Transfer of Entitlement to Dependents

Looking for something else? If you used VA education benefits at a previous school and are now enrolling at APSU, visit How to Apply for Transfer Students — that page covers school-to-school transfer of certification. This page covers a service member transferring their GI Bill® benefits to a family member.

Transfer of Entitlement (TOE) is a Department of Defense program that allows eligible service members to transfer some or all of their unused Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) benefits to a spouse, dependent children, or both. The transfer process is handled entirely through the DoD — APSU's role begins after the transfer is approved and your dependent is ready to enroll at Austin Peay.

Service Member Eligibility

Eligibility for transferring Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits is determined by the Department of Defense, not the VA or APSU:

Each military service's Secretary has the sole discretion to determine if that service will offer the Transferability of Entitlement option under qualifying Post-9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 33.

You may be able to transfer your benefits if all of the following are true:

You have completed at least 6 years of service on the date your request is approved
You agree to add 4 more years of service
The family member receiving benefits is enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)

Important: You must submit your request while you are still on active duty or in the Selected Reserve. Requests cannot be submitted after separation or retirement.

Purple Heart recipients: No service requirement applies, but you must still submit the request while on active duty.

Dependent Eligibility

Spouses

Your spouse can begin using transferred benefits immediately, whether you are currently on active duty or have separated from service.

Separated before January 1, 2013: your spouse has up to 15 years from your separation date to use the benefits.
Separated on or after January 1, 2013: no time limit applies.

Note that spouses do not qualify for the monthly housing allowance while the service member is still on active duty.

A subsequent divorce does not affect a transferred spouse's eligibility to receive education benefits; however, the service member retains the right to revoke or modify the transfer at any time.

Dependent Children

A dependent child may start using transferred benefits only after you have completed at least 10 years of service. The child must also:

Have a high school diploma or equivalent, or be at least 18 years old
Be younger than 26 years old at the time of use

Unlike spouses, children may qualify for the monthly housing allowance even while you are still on active duty.

A child's subsequent marriage does not affect their eligibility to receive transferred education benefits; however, the service member retains the right to revoke or modify the transfer at any time.

How to Request the Transfer

Submit your Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) request through milConnect while you are still on active duty. Log back in after submitting to check the status of your request.

Once approved, provide a copy of the approval to your spouse and/or dependent. You can also use milConnect to modify the number of months transferred, add additional eligible dependents, or cancel a transfer for benefits not yet awarded.

For branch-specific questions about eligibility and the milConnect TEB tool, visit the Transfer Your Post-9/11 GI Bill® Benefits page on VA.gov for direct contact information for each branch of service.

How Your Dependent Applies with the VA

After the transfer is approved, your dependent applies directly with the VA to use the benefit — not through APSU.

Dependents 18 and older can apply online at VA.gov using their own Login.gov or ID.me account. The service member cannot apply on the dependent's behalf through their own VA.gov account.

Dependents under 18 require the service member to complete the Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits (VA Form 22-1990e) on their behalf and submit it by mail or through Ask VA.

For questions about the dependent's VA application, contact the Buffalo VA Regional Processing Office at 1-888-442-4551 or Ask VA.

Next Steps at APSU

Once the VA approves your dependent's application, they will receive a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). Your dependent should bring or send a copy of the COE to the APSU Veterans Education Benefits office to begin the enrollment certification process.

If your dependent enrolls before their Certificate of Eligibility arrives: They do not need to wait. Our office can submit an enrollment certification to the VA for the current academic term while the COE is still in process.

How payments work

Understanding where money goes helps avoid confusion at the start of a term:

Tuition and fees are paid directly from the VA to APSU. Your dependent does not pay tuition out of pocket while benefits are active.
Monthly housing allowance and books/supplies stipend are paid directly to the dependent.
- Children receive both stipends whether the service member is currently on active duty or not.
- Spouses receive both stipends only after the service member separates from active duty. While the service member is still serving, tuition coverage applies but the monthly and books stipends do not.

Begin the APSU certification process — First-Time Applicants

Resources

For the most current information directly from the VA, visit the Transfer Your Post-9/11 GI Bill® Benefits page on VA.gov.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).