The new Post-9/11 GI Bill is the most
extensive education benefit package
ever offered to our nation’s Veterans,
servicemembers, and their families. It has
a potential to pay for your entire college
education, to include housing, books,
and supplies.
Unfortunately, many of the great features
of this program have also made it far more
complex to us to process than other benefit
programs. This student guide contains some
quick facts and tips to help you plan for the
coming spring term.
The more you understand about this benefit
and the process, the more you can assist us in
moving your claim along.
Whether you are enrolling for the first time,
or continuing your studies, we realize trying
to get ready for school and getting your
VA benefits together can be overwhelming.
We’ve collected a few tips on making the
process as smooth as possible.
TIPS
Get your school to submit
enrollment certifications early (VA Form
22-1999). Remind your school they do NOT
need to wait for your Certificate of Eligibility
(COE) to submit enrollment certifications.
To qualify for the housing benefit,
you must be enrolled in at least one
on campus class and be registered for at
least 51% of full-time credit hours. For
example, if full-time at your school is 12
hours, you must take 7 hours or more to get
the housing benefit.
Use the GI Bill website to explore
answers to questions (www.gibill.va.gov);
most are there. You can use our “Ask A
Question/Get An Answer” feature to ask
questions you can’t find.
Be sure to inform VA if you
change your direct deposit information.
Reminders
Remember that the Post-9/11
GI Bill housing and books and supplies
stipends are paid “in arrears.” This
means that your housing stipend for
January won’t be received until February.
Also, if you are starting school for the first
time, your first payment may not be for a
full month of housing because we pay from
the actual day you start school. So, if you
start January 8th, your February payment
will be for 23 days you attended in January.
Get to know your VA School
Certifying Official (hint: check with the
Financial Aid Department or Registrar).
They certify your actual enrollment (that’s
what triggers your payments). We’ve
noticed some schools wait until the
drop/add period is over to certify your
enrollment, so check out the policy for
your school.
Tuition and fee payments go
directly to the school.
Other Financial Help:
If your personal financial situation makes it
difficult for you to cover your living expenses,
you may want to apply for either federal
or private loans. Many of these loans are
available interest free until graduation. You
can also check with your local school for any
scholarship or grants that are available in your
local area, www.studentaid.ed.gov.
Not Yet Signed Up for Benefits?
Before applying for education benefits,
investigate your options where you want to
go to school, look at what benefits you are
eligible for, and how much you are entitled
to under each benefit. The decision to elect
the Post-9/11 GI Bill is irrevocable.
Go to the GI Bill website
(www.gibill.va.gov) and use the “What
Benefit Is Best For Me” button to help
you decide.
Once you make your decisions,
VA will need two things:
Your Application
(VA Form 22-1990 or 22-1990E)
- Submitted by you Your Certificate of Enrollment
(VA Form 22-1999)
- Submitted by your school
Remember: The sooner you get these
documents to VA, the sooner VA can begin
processing your claim. |
