Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025
The Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025 would expand eligibility for the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance program (the Post-9/11 GI Bill) to National Guard members who perform certain types of full-time duty. Specifically, it adds National Guard full-time duty (under title 32) and National Guard active duty when activated under certain authorities to the categories that qualify for Post-9/11 benefits. The goal is to create parity between National Guard members and active-duty service members in accessing education benefits earned under the Post-9/11 program. Key elements include a one-year delay before the new eligibility takes effect, retroactive applicability to service beginning on September 11, 2001, and alignment of entitlement timing with existing Post-9/11 rules (as if the changes had been in place since the 2008 Act establishing these benefits). In short, more National Guard service—specifically full-time National Guard duty and certain Guard activations—would count toward Post-9/11 education benefits.
Key Points
- 1Expands eligibility for Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to National Guard members performing full-time National Guard duty (title 32) or National Guard active duty under certain activation authorities.
- 2The amendment clarifies that the new eligibility applies to service that previously might not have counted under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, by excluding inactive-duty training and annual training from the new Guard-specific eligibility category.
- 3Effective date: the amendments take effect one year after the statute is enacted.
- 4Retroactive applicability: the changes apply to service performed on or after September 11, 2001.
- 5Entitlement timing: the statute directs that the time-limitation rules for using Post-9/11 benefits (38 U.S.C. 3321(a)) should apply as if the amendments had always been in effect since the 2008 Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, ensuring consistency in how benefits are earned and used.