Separate the programs

• Tuition Assistance: a service-administered education benefit with service-specific approval procedures.
• Credentialing / COOL: service programs connecting military specialties to civilian credentials and licensing.
• GI Bill: VA-administered education benefits based on statutory/service eligibility.
• Transfer of Education Benefits: DoD—not VA—decides whether a serving member may transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement to eligible dependents.

GI Bill transfer pathway

1. Confirm the member is still in an eligible serving status before requesting transfer.
2. Confirm the dependent is properly recorded in DEERS.
3. Use milConnect’s Transfer of Education Benefits function to request and allocate months.
4. Preserve the DoD approval and service-obligation information.
5. The dependent separately applies to VA to use approved transferred benefits.
6. Recheck allocations in milConnect before separation and before a dependent begins using them.

VA’s current guidance states that transfer generally requires at least six years of service at approval plus an agreement to serve four additional years, subject to exceptions and service rules. Because transfer eligibility is time-sensitive, verify the current rule before separation.

Education record to preserve

• Education counseling and approvals
• Tuition Assistance authorizations and school billing
• Joint Services Transcript and credential records
• TEB request, approval and allocations
• VA Certificate of Eligibility and enrollment certifications
• Payment and debt notices

Official sources

• VA — Transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits
• milConnect — Transfer of Education Benefits
• Military OneSource — TA DECIDE
• Military OneSource — Preparing for Higher Education

Source status: SRC-040; SRC-041; SRC-053; SRC-054 verified October 4, 2026. Recheck current service-specific instructions and deadlines before acting.