Federal Education Benefits for Veterans, Spouses of Veterans and Eligible Dependents (Chapters 30-35)
Posted 3/14/11: Upcoming Changes to The Post-9/11 GI Bill: The Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 was recently signed into law. View changes to the GI Bill made by this law.
Posted 05/03/10: Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship: The children of military personnel who died in the line of duty since Sept. 11, 2001 can apply for an educational scholarship similar to the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. Benefits are retroactive to Aug. 1, 2009. The scholarship, which is administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, are named after Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry, 28, a Texas native who died in Iraq in 2006 while disarming an explosive. He was survived by three young children. VA begins accepting applications for the Fry scholarship on May 1, 2010. For more information or assistance applying, call toll-free 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551), or visit the VA GI Bill Website at www.gibill.va.gov.
A message to recipients of the Chapter 33/ Post 9/11 GI Bill (Jan 2009):
Students receiving payment for fees & tuition from the VA under the Chapter 33/ Post 9/11 GI Bill should be aware that there may likely be miscalculations of your award that led to overpayment of fees & tuition. While we have been mindful to report assessed fees as requested, some students are receiving more than the maximum total award that they are eligible for tuition & fees as set by the VA*.
For example, the maximum fee payment received for any student eligible for 100% disbursement would be $5,459.25 (fees= $1,430.25; tuition= $4,029) for Spring 2010 for both undergraduate and graduate students alike. Our standard course of action would be to return excess funds to the funder, however, the VA has requested we do otherwise.
Due to processing regulations set by the VA, we are to disburse the full award to you the student regardless of what was received on your behalf as the VA paid these funds to you based on their evaluation of the reported fees. The VA will be reconciling their records in the near future and may request repayment of this overage in fee payment. The repayment of this overage may also come in the form of reduced benefits in the future.
The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office is unable to discern where overpayments occurred in many instances as we do not have access to information from the VA that speaks to the actual eligibility calculations that were determined and how. It is therefore recommended that you address any questions or concerns directly to the VA.
*The VA has publicly posted the state by state maximums (see here: http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/CH33/Tuition_and_fees.htm).
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Educational Benefits Programs
Some VA regulations vary depending on the program under which you receive benefits. We will be referring to the following programs in this section:
| Chapter 30 | Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty |
|---|---|
| Chapter 31 | Vocational Rehabilitation |
| Chapter 33 | Post 9/11 GI Bill |
| Chapter 1606 | Montgomery GI Bill -- Selected Reserve |
| Chapter 1607 | Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP) |
| Chapter 35 | Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program |
Effective July 1, 2009 Federal VA educational benefits (Chapters 1606, 1607, 30, 31, 33 and 35) are now excluded in determining student eligibility for Federal financial aid. We encourage you to file for financial aid if you will need additional aid during the academic year or while you are waiting for your VA educational benefits to arrive. To apply, complete a free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Download the Veteran’s Benefit Reporting form. All students receiving VA education benefits listed above must still report the receipt of those benefits for reporting and coordination purposes. The form may be used to update previous actions with in a semester and must be updated each academic year.
For questions related to your VA education benefit & financial aid, please contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office.
Please note that students must first contact the campus certifying official, Michael Cooper in the Registrar’s Office, to have their paperwork processed certifying to the VA you are enrolled in school. The Office of the Registrar is located at 120 Sproul Hall.
Useful Resources:
- US Department of Veteran Affairs: http://www.gibill.va.gov/
- IAVA/Calculate your benefits: http://www.newgibill.org/
- Preserving your benefits PDF (not available yet)