VA Form 22-1990e is the application a spouse or child files to start using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits that a service member has already transferred to them. You can file it online at VA.gov or by mail to a regional processing office, but only after the service member completes the Transfer of Education Benefits request through the Department of Defense. The VA currently averages about 30 days to process education claims.1Veterans Affairs. How To Apply For The GI Bill And Related Benefits
The DoD Transfer Has to Be Done First
Filing 22-1990e is the second step in a two-step process, and the first step is not yours. While still on active duty, the service member must request a Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) through the milConnect portal run by the Department of Defense.2Veterans Affairs. Transfer Your Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits The VA cannot process the transfer itself; it goes through DoD.
During that request the service member names you, specifies how many months of benefits you receive, and sets the period during which the transfer is effective.3U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits Once DoD approves it, your information is sent to the VA. Only then can 22-1990e be matched to anything. Submitting the form before the DoD transfer is approved is the most common reason an otherwise correct application stalls.
Who Can File Form 22-1990e
You can file if you are a dependent of a veteran or service member and that person has already transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to you.4Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 22-1990e Eligible dependents include a legal spouse, biological child, adopted child, or stepchild. A ward or foster child also qualifies if placed in the service member’s legal custody by court order for at least 12 months before the TEB request was made.5Wisconsin National Guard. Transfer of Education Benefits All dependents must be registered in DEERS before the transfer goes through.
The service member’s own eligibility hinges on time in uniform. Federal law requires at least six years of service and an agreement to serve four more at the time the transfer is approved.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 3319 – Authority to Transfer Unused Education Benefits to Family Members For benefits transferred to a child, the statute requires at least ten years of service, or an amount set by DoD regulations.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 U.S. Code 3319 – Authority to Transfer Unused Education Benefits to Family Members The total months transferable across all dependents caps at 36.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
Gather this information before opening the form. Missing pieces create delays.
- Your full name, date of birth, Social Security number, and current mailing address. Providing the SSN is voluntary, and refusing to provide it alone will not result in denial of benefits.3U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits
- The sponsor’s name and branch of service, so the VA can match your application to the correct military record.
- Direct deposit information. Federal benefit payments must be made by electronic funds transfer, so you need your bank routing and account numbers. If you file the paper form, attach a voided check or deposit slip that matches what you entered.3U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits
- The name, address, and type of program you plan to attend — college, vocational training, apprenticeship, or flight training. Your school must be approved to accept GI Bill benefits, which you can confirm through the GI Bill Comparison Tool at VA.gov.8Veterans Affairs. GI Bill Comparison Tool – Schools and Employers
Vocational flight training adds requirements. You must already hold a private pilot’s license. Airline Transport Pilot courses require a valid first-class medical certificate on the date you enter training; other flight courses require a second-class certificate.3U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits
Filing Online
The fastest route is the online form at va.gov/forms/22-1990e. One detail trips people up: you must sign in under your own Login.gov or ID.me account, not the service member’s. The VA cannot process the application if the veteran or service member logs into their account and submits it for you.4Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 22-1990e Online submission gives you an immediate confirmation number and tends to move through faster than paper.
Filing by Mail
If you prefer paper, download the PDF from VA.gov and mail the completed form to the regional processing office that covers the state where your school is located. If you have not chosen a school yet, use the office that covers your home address.9Veterans Affairs. Regional Processing Office Addresses For GI Bill Applications
The Muskogee Regional Processing Office covers Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and the trust territories. Mail to: Department of Veterans Affairs, PO Box 8888, Muskogee, OK 74402-8888.9Veterans Affairs. Regional Processing Office Addresses For GI Bill Applications
The Buffalo Regional Processing Office covers Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all other foreign countries. Mail to: Department of Veterans Affairs, PO Box 4616, Buffalo, NY 14240-4616.9Veterans Affairs. Regional Processing Office Addresses For GI Bill Applications
Sending it to the wrong office won’t kill the application, but it adds weeks to an already slower channel. Check the state list before you drop the envelope.
What Happens After You Submit
The VA will send a decision letter in the mail. In some cases it may contact you for additional information before deciding. If your application is approved, bring the letter to the VA certifying official at your school.10Veterans Affairs. After You Apply For Education Benefits The certifying official verifies your enrollment each term and reports it to the VA, which is what triggers tuition payments and, when applicable, the housing allowance.
If your application is denied, the letter explains why. The usual culprits are a TEB request that was not fully approved on the DoD side, DEERS records that don’t match what you entered, or a mismatch between the months the service member transferred and what the applicant claimed. Most of these are fixable through DoD rather than by refiling with the VA.
One Thing to Know About the Housing Allowance
Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits pay tuition and fees, up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies, and a Monthly Housing Allowance based on the Basic Allowance for Housing rate for an E-5 with dependents at your school’s ZIP code. For public schools the VA pays full in-state tuition and fees; for private and foreign schools the cap is $29,920.95 for the academic year running August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026.11Veterans Affairs. Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Rates
Spouses using transferred benefits are not eligible for the Monthly Housing Allowance while the service member is still on active duty.11Veterans Affairs. Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Rates The housing allowance becomes available only after the service member separates. Children using transferred benefits from an active-duty parent can receive the MHA; the restriction applies specifically to spouses. The allowance also requires more than half-time enrollment.