VR&E vs Post-9/11 GI Bill: Which Pays You More?

The P911SA election: most veterans never hear about it

If you elect Chapter 31 VR&E, you can submit VA Form 28-0987 to be paid the Post-9/11 Subsistence Allowance (P911SA) instead of the standard CH 31 subsistence rate. P911SA equals the same E-5-with-dependents BAH rate that Chapter 33 uses for your school's zip code.

The key detail: electing P911SA does NOT consume your Chapter 33 entitlement months. Your 36 months of GI Bill stays untouched. So in most metro markets where BAH exceeds the standard CH 31 subsistence table, P911SA gives you Chapter 33 housing money plus Chapter 31's tuition coverage (full, no cap), without burning through GI Bill months.

This calculator computes both numbers and shows which pays more for your situation.

VR&E School Certifying Official Handbook (PDF, see P911SA section)

What this calculator does NOT cover

1. Tuition gap on private schools. Chapter 33 caps private/foreign tuition at $29,920.95/year. Yellow Ribbon may close the gap if your school participates and you're at the 100% tier. Chapter 31 covers full tuition with no cap. Calc surfaces this in the Tuition row but cannot guarantee Yellow Ribbon coverage.
2. The 48-month combined cap. Per 38 USC § 3695, you cannot collect more than 48 months total across all VA education programs. The exception: VR&E counselors can extend Chapter 31 beyond 48 months only if needed for rehab purposes.
3. You cannot collect housing under both at once. One program at a time.
4. VR&E requires a counselor finding. Eligibility requires ≥10% rating and an employment handicap finding by a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. Not automatic at 10%.
5. BAH locks each August. The rate VA uses for your school year is set on August 1 from the prior January's DoD BAH table. Numbers shown are FY 2026 rates effective 8/1/2025 through 7/31/2026.
6. Online-only enrollment caps MHA. If more than 50% of your classes are online, your Chapter 33 housing drops to $1,169/month regardless of zip. One in-person class per term may restore the resident rate, confirm with your school.
7. Active duty users get no MHA. This calc assumes veteran (separated) status. Active duty Chapter 33 users get tuition + book stipend but no housing allowance.
8. Some specifics need a counselor. Long-term rehab extensions and equipment costs (CH 31 covers tools/uniforms/special equipment) are not modeled here. TEB recipients (spouse/dependent using transferred CH 33): see the TEB section below. This calc assumes you are the veteran.

Eligibility at a glance

Chapter 31 (VR&E), official eligibility

• Service-connected rating of 10% or higher (20%+ for active duty pre-discharge applicants)
• Employment handicap or serious employment handicap finding by a VR&E counselor
• No expiration for veterans separated on or after January 1, 2013
• Veterans separated before 2013 had a 12-year basic period from separation. Expiration may have passed

Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill), official eligibility

• At least 90 aggregate days of active service after September 10, 2001 (or 30 continuous days if discharged for a service-connected disability)
• Tier % (50% to 100% of full benefit) based on length of qualifying service
• Forever GI Bill: no expiration for veterans separated on or after January 1, 2013
• Pre-2013 separations: 15 years from last separation

Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB): spouses and dependents

Active-duty servicemembers can transfer some or all of their unused Chapter 33 entitlement to a spouse or dependent child. This calculator is built for the veteran themselves, not for transferred recipients, but the differences are worth knowing if you're deciding whether to transfer:

• Spouse using TEB: Receives the same monthly housing allowance and tier % as the sponsor would. No MHA paid while sponsor is on active duty, only after sponsor separates.
• Dependent child using TEB: Same as above, but the child also receives MHA while the sponsor is still on active duty (provided the sponsor has completed the required service obligation).
• 4-year extra service obligation. The transferring servicemember commits to four additional years of service from the date of transfer election. Check whether you're already past that point.
• Yellow Ribbon for TEB recipients: Same rule as for veterans, only at 100% tier. The school must participate.
• Spouses lose eligibility on divorce. The sponsor can revoke a spouse's transferred entitlement at any time.
• VR&E does NOT transfer. Chapter 31 is veteran-only. A spouse or child cannot use the sponsor's VR&E.

Official VA TEB guidance →

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