The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), previously named the Veterans Administration, has been providing veterans educational assistance (GI Bill®) benefits since 1944. This report describes the GI Bills enacted prior to 2008. Although participation in some programs has ended or is declining, the programs' evolution and provisions inform current policy. The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Title 38 U.S.C., Chapter 33), enacted in 2008, is described in CRS Report R42755, "The Post-9/11 Veterans' Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill): A Primer" (see ED597878). Individuals currently participate in five GI Bills enacted prior to 2008: (1) Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (MGIB-AD) (provides a monthly allowance primarily to veterans and servicemembers who enter active duty after June 30, 1985); (2) Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) (provides a lower monthly allowance than the MGIB-AD to reservists who enlist, re-enlist, or extend an enlistment after June 30, 1985); (3) Reserves Educational Assistance Program (REAP) (will discontinue paying benefits in 2019; provides a monthly allowance that is higher than the MGIB-SR but lower than the MGIB-AD to reservists with active duty service); (4) Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) (provides a monthly allowance to veterans who first entered active duty service on or after January 1, 1977, and before July 1, 1985); and (5) Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program (provides benefits to the spouse and children of servicemembers who, as a result of service, are seriously disabled, die, or are detained). This report provides a description of the eligibility requirements, eligible programs of education, benefit availability, and benefits. It also provides some summary statistics, comparisons between the programs, and brief discussions of related programs.