It is the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to approve applications and to make decisions regarding payment, issuance of checks, and eligibility.
Please note that new applicants should expect a wait of approximately 8-10 weeks for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to process and send their first subsistence check. Beneficiaries who are renewing their benefits at the same school should expect a wait of approximately 4-6 weeks for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to process and send their first subsistence check.
Educational Benefits Under the Department of Veterans Affairs (GI Bill®) is always subject to change. Please note: 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 www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
For individual benefit information, please select the appropriate Chapter above.
Beginning on August 1, 2021, Section 1010 of the new Isakson and Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvements Act of 2020 will require all enrolled students, eligible for BAH, to electronically verify their enrollment each month with VA. If a student fails to certify for two consecutive months, VA will withhold their BAH until the student certifies.
Students can verify their enrollment in one of two ways:
Text Messaging – Students who choose VA’s “Opt-In” feature will receive a text message each month prompting them to verify their enrollment status.
Telephone – Students may call the Education Call Center (ECC) at 888-442-4551 to verify their enrollment status.
1. STEP ONE: Prepare
- Check your eligibility.
- Gather the documents and information listed below that you’ll need to apply for education benefits.
- See what benefits you’ll get at the school you want to attend. Go to the GI Bill® Comparison Tool.
- Work with a trained professional with a Veterans Service Organization (VSO) who can help you pick the right program. Find an accredited representative.
- What documents and information do I need to apply?
- Social Security number
- Bank account direct deposit information
- Education and military history
- Basic information about the school or training facility you want to attend or are attending no
2. STEP TWO: Apply for Benefits:
- A more convenient way of applying is now available on-line through the Vets.gov. https://www.vets.gov/education/apply-for-education-benefits/application/1990/introduction or call 1-888-GI-BILL1.
- Other ways to apply
- In person
- Go to a VA regional office and have a VA employee help you. Find a regional office near you.
- Work with your school’s certifying official in our Veteran Military and Family Resource Center
- By mail
- Call 888-442-4551 (888-GI-BILL-1) from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday, to request that we send the application to you. Fill it out and mail it to the VA regional claims processing office that’s in the same location as your school. See a list of regional claims processing offices.
- In person
- What happens after I apply?
- Find out what happens after you apply.
- You can’t make changes to your application, but if you have questions about education benefits, please call 888-442-4551 (888-GI-BILL-1) from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday.
- If we’ve asked you for documents, please upload them through the GI Bill® website. Go to the GI Bill® Website
3. STEP THREE: Bring Completed Forms to the VMFRC - Once the VA processes your claim, they will send you a Certificate of Eligibility stating the type and amount of benefits you have. Bring that copy, your DD214 and any other forms you have to the Education Center Room 0114.http://www.usi.edu/outreach/veterans
- Student Statement of Understanding (Required for new claims)
- Student Information Release Form (Required for new claims)
- Student Dual Benefit Statement of Understanding (only if you are using VA and another form of Financial Assistance at the same time)
- Student In-State Residency Appeal Form (If Chapter 30, 33 or 35 and currently out-of-state)
- VA 22-1995 Change of Program or Place of Training (if changing Majors)
4. STEP FOUR: Certify Enrollment - To inform our office that you want to utilize your VA benefits, complete the on-line NEW Semester Educational Benefit Request Form (For ALL VA and ArmyIgnitED requests). This must be completed EACH semester you want to claim benefits.
To help students with wait lists and frequent schedule changes, USI offers Priority Registration to all VA education beneficiaries. Please see the Veteran office for more information.
Any beneficiary who completes an add/drop or withdrawal must do so according to the official University process. Beneficiaries who revise their schedule or withdraw from the semester must also notify USI Veteran, Military and Family Resource Center (VMFRC) of the change, as it may have an adverse impact on their eligibility for benefits.
It is very important for all training and prior educational experience is evaluated for credit transfer.
Request Transcripts for Evaluation - Any forms of training, whether military or other institutions, should be evaluated by our Registrar. Request transcripts be sent directly to them through the institution or if military through Joint Services Transcripts (JST) or the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF). Once reviewed, your credit evaluation transfer can be viewed on your Degree Works transcript.
If you believe you should have a specific military course or experience evaluated, please contact your academic advisor.
- Army, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard: Joint Services Transcripts
JST Informational Flyer 20230901
- Air Force: Community College of the Air Force
The institution is an "End-of-Term" reporting school which means if students fail their courses and cease going to classes, the university must report all punitive grades and the last date of attendance (LDA) the student was in class. This action could create a debt to the VA and the institution due to an over-payment of tuition, fees and in some cases, allowances provided as a term of your benefit program. When this occurs monies may be returned and the VA and institution can collect that debt from the student. Information on the VA Debt Management Center can be found at: