Veteran Education Benefits
Information for Veterans
The University of New England (UNE) is strongly committed to supporting men and women who have served our nation through military service. UNE serves veterans, service members, and their families, who are accessing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits, often referred to as the GI Bill.
Students attending UNE who are eligible to receive VA Educational Benefits may qualify for one of the following Chapters of the GI Bill of Educational Assistance:
CHAPTER 30 Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (MGIB-AD)
CHAPTER 31 The Vocational Rehabilitation Program
CHAPTER 33 The Post-9/11 GI Bill
CHAPTER 35 Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (DEA)
CHAPTER 1606 Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)
CHAPTER 1607 Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)
Student Responsibilities:
When you are ready to register for courses, please be sure that the courses you plan to take apply to your academic program, the VA will only pay benefits on course that will directly count towards your degree. If you are not sure, please confer with your academic advisor. Once you have your schedule finalized, you will need to request that your courses be certified with the VA in order for your GI Bill education benefits to be paid.
Request for Certification
Please be sure to submit a Request for Certification to the School Certifying Official (SCO) each semester that you want to use your VA benefits. Please click here to access the online request form. This request should be submitted 30 days or more before the start of the term. Late submissions or those with inaccurate information could delay your VA benefit payments.
Any student wishing to utilize GI Bill education benefits must complete a request for certification form. If the request form is not completed and submitted, enrollment will not be certified with the VA.
Along with the request for certification you must also submit a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE). The COE is received from the VA outlining your benefits for the GI Bill benefit. If you do not have a copy you will need to contact the VA in order to have one sent to you. You may be responsible for the entire payment to the school if you do not provide a copy of your COE.
If you are taking courses at UNE to transfer into a degree at another school in which you are enrolled as a degree seeking student you will need to have your home school provide us with a Parent Letter indicating that the courses you will be taking at UNE will transfer into your degree program. Likewise if you are taking courses as pre-requisites to get into a program at another institution you will need to have that institution submit a Parent Letter indicating that the courses you are taking at UNE are needed to enter their program. UNE will be unable to certify your enrollment without a Parent Letter.
Changes to Schedule or Major
If you change your schedule and/or major, please be sure to notify the SCO as soon as possible by email with the specifics of the change.
VA Benefit Payments
The School Certifying Official (SCO) has no record of VA payments made directly to students. If a payment is late, please contact the VA directly at 1.888.442.4551, prompt 1, then prompt 0, to inquire. Or, submit an "Ask a Question" inquiry on the VA website.
What is W.A.V.E.?
W.A.V.E. stands for Web-Automated Verification of Enrollment. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. You can check the status of your enrollment, update your personal information, update your direct deposit information and report changes to your enrollment directly to the VA. You MUST verify your enrollment every month, on the last day of the month, if you are currently enrolled in Chapters 30, 1606 or 1607. Chapter 33 does not require monthly verification. Your monthly payment will not be processed until you verify your enrollment for the month.
Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill
Changes made in fall 2012 require schools to account for any institutional aid that will reduce tuition and fees to be taken into consideration before Chapter 33 benefits are calculated. This means that any institutional aid that is awarded to a student is deducted from the total tuition and fees reported to the VA.
Yellow Ribbon Program
UNE is proud to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. The Yellow Ribbon Program allows additional funding for students who are 100% eligible for Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits. UNE will pay a certain dollar amount and the VA will match UNE’s payment, not to exceed total cost.
Participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program by UNE is applied for each year, during the spring, with the VA. Each year there are a limited number of slots available in the program and are given on a first come, first serve basis.
There is not a separate application process, only to have your Certificate of Eligibility stating that you are 100% eligible for the Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill. The date of submission of the COE will determine if a slot is awarded.
Yellow Ribbon benefits will not be processed until the annual cap for tuition and fees of $17,500 has been exhausted.
Useful Links
VA Regional Office
For questions on educational benefit, call toll free at 1-888-442-4551; fax 716-551-4103.
VA Regional Office
PO Box 4616
Buffalo , NY 14240-4616
Please visit the official VA website for a detailed explanation of benefits
http://www.gibill.va.gov
Click here to apply online for Veterans Benefits:
http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp
Click here for Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (W.A.V.E)
https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave/index.do
Dept of Veteran Affairs - Veteran Benefits Administration:
http://www.vba.va.gov/VBA/
Various VA forms are located here:
http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/education_forms.htm