VA Education Benefits
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs provides education benefits to eligible servicemembers and Veterans. Spouses and dependent children may also be eligible for education and training assistance. To apply and manage the education and training benefits you’ve earned, please follow the steps below:
- Step #1: Visit U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to apply and obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). You will receive your COE by mail. Beneficiaries approved of Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits may download a copy of their ‘Statement of Benefits’ in lieu of their COE.
- Step #2: Submit the Veterans Benefits Application with your COE/Statement of Benefits so that we may certify your enrollment for benefits with the VA. If you no longer have your COE and/or are unable to obtain your Statement of Benefits online, you may request a new copy by calling the VA Education Call Center at (888)442-4551.
- Step #3: Verify your school attendance through U.S Department of Veteran Affairs. Any changes that need to be made to your enrollment status should be reported promptly to the School Certifying Official.
Beneficiaries of Chapter 30, Chapter 33, Chapter 35 & Chapter 1606 can verify their school attendance monthly by signing up for either text message or email verification with the Department of Veteran Affairs. Text message verification is the fastest way to verify your enrollment and receive payments. To ensure monthly notifications are sent to you, please be sure your personal contact information in your VA.gov profile is up to date.
Additional information on each VA educational benefit program can be found below:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS USING VA EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS AS NOTED ABOVE:
Matriculation: A student can be certified, for VA purposes, as a non-matriculated student for up to two semesters. The student can be certified beyond two semesters only if they are admitted to WCSU as a degree seeking student. The two-semester limit does not apply to a “guest student” taking courses at WCSU that will be applied their program of study at another school.
Course Applicability: Only courses that satisfy degree requirements may be certified for VA purposes. If a student takes a course that does not fulfill a program requirement, including audited courses & repeating courses successfully completed, it cannot be certified.
Repeated Courses: Repeating courses completed in a previous semester or accepted and applied as transfer credits may affect eligibility for receipt of educational benefits. Students who are receiving VA educational benefits will only receive payment for repeated courses if the initial grade did not meet institutional or programmatic requirements, whichever is more stringent. A student may retake a course to obtain a higher grade as outlined in the Course Grade Replacement Policy, however, benefits will not be paid if the initial course received a passing grade. Students who wish to obtain information on how repeat courses may affect their VA educational benefits should contact the School Certifying Official.
Satisfactory Academic Progress: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations require that all students receiving VA educational benefits meet the University’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standard and the University’s academic standing policy as stated in the University catalog. Students who are dismissed will be reported to the VA and subsequent enrollments will not be reported to the VA until the student is reinstated or re-admitted to matriculated status. The enrollment of students who appeal their academic dismissal and who are allowed to attend in a non-matriculated status during the appeal process will not be reported to the VA. Should the appeal be successful, the student’s enrollment will be reported retroactively to the VA for the enrollment period to which the appeal applies.
Enrollment Status: An undergraduate student must register for a minimum of 12 credit hours of degree seeking courses, whereas a graduate student must register for a minimum of 9 credit hours of degree seeking courses during the 15/16 week semester in order to qualify for full time housing allowance benefits with the VA during the fall and spring semesters. Please contact the School Certifying Official to determine the number of credits you would need to be registered for in the Summer or Winter to qualify for full time housing allowance benefits with the VA. Also note, housing allowance benefits are based on where you take the majority of your classes (in-person, online, hybrid). Additionally, active duty members are not eligible for the monthly housing allowance stipend.
VA Pending Payment Compliance: In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), this school adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. This school will not:
- Prevent the students enrollment;
- Assess a late penalty fee to;
- Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
- Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.
However, to qualify for this provision, such students will be required to:
- Provide Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility (or its’ equivalent) or for Chapter 31, VA VR&E’s contract with the school on VA Form 28-1905 (or its’ equivalent) by the first day of class.
- Note: Chapter 33 students can register at the VA Regional Office to use E-Benefits to get the equivalent of a Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility. Chapter 31 students cannot get a completed VA Form 28-1905 (or any equivalent) before the VA VR&E case manager issues it to the school.
- Provide written request to be certified;
- Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies.
