Starting next year, service members who have been in the military for more than 16 years will no longer be able to transfer GI Bill benefits to their dependents — a change to current Pentagon policy that’s garnered mixed reviews from military advocates.
The Defense Department announced on July 14, 2018 that it is instituting the 16-year cap, effective in one year, and making other changes “to more closely align the transferability benefit with its purpose as a recruiting and retention incentive,”
Currently, service members with at least six years under their belt may transfer their GI Bill benefits to a spouse or child, provided they agree to serve in the military for four more years. Effective immediately, service members who are not eligible to fulfill the additional service requirement — including because of mandatory retirement, high-year tenure or medical issues — may not transfer their benefits.
The six-year minimum requirement is not changing.
