicable rules; VA pays no Chapter 33 MHA while you are on active duty.

Want to talk it through? Book a free VeteranDegrees Benefits Navigator call to compare your degree goal and benefit questions; the educational phone consultation is about 30 minutes, with no obligation to enroll anywhere. You can also check any school in VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool and WEAMS before making a decision.

Related guides

• Am I eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®?
• Understanding your Certificate of Eligibility
• MHA Calculator