Check your eligibility. The new GI Bill, or the "Post 9/11 GI Bill," as it is called, is available for members of active service who have served after Sept. 11, 2001. To be eligible to transfer benefits, the service member must apply for these benefits -- known as "benefits transfer" -- for his child before leaving the military. In addition, service members normally have to serve in the military at least four years after the benefits transfer has been approved.
Check your child's eligibility. To benefit from Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits transfers, your child must be under 23 years old and must be studying full-time (or have been accepted for full-time study) at a U.S. institution. Moreover, the bill cannot be used to cover costs of past college study. It is only for current study and must not be used for debts.
Verify your eligibility. Go to the Department of Defense transferability website to confirm that you are eligible to transfer your benefits and that your dependent is eligible to receive them. You will not be able to access the website if you are not a current military member.
After receiving approval from the Department of Defense transferability website, apply to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to transfer your benefits using VA Form 22-1990e, available from the GI Bill website. The VA will not accept the form if the Department of Defense has not previously approved the transfer through the website.