The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a significant ruling that could expand education benefits for millions of veterans by allowing them to use both the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Montgomery GI Bill to pay for college if they meet eligibility requirements for each. This 7-2 ruling overturns the previous policy of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which required veterans to choose one program and forfeit the other.
The ruling came from a case involving Jim Rudisill, an Army veteran who served for eight years and attempted to use both programs. After reaching the 36-month limit under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, he was denied further benefits from the Montgomery GI Bill by the VA. He sued, and the Supreme Court sided with Rudisill, highlighting that he was entitled to an additional 12 months of benefits, potentially setting a precedent for other veterans in similar situations.
“The bottom line is this: veterans who separately accrue benefits under [both GI Bills] are entitled to both benefits,” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in the majority opinion. “Thus Rudisill may use his benefits, in any order, up to [the statute’s] 48-month aggregate-benefits cap.”
Currently, most veterans utilize the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which offers up to 36 months of tuition payments, housing stipends, and other financial assistance, with the total value exceeding $200,000 over a four-year degree program. In contrast, the Montgomery GI Bill provides up to $2,358 per month for tuition and school expenses, totaling nearly $113,000 for a four-year degree, without additional stipends. For those who have not yet used either, the decision presents a new strategy for maximizing educational benefits based on individual and family needs.
Advocates like retired Lt. Col. Elizabeth Kubala from Syracuse University’s Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic see this as a clear directive that veterans can use what both bills have to offer. However, the implementation timeline for this ruling remains uncertain as the VA continues to review the decision.
“It’s going to be important for [the] VA to offer clear and quick guidance on this issue,” Kubala told Military Times. “[The] VA is a large federal agency and these reviews take time. But given how many vets could potentially use these benefits as early as this fall, they need to act quickly.”
Attorneys representing Rudisill said that approximately 1.7 million veterans could receive more benefits as a result of the decision. During court proceedings, the VA disputed the figure given by the plaintiff, arguing that only a small fraction would qualify for expanded benefits. A narrow interpretation of the ruling by the VA, as suggested, could lead to further legal battles, the plaintiff’s attorney Timothy McHugh said.
VA officials have yet to provide clear guidance on when the expanded benefits will be available. Meanwhile, organizations like Student Veterans of America and Veterans Education Success are working with VA leaders to understand the ruling’s full implications. Despite the uncertainty, this marks a significant step toward providing veterans with the full educational benefits they earned through their service.
