Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve General & How to Apply

Chapter 1606 Reserve Select GI Bill Purpose

The Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR, Chapter 1606) is an education program. It provides up to 36 months of education benefits to members of the Selected Reserve. This includes the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard Reserves.

How to be eligible for Chapter 1606

First, one of these must be true:

  • You have a 6-year service obligation (you agreed to serve 6 years) in the Selected Reserve, or
  • You’re an officer in the Selected Reserve and you agreed to serve 6 years in addition to your initial service obligation. Note: Your obligation must have started after June 30, 1985, or for some types of training after September 30, 1990.

And all of these must also be true:

  • You complete your initial active duty for training (IADT), and
  • You get a high school diploma or certificate of equal value, like a High School Equivalency Diploma or GED, before finishing IADT (Note: You can’t use 12 hours toward a college degree to meet this requirement), and
  • You stay in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit
    (Note: You’ll still be eligible if you’re discharged from Selected Reserve service due to a disability that was not caused by misconduct)

 

How to obtain a CH 1606 Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

  1. Go to How To Apply For The GI Bill And Related Benefits | Veterans Affairs (va.gov)  
  2. Scroll down and click the blue box that says ‘Apply for education benefits’ and answer the questions.
  3. Sign in to VA.gov using your preferred method of login (DS Login or ID.me) to start your application.  
  4. Complete the selection process and submit your application!

After completing the application process. It can take the VA up to 30 DAYS to process your digital application, please be sure to check the status online every 2-3 business days.

 

Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve Benefit Checklist

Military & Veterans Programs has transitioned to a paperless office environment. All required documents for certification must be submitted to MVP as an attachment to your online electronic form. (link below)

Complete & submit a VA Federal Certification Request via the MVP Forms Portal every semester.

You will need to upload the following supporting documents to your VA Federal Certification Request by selecting “My Applications Tab” via the MVP Forms Portal

  1. Degree Plan
    • From your Raiderlink Portal access the DegreeWorks tab or go to degreeworks.texastech.edu. Download a PDF of your degree plan to upload into your VA Certification Request from your MVP Forms Portal.
  1. Military Transcripts
    • Instructions on obtaining your Military Transcript: 
      1. Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard Navigate to jst.doded.mil/jst 
      2. Air Force and Space Force navigate to www.airuniversity.af.edu 
    • Please upload an unofficial copy of your Military Transcript to MVP via the MVP Forms Portal at mvp.ttu.edu
    • Please submit an official military transcript to the Transfer Evaluation Office (TEO) no later than your 2nd semester at TTU. The Transfer Evaluation Office is in the Office of the Registrar, Room 121 West Hall.  
  1. Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve​​
  • Upload a current copy (less than 6 months old) of your VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or Semester award letter from VA.gov in the MVP Forms Portal located at mvp.ttu.edu OR A copy of the Statement of Benefits from www.va.gov. 
  1. DD214 (Service 2 or Member 4)
    • Upload a Legible Official Copy of DD214 See TVC link; www.tvc.texas.gov
      1. Upload a permissible and legible DD-214 (Member 4, Service 2, Veterans Administration 3, Dept. of Labor 5, State Dir. Of VA-6, Service 7, and Service 8). 
      2. If you do not have an acceptable DD214: Order a copy from the National Archives at www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records.
  2. Military Payment Plan
    • Apply for up to a 60 day extension on the first due date of tuition and fees by following this link to the Service - Military Benefits website. There is no enrollment fee for the Military Payment Plan; however, a Military Payment Plan Enrollment Request form must be submitted each semester the student wishes to enroll in the plan. 

 

If you need assistance obtaining your COE, please call VA education benefits (Monday – Friday, 8:00am -7:00pm ET) at (888) 442-4551 or visit va.gov/education/how-to-apply/.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Education and Training. The use of military-themed imagery does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense.

 

Official communication is done through TTU Email.
The MVP Office will contact you via TTU email if additional documentation is required.
This checklist is a guide to successfully completing a VA Certification application.
Students have up to the last day of classes to submit their application, please see the Texas Tech Academic Calendar.
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO ENSURE THEY HAVE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION & UPLOADED NEEDED DOCUMENTS EACH SEMESTER.

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