Beginning August 1, 2009, the Post-9/11 GI Bill extended educational benefits to service members who were on active duty in the military on or after September 11, 2001. The Veterans Benefits Administration spent $11 billion in 2016 on those educational benefits. About half of that amount was for tuition and fees; most of the remainder was for housing allowances. On average, veterans of the regular component received $18,800 and members of the reserve component received $12,500. There was little difference in the ways members of the National Guard and members of the reserves used their benefits.

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