Military benefits confusion: Do we report GI Bill or Ch. 35 as income on FAFSA?

i think gi bill is NOT reported on fafsa but scholarships usually are??? not sure about chap 35 specifically

Military veteran and financial aid advisor here! Great question and one that confuses many families. The good news: neither Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits NOR Chapter 35 Dependents' Educational Assistance should be reported as income on the FAFSA. These are considered federal educational benefits, not untaxed income. This is specifically addressed in the Higher Education Act, Section 480(a)(2), which excludes veterans' education benefits from FAFSA calculations. Your son's eligibility for need-based aid will not be affected by these military benefits.

WE HAD THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE LAST YEAR!!! The FAFSA system is COMPLETELY CONFUSING for military families! We called the Federal Student Aid number EIGHT TIMES and got different answers every time about reporting our daughter's CH 35 benefits. Complete nightmare dealing with people who don't understand military benefits!!

@profile2 we ended up NOT reporting it as income after finally getting someone who actually knew the rules. But it took FOREVER to get someone knowledgable on the phone!!!

My daughter is receiving Chapter 35 benefits and we had the same question last year. The financial aid officer at her school told us NOT to report it on FAFSA. However! Important note: while it doesn't count for FAFSA, some schools will consider these benefits when determining their own institutional aid packages. When we received my daughter's financial aid package from her private university, they had reduced her university grant because of the Ch 35 benefits, even though it didn't affect her federal aid eligibility.

Just to add some clarity here - the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Chapter 35 benefits are handled differently in several ways: 1. Post-9/11 GI Bill: Pays tuition directly to the school, provides housing allowance to the student, and gives a book stipend 2. Chapter 35 DEA: Fixed monthly payment directly to the student regardless of actual education costs Neither counts as income for FAFSA, but they may impact your son's overall financial picture differently. For example, many private schools have Yellow Ribbon programs that work with the GI Bill but wouldn't apply with Ch. 35. If your son is considering expensive private institutions, the Post-9/11 benefits might be more valuable.

my cousin got chapter 35 last yr and his college still gave him pell grants and everything so i think its fine either way???

To answer your follow-up question: Choosing between Post-9/11 GI Bill and Chapter 35 won't affect the FAFSA calculation either way, but it might affect the total benefits your son receives. As @profile4 mentioned, the benefits distribute differently. If your son is attending an expensive private institution with a Yellow Ribbon program, the Post-9/11 might be more valuable. If he's attending a lower-cost public institution where the GI Bill would actually exceed the costs, Chapter 35 might allow him to keep more of his need-based aid package intact. I recommend sitting down with both the school's financial aid office AND the school's veteran services office to run the numbers for your specific situation.

One more thing to consider - if your husband is 100% disabled through the VA, has your son applied for state-specific benefits? Many states offer additional tuition assistance for children of disabled veterans that's separate from federal benefits. For example, in our state, children of veterans with 100% disability ratings qualify for reduced or waived tuition at state schools. Worth looking into!

As a military spouse who just went through this process last year, I wanted to add that it's also worth checking if your son's schools participate in the Purple Heart Scholarship program or have other military family-specific scholarships. Since your husband has a 100% disability rating, your son might qualify for additional private scholarships specifically for children of disabled veterans. We found several through Military Child Education Coalition and Operation Homefront that didn't affect our FAFSA at all but helped cover expenses that the GI Bill didn't. Also, don't forget to apply for your state's dependent tuition waiver program if available - in some states, it can be stacked with federal benefits!

I'm new to this community but going through the exact same situation! My husband is also a disabled veteran and our daughter is starting college this fall. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that neither GI Bill nor Chapter 35 benefits counted as income on the FAFSA. I was about to report them and potentially mess up our SAI calculation. The information about Yellow Ribbon programs and state-specific benefits for children of disabled veterans is especially valuable. I'll definitely be looking into the Purple Heart Scholarship program and Military Child Education Coalition resources that were mentioned. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical guidance military families need!

As someone who works at a college financial aid office, I wanted to emphasize something that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure to keep documentation of your military benefits easily accessible! Even though GI Bill and Chapter 35 benefits don't count as income on FAFSA, schools may still ask for verification documents during the aid process, especially if your family gets selected for verification. We often see families scramble to get military benefit letters from the VA when we need them for our files. Also, if your son ends up at a school that considers these benefits in their institutional aid calculations (as mentioned earlier), having clear documentation helps ensure they calculate everything correctly. The VA can take time to produce these letters, so it's worth requesting them early in the process!

Just want to echo what everyone else has said - neither GI Bill nor Chapter 35 benefits should be reported as income on the FAFSA! I went through this exact same confusion two years ago with my daughter. The key thing that helped me was calling the school's veteran services office directly rather than just financial aid. They walked me through exactly how the benefits would work at their specific institution and helped me understand which option would be better financially. Also, definitely look into your state's veteran dependent benefits - we discovered our state had a tuition waiver program that we could stack with federal benefits, which made a huge difference in our overall costs. The whole process feels overwhelming at first, but once you get the right information, it becomes much clearer!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to say thank you to everyone who has shared such detailed and helpful information! I'm also a military spouse (Navy) with a child heading to college soon, and I had no idea about most of these resources and requirements. Reading through this thread has been incredibly educational - especially learning that military education benefits don't count as income on FAFSA, which I definitely would have reported incorrectly. I'm taking notes on all the suggestions about contacting veteran services offices, looking into state-specific benefits, and getting VA documentation ready early. The tip about Claimyr for getting through to knowledgeable FSA representatives quickly also caught my attention since I've had frustrating experiences with their phone system before. This community seems like such a valuable resource for military families navigating the college financial aid process!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this thread! I'm also a military family member (Air Force) and we're just starting the college application process with our oldest. I had absolutely no idea that GI Bill and Chapter 35 benefits shouldn't be reported as income on the FAFSA - I was definitely planning to include them and would have completely messed up our SAI calculation. The information about Yellow Ribbon programs, state veteran dependent benefits, and the importance of contacting veteran services offices (not just financial aid) has been eye-opening. I'm particularly interested in the Purple Heart Scholarship program and Military Child Education Coalition resources that were mentioned earlier. One question for those who've been through this - is there a recommended timeline for when to start researching and applying for these various military-specific benefits and scholarships? We're still in the early stages of college planning and I want to make sure we don't miss any important deadlines. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative community!

Welcome to all the newcomers joining this discussion! As someone who's been helping military families navigate education benefits for years, I'm thrilled to see this community growing and sharing such valuable information. Just to add one more resource that hasn't been mentioned yet - the Student Veterans of America (SVA) website has an excellent state-by-state breakdown of veteran education benefits that can help you quickly identify what's available in your specific state. They also maintain a database of military-friendly schools with details about how each handles veteran benefits in their aid calculations. For those asking about timing, I'd also recommend checking with your installation's education office or family readiness group - they often have workshops specifically about college planning for military families and can connect you with local resources. Many bases also have partnerships with nearby colleges that offer additional benefits or streamlined processes for military dependents. The bottom line that everyone has correctly identified: GI Bill and Chapter 35 benefits are NOT income for FAFSA purposes, but definitely do your homework on how individual schools treat them for institutional aid. Keep asking great questions - this community knowledge-sharing is invaluable for military families!

As a newcomer to this community and fellow military family, I can't thank everyone enough for this incredibly comprehensive discussion! My spouse is also a disabled veteran and our daughter will be starting college next year, so I was facing the exact same confusion about reporting military benefits on the FAFSA. What really stands out to me is how this thread demonstrates the importance of military families helping each other navigate these complex systems. The clear consensus that neither GI Bill nor Chapter 35 benefits should be reported as FAFSA income, combined with all the practical tips about Yellow Ribbon programs, state benefits, and the importance of contacting veteran services offices directly, has given me a complete roadmap for moving forward. I'm particularly grateful for the mentions of resources like the Student Veterans of America state breakdown, Military Child Education Coalition, and even the Claimyr service for getting through to knowledgeable FSA representatives. The timeline advice about starting research during junior year is also invaluable since we're still in the early planning stages. This is exactly the kind of peer support that military families need when dealing with education benefits that most civilians never encounter. I'm bookmarking this entire thread and will definitely be contributing back to help future families once we've gone through the process ourselves!

As a newcomer to this community and another military family facing the exact same situation, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly thorough and helpful discussion! My husband is a retired Navy veteran with disability benefits, and our son will be starting college this fall. I was completely confused about how to handle his eligibility for both GI Bill and Chapter 35 benefits on the FAFSA. Reading through everyone's responses has been like having a personal consultation with experts! The clear confirmation that neither benefit should be reported as income on FAFSA is exactly what I needed to hear - I was definitely about to make that mistake. The additional insights about Yellow Ribbon programs, state-specific veteran dependent benefits, and the importance of working with veteran services offices (not just financial aid) have completely changed my approach. I'm especially interested in the resources mentioned like the Military Child Education Coalition, Student Veterans of America state breakdowns, and the Purple Heart Scholarship program. The timeline advice about starting research during junior year is also valuable since we have another child coming up behind this one. What strikes me most is how this thread demonstrates the power of military families supporting each other through processes that civilian families rarely encounter. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their knowledge and experiences - this community is exactly what military families need when navigating these unique challenges!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly detailed and informative discussion! I'm also a military spouse with a child starting college next year, and I was completely lost about how to handle military education benefits on the FAFSA. The clear consensus that neither GI Bill nor Chapter 35 benefits should be reported as income has saved me from making a potentially costly mistake - I was absolutely planning to report them and would have thrown off our entire SAI calculation. The additional information about Yellow Ribbon programs, state veteran dependent benefits, and the critical importance of contacting veteran services offices directly (not just financial aid offices) has been eye-opening. I'm particularly grateful for all the specific resources mentioned throughout this thread - the Student Veterans of America state breakdowns, Military Child Education Coalition scholarships, Purple Heart Scholarship program, and even the Claimyr service for getting through to knowledgeable FSA representatives quickly. The timeline advice about starting research during junior year is also invaluable since we're still in early planning stages. What really strikes me is how this demonstrates the unique challenges military families face that most civilian families never encounter, and how crucial it is for us to support each other through these complex processes. I'm saving this entire thread as a reference and look forward to contributing back to help future military families once we've successfully navigated our own journey. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and knowledgeable community!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to echo everyone's gratitude for this incredibly comprehensive discussion! I'm also a military family member dealing with the same FAFSA confusion regarding military education benefits. What's been most valuable to me is not just learning that GI Bill and Chapter 35 benefits shouldn't be reported as income on FAFSA, but understanding the broader strategy of maximizing all available benefits. The insights about Yellow Ribbon programs, state veteran dependent benefits, and the importance of working directly with veteran services offices rather than general financial aid staff have completely changed my approach. I'm particularly interested in the timeline recommendations - starting research during junior year and getting VA documentation ready early. For other newcomers like myself, it seems like the key action items are: 1) Contact veteran services offices at potential schools, 2) Research state-specific veteran dependent benefits, 3) Look into Military Child Education Coalition and Purple Heart scholarships, 4) Get Certificate of Eligibility from VA early, and 5) Use resources like Student Veterans of America state breakdowns. Thank you to everyone who has shared their expertise and experiences - this community support is exactly what military families need when navigating these unique challenges that most civilian families never encounter!