VA Educational Benefits

To Apply for VA Educational Benefits

Students should request a certificate of eligibility (COE) from the VA at (888) 442-4551 or Apply for Benefits Online.

PRIOR TO REQUESTING VA EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS AT VANDERBILT

Students are strongly advised to consult with their financial aid counselor prior to requesting VA educational benefits. Any VA benefit that students receive may impact Vanderbilt aid awards.

Applying for Initial VA Educational Benefits at Vanderbilt

The following documents are required to begin your VA educational benefits:

• A MEMBER 4 copy of the DD-214 documents (the service member’s discharge papers) required if the service member is the student and is requesting veterans’ educational benefits.
• Transcripts from all previous institutions (required even if veterans’ educational benefits were not used at the other institution).
• Joint Services Transcript (JST), Air University Transcript, and/or Community College of the Air Force Transcript (if a transcript has been issued to the Veteran).
• A copy of the most recent Certificate of Eligibility (COE) issued to the student.

AND

• A  VA-1 Form to authorize Vanderbilt to certify your educational benefits to the VA.

Deadlines

In order to expedite the processing of VA educational benefits, it is recommended that students who wish to use VA educational benefits adhere to the following deadlines. Our office will confirm receipt of documents that are received. If you do not receive confirmation within a week, please email our VA school certifying officials at VASCO@vanderbilt.edu.

• Fall semester: submit all required documents by July 1.
• Spring semester: submit all required documents by November 1.
• Summer semester: submit all required documents by March 15.

Students who cannot provide all documents by these deadlines should consult with a VA School Certifying Official in the Office of the University Registrar prior to the deadline.

Important Information

Due to the extended processing time of the VA, it is not recommended that students rely on VA payments to arrive prior to Vanderbilt’s payment deadline. We suggest that all students have a plan to cover their living expenses until VA educational benefits are paid. The VA can take as long as 6-8 weeks to process certifications for VA educational benefits.

Please note that student loan aid will be applied to outstanding charges on your student account. Refunds are only initiated when there is a refundable credit balance on your account which occurs after the VA payment posts. Students in modular programs may not have a refundable credit balance on their account until late in the semester which is why we recommend that students have a plan to cover the first 6-8 weeks of living expenses for each semester in which VA educational benefits are requested.

Student Services and Student Health fees, as well as Vanderbilt’s student health insurance fees, may be submitted to VA for certification. If you wish to waive Vanderbilt’s health insurance, more information is available at vanderbilt.edu/studentcarenetwork/waive/. Application fees, as well as MMHC and EMBA maintenance fees, are not approved for certification.

Calculating Post-9/11 GI Bill^® Benefits

Monthly Housing Allowance

If you have specific questions about your monthly housing allowance, we recommend using the AskVA feature at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill. Because the VA pays the monthly housing allowance directly to students receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits, the VA has informed our office that, due to federal privacy laws, they are unable to share specific information about a student’s monthly housing allowance with the school certifying official.

Beginning with terms starting on or after December 17, 2021, Post 9-11 GI Bill® recipients who receive a monthly housing allowance (MHA) are required to verify enrollment at the end of each month to receive their MHA. We encourage students to opt into text messaging; if you opt out of text message verification, you will be automatically enrolled in e-mail verification with the e-mail address on file with the VA. For more information, please visit the VA website at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/isaksonroe/verification_of_enrollment.asp.

Executive Master of Business Administration

VA educational benefits for EMBA students may not be certified until after the beginning of each semester due to fluctuation in the enrollment dates associated with these classes. Students should be prepared for the possibility of having to cover several months of living expenses until VA educational benefits are paid. The maintenance fee for the EMBA program is not covered by the VA.

Nursing Students

Online courses in the School of Nursing are certified as distance courses. Please note that the effective Monthly Housing Allowance rate for those enrolled in distance learning is one-half the national average MHA. For more information, click here.

As of August 15, 2019, the VA has authorized the certification of hybrid courses as “in residence” courses.

Questions regarding how courses may be certified should be directed to a school certifying official.

Peabody College

The Peabody online programs offered by Peabody College are distance programs. Please note that the effective Monthly Housing Allowance rate for those enrolled solely in distance learning is one-half the national average MHA. For more information, click here. 

As of August 15, 2019, the VA has indicated that hybrid courses may be certified as "in residence" courses.

Overseas Study

Students who plan to enroll in a study abroad program are advised to consult with a school certifying official to determine whether or not the study abroad program has been approved for VA educational benefits prior to enrolling in the study abroad program. Study abroad programs offered through a third-party facilitator such as CET, CIEE, or DIS, are not eligible for VA benefits.

Students who wish to study overseas should review Information for Students Wishing to Attend Foreign Schools provided by the VA to determine whether or not the program in which they hope to enroll is approved for veterans’ educational benefits. If the overseas program is approved for veterans’ educational benefits, students should contact a school certifying official to find out when VA educational payments will occur and whether or not the VA educational payments will cover the total cost of the overseas program.

Applying for Continuing VA Educational Benefits at Vanderbilt

Students receiving VA educational benefits must submit the following forms each semester in which they are requesting VA educational benefits.

VA-1 Form and the most recent Certificate of Eligibility (COE) issued to the student.

All completed forms should be returned to the VA School Certifying Official in the Office of the University Registrar by mail, email, or fax.

If you have additional questions, please call our office at (615) 322-7701 or send an email to VASCO@vanderbilt.edu. 

Information on VA Educational Benefits Chapters

Chapter 30 – Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

Chapter 31 – Veterans' Readiness & Employment

Chapter 32 – Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)

Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill ^®

Chapter 35 – Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA)

Chapter 1606 – Montgomery GI Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)

Allied Health

For VA educational benefits related to Allied Health programs, please contact Kristen Smith at kristen.smith@vumc.org. For benefits related to medical fellowship or residency programs, please contact Robby Cox at robby.cox@vumc.org. 

Computer Boot Camps

At this time, Computer Boot Camps and similar non-degree programs at Vanderbilt are not eligible for VA benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at  http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill .

All images © Heather L. Bradley.