Tuition Residency for GI Bill®, VR&E, and DEA Recipients
Section 702 of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (“Choice Act”), requires that a person using educational assistance under either Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty) or Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®) be considered in-state residents for tuition purposes only for the period during which they are utilizing their VA education benefits.
Section 301 modified the "Choice Act" to include Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment VR&E) beginning after March 31, 2019.
The Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-68) amended Section 702 to include Chapter 35 (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance DEA) beginning August 1, 2022.
Students at the University of Illinois utilizing Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty), Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®), Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment VR&E), and/or Chapter 35 (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance DEA), and who might not otherwise be assessed tuition at the in-state rate will be assessed in-state tuition for a given term once they have been verified as receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for that term.
Although not required by this law, the University maintains a compassionate practice that assists servicemembers who have made significant progress towards a degree while enrolled at the University and receiving Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty), Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®), Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment VR&E), and/or Chapter 35 (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance DEA) benefits but then exhaust their benefit eligibility just short of completing their degree. This practice:
- Applies to active-duty military and veterans and dependents, and
- Requires the benefit recipient to have been enrolled at the University while receiving Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty), Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®), Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment VR&E), and/or Chapter 35 (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance DEA), and
- Is available only to those benefit recipients enrolled as degree-seeking students in undergraduate, graduate or professional programs (programs that could typically qualify a student for Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty), Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®), Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment VR&E), and/or Chapter 35 (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance DEA) benefits.
Under this practice, a benefit recipient may be granted up to one year of in-state residency for tuition purposes after their eligibility for Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty), Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®), Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment VR&E), and/or Chapter 35 (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance DEA) benefits has been fully utilized provided they are within thirty (30) hours of completing their degree program and remain continuously enrolled.
This supplemental benefit is offered at the discretion of the University and may be changed or eliminated at any time.
Students wishing to confirm their eligibility under this practice for an extension of their in-state residency should contact the appropriate campus office at:
Those with more general questions about their Post-9/11 GI Bill®, VR&E, and DEA education benefit eligibility should contact the respective campus office for further information at: