To pursue Chapter 30 and 32 education benefits, the individual must file a formal claim for educational assistance. The service member should talk to their service education officer before filing a formal claim for educational assistance. The VA will furnish the necessary claim forms, instructions, and any supporting evidence required upon receipt of an informal claim. Chapter 30 and 32 is known as The GI Bill.

The VA will not provide basic educational assistance to supplemental educational assistance to a veteran or service member beyond ten years from the date of the veteran’s last discharge or release from a period of active duty of 90 days or more of continuous service. The individual must have met the requirements of 38 U.S.C. Chapter 34, in effect on December 31, 1989, establishing eligibility for educational assistance allowance under that chapter. The individual must have entitlement remaining for educational assistance allowance under chapter 34. The individual must serve at least three years continuous active duty in the Armed Forces, or discharged from active duty due to a service connected disability, or for a medical condition which preexisted the individual’s service on active duty and which the VA determines is not service connected. When the individual is discharged due to a hardship or was released from active duty for the convenience of the Government provided the individual completes at least 30 months of active duty.

When an individual has eligibility under more than one program, he or she may not receive a combination of educational assistance benefits at the same time under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 32. An individual must have contributed a minimum period of 12 consecutive months. The contribution shall be at least $25 per month but not more than $100 per month. The amount of the total contribution an individual may contribute for the number of months required to reach a total contribution of $2,700.00.

Disenrollment may be done at any time after the initial 12 months of participation. At any time within the initial 12 months of participation, disenrollment for an individual may be done for reasons of personal hardship only. The Department of Veterans Affairs can disenroll an individual when they are discharged or released from his or her initial obligated period of active service or the discharge is under dishonorable conditions. Also when there is a statutory bar to benefits administered by the VA. The individual will be disenrolled when the Department of Veterans Affairs determines he or she has ceased to be legally entitled to participate, or the individual negotiates the check which represents a refund of his or her remaining contributions to the fund, whichever is earlier.