Education and VR&E

Which VR&E subsistence rate applies to you

The standard Chapter 31 allowance against the BAH-equivalent election on VA Form 28-0987, and why electing it costs you nothing.

Decision flow showing which VR and E subsistence rate applies. Everyone approved for Chapter 31 receives the standard subsistence allowance, which for full-time training in FY2026 is 812 dollars 84 cents with no dependents, 1,008 dollars 24 cents with one, 1,188 dollars 15 cents with two, and 86 dollars 58 cents for each additional dependent, scaling down at three-quarter and half time. If you also qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you may instead elect the BAH-equivalent rate using VA Form 28-0987, paid at the E-5 with-dependents BAH rate for your school's ZIP code, which is typically one and a half to four times the standard rate. The election does not consume any of your 36 months of Post-9/11 entitlement, so you choose whichever pays more without giving anything up. FY2026 rates, effective 1 October 2025.

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Source: Which VR&E subsistence rate applies to you — Military Transition Toolkit (https://www.militarytransitiontoolkit.com/diagrams/vre-subsistence-rate-decision)

Embed snippet

<figure>
  <img src="https://www.militarytransitiontoolkit.com/diagrams/vre-subsistence-rate-decision.png"
       alt="Decision flow showing which VR and E subsistence rate applies. Everyone approved for Chapter 31 receives the standard subsistence allowance, which for full-time training in FY2026 is 812 dollars 84 cents with no dependents, 1,008 dollars 24 cents with one, 1,188 dollars 15 cents with two, and 86 dollars 58 cents for each additional dependent, scaling down at three-quarter and half time. If you also qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you may instead elect the BAH-equivalent rate using VA Form 28-0987, paid at the E-5 with-dependents BAH rate for your school's ZIP code, which is typically one and a half to four times the standard rate. The election does not consume any of your 36 months of Post-9/11 entitlement, so you choose whichever pays more without giving anything up. FY2026 rates, effective 1 October 2025."
       width="720" height="480">
  <figcaption>
    Which VR&E subsistence rate applies to you. Source:
    <a href="https://www.militarytransitiontoolkit.com/diagrams/vre-subsistence-rate-decision">Military Transition Toolkit</a>
  </figcaption>
</figure>

Where this comes from

This diagram is drawn from VR&E subsistence allowance: FY2026 rates, which cites the regulations and rate tables behind every figure shown here. If a rate changes, the guide and the diagram are updated together.

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