Chapter 33 VA Benefits: 2025 Book and Supply Stipend Explained

Using Chapter 33 of the Post-9/11 GI Bill can make a big difference in how much school costs, whether you’re going back for another round or starting your first term. A benefit that is often ignored is the money that can be used for books and supplies.

Veterans will get up to $1,000 a year to cover the cost of books and supplies for the 2024–2025 school year, which runs from August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025. That’s money that you get straight from the school, usually at the beginning of each term, to help pay for things like textbooks, lab supplies, or even notebooks and software.

How to work with numbers

The VA figures that you can get $41.67 per credit hour, up to 24 credits, if you are in a college or university degree program. Did you get 24 credits and still get all of your GI Bill benefits? You now have $1,000 saved up for the year.

The set-up is a little different for people in professional or non-college degree programs. Instead of getting paid per credit hour, you’ll get up to $83 a month, again based on how much you qualify.

The important thing to note is that this advantage is prorated. That is, if you are eligible for 60% of the GI Bill, you will also get 60% of the book stipend.

What it doesn’t cover

It’s important to know that the book and supply stipend doesn’t apply if you are taking flight training or correspondence classes. The VA doesn’t cover these programs with this benefit, so you’ll need to make plans for that.

Use the GI Bill Comparison Tool on the VA’s website to get a better idea of what you might get. It shows how much you can expect to pay each month based on your school and benefit amount.

How these perks work can help you make a better budget for the coming year and make sure you don’t waste any money. It is important to save every penny because textbooks can cost hundreds of dollars each term.