then Add to Home Screen.
Legislation introduced in the House and Senate would expand eligibility for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to National Guardsmen and Reservists serving on certain duty statuses.
The Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025 (H.R. 1423 and S. 649) would expand post-9/11 GI Bill education assistance to cover all Title 32, including Annual Training and Inactive Duty Training.
On Feb. 18, Reps. Mike Levin, R-Calif., Trent Kelly, R-Miss., and Mark Takano, D-Calif., reintroduced the bill in the House.
“Our bill ensures that time spent in uniform counts toward earning crucial GI Bill benefits. National Guard and Reserve members step up at a moment’s notice to protect our communities, and they deserve the same educational opportunities as their active-duty counterparts. It’s time to deliver the benefits they’ve earned,” said Rep. Levin in a press release.
“The Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act represents a crucial step towards ensuring that VA education benefits align with the evolving nature of military service. This legislation ensures that all those in uniform, regardless of their duty status, have access to the education benefits they deserve,” said Kelly, co-chair of the House National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus.
The House considered similar legislation in the last three Congresses.
The legislation would count every day a Guardsman or Reservist spends on weekend drills and annual training, attends a military school, participates in an exercise or responds to a disaster in a federal status towards eligibility.
Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., the chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the committee's ranking member, have sponsored the companion bill in the Senate.
“The men and women of the National Guard and Reserves are being called on to serve our country more often than before and are performing the same service as active-duty servicemembers,” said Moran in a statement.
The act would ensure “Guard and Reserve servicemembers receive credit for every day spent in uniform, allowing these individuals to pursue their higher education and career goals,” Blumenthal added.
It is strongly supported by NGAUS and other veteran service organizations.
“The GI Bill is a phenomenal draw to joining the military. We invest in our servicemembers because they invest in our nation’s freedom,” said retired Maj Gen. Francis M. McGinn, the NGAUS president. “Each day in uniform should count towards accruing education benefits, including time spent away on drill weekends and annual training for the National Guard.”
The Post-9/11 GI Bill offers up to 36 months of educational benefits for college tuition and fees, housing and books and supplies.
The full benefits require 1,095 days (or 36 months) of service, but those with just 90 days of creditable service qualify for 50%, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
— By Jennifer Hickey
