Applying for GI Bill® benefits:
Fill out VA application form:
- VA Form 22-1990 – First time users.
- VA Form 22-1995 – If benefits have been used at another school or changing degrees/majors.
- Send a copy to the school’s certifying official.
- When you receive the Certificate of Eligibility from the VA, send a copy to the school’s certifying official. This will inform you how many months of benefits you have.
For additional information about using VA Educational Benefits, please see our current course catalog.
Using CH 30 or CH 1606
CH 30
The Chapter 30 GI Bill® requires the service member to contribute $1,200.00 in order to participate in the Montgomery GI Bill®. To qualify, the service member needs to be on active duty for a minimum of three years. Unlike other chapters of the GI Bill®, the VA pays the monthly benefit or tuition amount directly to the military member.
CH 1606
Service members who are in the Selective Reserve and have committed to a six-year obligation are eligible for Chapter 1606 GI Bill® benefits. Once the service member separates from the Selective Reserve, they are no longer eligible to receive the benefit. The VA pays the monthly benefit directly to the service member. Effective May 4th, 2021 service members are permitted to utilize Chapter 1606 GI Bill® benefits together with Mil TA.
CH 35
GI Bill® Chapter 35 Benefits are for eligible spouses or children of service members who have died or are 100% disabled from service related disabilities. The VA pays the monthly benefit directly to the family member.
Top-Up
GI Bill® benefits may also be used by the service member when the tuition exceeds the Federal Tuition Assistance credit hour amount. Service members are permitted to apply their GI Bill® benefit to cover the difference.
At the end of each month you will need to verify the hours the school’s certifying official has certified. You may do that by:
- Going to the VA website
- Click to apply for GI Bill®
- Click on verifying attendance tab.
- Set up your account
- Once VA has updated their information from the school’s certification your account will be activated
You may also call 1.877.823.2378 to verify the hours certified. The VA will pay you directly. You are responsible for paying the school for your tuition.
Using Post 9-11/CH 33
Post 9-11/CH33
In order to qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, the service member must have been on active duty after 9-11-2001. The percentage of eligibility is determined by the length of active duty service. Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, tuition is paid directly to the school. When using the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, the benefit pays the service member a book stipend and Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). The Post 9/11 GI Bill® is also transferrable to the service member’s dependents. When transferring the benefit the service member must agree to an additional service obligation.
- Your percentage of eligibility depends on your length of active duty service after 11 September 2001.
- Effective 17 December 2021, for degree-granting schools, there is a new verification process that can be found online. A video of the process on YouTube may also be helpful.
- The VA pays the school directly for the tuition.
- The VA will pay you directly for the annual book stipend.
- The VA will pay you directly for the BAH if eligible.
- If you are not eligible for 100% of the benefit, you are responsible for what the VA does not pay for tuition.
- Students are encouraged to call the Education Call Center (ECC) at
1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) to update their contact information. This will ensure they receive the latest email updates on monthly enrollment verification and are able to opt-in to enrollment verification by text message.
- The phone number associated with text messages beneficiaries will receive in order to opt-in for monthly verification is 855-933-1416
Enrollment Certifications
Our process for certifying all VA students has recently changed. All VA students will be certified during the second week of each term after the drop/withdrawal period has closed. If a learner is enrolled in consecutive terms, the certification will cover all the terms in that time period. *Example: *If the learner is enrolled in Summer 01 and Summer 02, both terms will be certified together.
Forms
Below are two fillable VA applications. You may also go to the VA website and fill them out. If you complete the application from the VA site you MUST print a copy and send it to va@sckans.edu
