VETERANS BENEFITS

There are multiple GI Bill® benefits and each is different. We recommend that you compare your options using the GI Bill® Comparison Tool, which can help you calculate your benefits, research approved programs, and determine eligibility. In addition, you can view more detailed information on the following programs:

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) Provides education benefits to veterans and service members who served on active duty after Sept. 10, 2001. Benefits are paid based on your percentage of eligibility and the rate at which you pursue your degree (rate of pursuit).  Visit the APUS Help Center to view the Enrollment Status Definitions and Requirements for VA Benefits. 

Montgomery GI Bill® – Active Duty (MGIB-AD) (Chapter 30) Provides education benefits to Veterans and servicemembers who have at least two years of active duty.

Montgomery GI Bill® – Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) (Chapter 1606) Provides education and training benefits to eligible members of the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard.

1. Apply for admission to our university.
2. Decide which GI Bill® best fits your needs.
3. Visit https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/ to submit your application for benefits.
• Enter this information in the Full Name and Address of School field:
  American Public University System
  111 W. Congress Street
  Charles Town, WV 25414
4. Keep an eye out for the VA certificate of eligibility (COE). This will be mailed from the VA Regional Processing Office. Alternatively, you may access a Post 9/11 GI Bill® Statement of Benefits document once your application has been processed by the VA Regional Processing Office.
5. You may upload a clear copy of your VA paperwork through the secure My Documents portal, using your eCampus login credentials. You can also email your documents to [email protected]. Please ensure all email attachments are properly sized and in a PDF or image file format.
6. Log into the student ecampus and register for class. If you use the Montgomery GI Bill®, the VA will pay you directly meaning you will need to self-pay during registration. Post 9/11 GI Bill® students should select the Post 9/11 GI Bill® payment option corresponding with their VA Percentage of Eligibility.
7. If prompted during the registration process, give your consent for the university to submit your course registrations to the VA.
8. We will submit verification of your enrollment (VA Form 22-1999) electronically to the VA after the drop period for your course(s) (during week 2).
9. The VA requires that any student using GI Bill® benefits verify their enrollment at the end of every month after their course begins.  You can verify your enrollment online, via text message, via email, or by calling the Education Call Center (ECC) at 888-442-4551. For more information regarding Monthly Enrollment Verification, please click here.

The Top-Up benefit may be used if the course cost is not completely funded by military Tuition Assistance (TA).   This benefit may only be used by students who are using Chapter 30 and approved for TA. For example, if the course tuition is $750 and TA pays $500, your out-of-pocket expense is $250. You may request to submit the $250 tuition charges to the VA for reimbursement using Top-Up. You are responsible for making arrangements to pay any balance not covered by TA at the start of your course. Access to the course will not be permitted until the balance is paid in full.

Students who wish to apply for TA Top-Up should contact [email protected] to request a TA Top-Up Request Form. The university will submit an enrollment certification to the VA to include the amount of tuition and fees not funded by TA. Please note, the use of Top-Up will exhaust a portion of your GI Bill® benefits.  For more information on Top-Up, visit the VA’s website.

As a veteran, you may be entitled to Veteran Readiness and Employment Service (VR&E), education benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  VR&E benefits allow eligible students to receive benefits that may cover the cost of tuition, fees, and related education expenses. VR&E may also pay a stipend for course enrollments, based on your enrollment status.

If you are interested in determining your eligibility for this program, visit http://www.benefits.va.gov/VOCREHAB/index.asp.  From this site, you can apply for the benefit online.  If it is determined by the VA that you are eligible, the VA will direct you to a VA Regional Office (in your local area) to meet with your assigned VR&E counselor to review your goals and be approved to begin enrolling in courses.

Once approved for Veteran Readiness and Employment Service benefits, your VR&E counselor will need to submit a Purchase Order (PO) authorization for educational benefits to AMU/APU using the Tungsten Network portal.  This PO authorization will allow AMU/APU to grant course access for upcoming registrations and submit your enrollments to your VR&E counselor.

We recommend that your VR&E counselor submit a PO authorization with start and end dates that coincide with our monthly course start dates to allow you the flexibility to schedule courses based on your personal schedule (courses start the first Monday of each month).

The Veterans Benefits Administration also provides education benefits for eligible spouses and children of certain veterans and service members. Benefits can vary depending on the type you are receiving, so please review the requirements carefully.

At American Public University System, we strive to ensure that a quality higher education is accessible and affordable for all – especially for those who have served. Our unwavering commitment to accessibility and affordability is delivered through a special 10% tuition grant applied to standard undergraduate and a 15% grant for master's-level courses that is available to veterans and their families. Eligible family members are parents, spouses, legal partners, siblings, and dependents of veterans.

The university permits any student using benefits under The Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) or Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E - Chapter 31) to attend or participate in their program of study when the individual provides a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for entitlement to educational assistance ending on the earlier of the following dates: 1. The date on which payment from the VA is made to the university; 2. 90 days after the date the university certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the COE.

If the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has not made payment within 90 days of the university submitting an enrollment certification, the university will not impose any penalties on students to include assessment of late fees, denial of access to courses, library resources, or other student services. Additionally, there is no requirement that an individual borrows additional funds due to delayed VA payment. This information pertains to students with a primary payment type of Post 9/11 GI Bill® or Vocational Rehabilitation (VR&E). Additionally, if the university is notified by the VA that the student has exhausted VA entitlements or is not eligible for veteran’s benefits, students will be responsible for tuition and fees and the university’s collection policies will apply.