To be eligible for the Top-up benefit, the person must be approved for federal Tuition Assistance by a military department and be eligible for Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)-Active Duty benefits.  To be eligible for MGIB benefits, the person must be an MGIB-Active Duty participant and must have served at lease 2 full years on active duty. 

The amount of the benefit is limited to the amount that the person would receive for the same course if regular MGIB benefits were being paid.  In no case can the amount paid by the military combined with the amount paid by VA be more than the total cost of the course. 

If a person receives the Top-up benefit, his or her regular MGIB benefits will be reduced.  The amount of entitlement charged for Top-up payments is determined by dividing the amount of the payment by the claimant’s full-time monthly rate. 

How to Apply 

A copy of the Tuition Assistance Authorization form for the course that has been signed by an authorized military official will be required. If the claimant has not requested MGIB benefits before should submit a VA Form 22-1990 to establish eligibility. The VA Form 22-1990 can be obtained from the campus Office of Veterans Affairs, downloaded or filed electronically from the VA website: http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/education_forms.htm  The application and other evidence should be sent to the Regional Processing Office:

Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Regional Office
PO Box 4616
Buffalo  NY  14240