Veteran's Benefits

Students interested in applying for VA Educational Benefits should complete an application for benefits on the VA website. Please note that the VA Certifying Official (VACO) at APUS cannot determine if students are eligible for VA Educational Benefits. The Department of Veterans Affairs may approve or deny benefits, based on the information provided on the application.

Students who have never applied for VA Benefits

Students who have never completed an application for VA benefits should complete the online application, VA Form 22-1990, using the VA’s online application program. When applying online, the application will be electronically submitted to the VA Processing Center.

Students should print an application and confirmation page for personal records, before completing the online application. Once the VA has completed a review of a student's application, the VA will mail a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), outlining the entitled chapter benefit and the number of months of benefit available for use. A copy of the COE is not submitted to the school. APUS requires students to fax, 877-480-4236, or email, [email protected], a copy of the COE to the school.

Students transferring or receiving transferred benefits

Students who are receiving benefits transferred by a service member (Chapter 35) will need to complete a 22-5490, Application for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance. The completed form will need to be sent to the St. Louis RPO for processing.

If a student has been transferred Chapter 33 benefits, the VA will send a Certificate of Eligibility, which will need to be submitted to APUS. Please see the Chapter 33 process for more information.

Applications for VA Benefits

For prompt form processing, students should complete the application for VA benefits.
Students who have never used VA benefits should complete the 22-1990.
Veterans transferring the Montgomery GI Bill^® (Chapter 35) to a spouse or dependent, should complete the 22-5490.
Veterans transferring the Post 9/11 GI Bill^® (Chapter 33) to a spouse or dependent, please complete the 22-1990e.

*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 Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

VA Enrollment Information

Enrollment verification cannot be submitted until the APUS Military Assistance Office receives a copy of the completed VA paperwork and students have successfully enrolled in a class. Once the paperwork is processed and students have started classes, the VA Certifying Official will electronically submit the Certification of Enrollment (22-1999) to the VA. All VA enrollment verifications will be submitted after the session drop period, beginning the second week of courses. Once enrollment has been submitted, students will receive an email from the VA as verification.

WAVE Enrollment Verification

The VA requires that students using GI Bill ^® benefits (excluding Ch. 33) verify their enrollment monthly. Verification begins on the last day of the month that courses students are enrolled in. Students will not receive VA benefits if they do not verify through WAVE. Please note that it may take up to 6 weeks for enrollment information to be available in WAVE. Attendance can be verified through the WAVE website or by calling the VA at 1-877-823-2378.

VA Payments

Students using Chapters 30, 32, 35, 1606, and 1607 will receive monthly payments from the VA based on their enrollment status each month enrolled in courses. The VA makes payments based on monthly attendance and not semester attendance. Payments are sent from the VA by direct deposit or check after a student has verified their monthly attendance through WAVE. APUS requires students using Chapters 30, 32, 35, 1606, and 1607 to make payment arrangements with the University before the start of courses. A 22-1999 Enrollment Verification will not be submitted until payment arrangements have been finalized.

Tuition and Fees for Chapter 33 are paid directly to APUS. If students are not receiving the 100% benefit rate, payment arrangements will need to be made with the University before course access. Current VA payment rates may be viewed on the VA's website.

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)

Beginning for courses starting on or after 1 October 2011, students (other than those on Active Duty) will receive a housing allowance for courses solely in distance learning with the Chapter 33 benefit. The housing allowance payable is equal to ½ the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents. A student must be enrolled at a rate of pursuit greater than half-time (.51%) to receive this benefit. Please remember that the housing allowance is pro-rated based on enrollment status, percentage of eligibility, and dates of course enrollments.

Using VA Benefits at Multiple Institutions

The VA requires students to declare an institution in which they will receive a degree or certification. VA benefits cannot be used at multiple institutions without a declaration of a primary school and subsequent secondary school. For more information regarding using benefits at APUS and another institution, please contact [email protected].

VA Consent to Enrollments Submitted

When a student selects a VA payment option (Ex. Ch. 33 payment) at the time of registration, they are consenting that they wish to have their enrollment for that particular course(s) submitted to the VA on their behalf. Students who select a payment other than VA during registration will be prompted for consent to have the course(s) submitted to the VA on their behalf. Students who register before submitting VA documents to APUS may be required to complete a VA Consent Form to identify courses or terms students would like to have submitted to the VA.

Submitting Enrollments to the VA (VA 22-1999)

APUS will submit all enrollments to the VA electronically, beginning after the course drop period (second week of courses). Once enrollment has been submitted to the VA, students will receive an automated email from the VA notifying them that the enrollment has been received.

Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon Program is an agreement between the VA and participating institutions to cover all or a portion of tuition and fees charged after a student has exceeded the maximum benefit rate. APUS is a Yellow Ribbon participating institution. Students can learn more about the Yellow Ribbon Program online or contact [email protected] with additional questions about this program.

Term (Course) Drops/Withdrawals

A 22-1999 enrollment verification will be sent to the VA by the school VACO within 30 days of a change of enrollment, which may include a course drop or withdrawal. VA enrollments will be adjusted or terminated as of the date of student drop/withdrawal. A drop or withdrawal after the first date of the term may result in a VA request for repayment of BAH, Books/Supplies, or tuition from the student as of the date of the enrollment change.

Mitigating Circumstances

Mitigating circumstances are circumstances beyond the student's control that prevent the student from continuing in school or that cause the student to reduce credits. The VA requires schools to document potential mitigating circumstances. Any withdrawal with a mitigating circumstance selected will require additional documentation of the mitigating circumstance to be submitted to APUS before the mitigating circumstance is reported. Learn more about information on mitigating circumstances. If mitigating circumstances cannot be validated, the VA may request repayment of BAH, Books/Supplies, or tuition from the student, as of the first date of the term.

Graduations

When a VA student has successfully completed the requirements for the program of study and has officially conferred the program of study, APUS will report the student’s graduation to the VA via electronic certification. All Chapter 33 students will have the graduation fee accessed by APUS added to the last VA enrollment submitted for the program being conferred.

Course Extensions

Please note that if a student is granted a course extension from their professor, they will not receive VA benefits during the extension period. The VA will automatically discontinue benefits on the day after the original term ending date. Benefits will not start until a new course has been enrolled and the verification has been sent to the VA. Submission of a course extension for VA benefits will likely result in an overpayment to the student and will require future repayment.

Academic Probation /Unsatisfactory Academic Progress

VA requires institutions to report students who are not meeting an institution’s academic standards. When APUS is made aware of a VA student no longer meeting academic standards, notification will be electronically submitted to the VA on the student’s VA record.

Excessive Credits

Students who are using VA benefits for courses may not register for courses that are not applicable to the current program of study. Any courses that are deemed not applicable to the current degree program will be considered excessive credits and an enrollment for the courses will not be submitted.

Prior Credits

The VA requires that all prior credit must be evaluated by APUS before a student’s initial enrollment. Students must identify any prior credit that has been earned. Additionally, a Joint Services Transcript or Community College of the Air Force transcript must be received by APUS for all students who will be using VA benefits for any courses with APUS. Students who are currently having prior credits evaluated are strongly encouraged to register only for courses in which they know they will not receive prior credit. If prior credit is later given for a course a student is currently taking, APUS must terminate the enrollment, as this would constitute excessive credits. Terminations of enrollment will likely result in a reduction in BAH and/or books and supplies payment for the course/term a prior credit was awarded.

Student VA Tuition & Fees Debts

A debt is established on the student for tuition/fees/Yellow Ribbon when:

The student withdrew after the first day of the term.
The student reduced hours whether the reduction occurred before or during the term.
If the student attended more than one day of any of the classes certified and a payment has been issued, any debt created by the withdrawal should be charged to the student.
The school submitted a change in enrollment (1999b) and reported a reduction in tuition, fees, and/or Yellow Ribbon due to student action reducing or terminating training.
If a student drops a course and adds a course so that there is no net change in training time, any change to tuition, fees, and/or Yellow Ribbon is a student debt.

Learn more about additional information and helpful websites for GI Bill® information & Veteran success.