Each year the VA adjusts Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (Chapter 30) and Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA, Chapter 35) monthly payment rates, typically effective October 1, to reflect cost-of-living and statutory rate tables published annually by the VA. This is a routine administrative update, not a new program or a change in eligibility rules, so it does not require you to file a new claim, submit a form, or request a redetermination.
If you are already certified and enrolled for a term that spans the October 1 effective date, the updated monthly rate is generally applied automatically by the VA's education payment system based on your enrollment certification from your school's certifying official. You do not need to do anything specific to "activate" the new rate; it is built into the payment calculation once the new fiscal year rate table takes effect. If your school has already certified your enrollment for the term, payments issued after October 1 should reflect the new amount without any action on your part.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →The increase is not retroactive in the sense of generating back pay for terms or months that were paid out before October 1 at the old rate — eligible months going forward are paid at the new rate, but months already paid at the prior rate are not recalculated and reissued. If you believe your most recent payment did not reflect the new rate after October 1, the most common causes are a delay in your school's enrollment certification, a pending change in enrollment status, or an administrative processing lag rather than an actual rate error.
This rate change also has no bearing on your underlying eligibility determination, entitlement months remaining, or percentage of benefit eligibility under Chapter 30 or Chapter 35; those are separate determinations governed by your service record (for MGIB) or the qualifying veteran's disability/death status (for DEA, under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 and 38 CFR Part 21, Subpart F).
If your payment amount seems incorrect after October 1, the concrete next step is to log into the VA education benefits portal or contact the VA Education Call Center directly to confirm your current certified enrollment and verify the correct rate is being applied, rather than filing any new claim or form.
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