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Registrar's Office

Veterans Affairs Certification and Benefits

Veterans Affairs Certification and Benefits

 

VA - Semester Certification

If you are requesting VA benefits, you must confirm your intent to receive benefits by completing the appropriate certification forms (see below).

You are paid VA benefits based on your training time and the number of hours for which you are certified.

Fall and Spring Semesters

Full-time:

Undergraduates - 12 or more hours
Graduates - 9 or more hours

Three-quarter time:

Undergraduates - 9 to 11 hours
Graduates - 4 to 8 hours

Half-time:

Undergraduates - 6 to 8 hours
Graduates - 3 hours

Less than half time:

Undergraduates - 5 or less hours
Graduates - 2 or less hours

Summer Terms

Full-time: Undergraduates and Graduates - 4 or more hours
Three-quarter time: Undergraduates and Graduates - 3 hours
Half-Time: Undergraduates and Graduates - 2 hours

Enrollment Verification/Certification Form

Download this form, to be completed each enrollment period by the third day of classes and returned to SUBR's Office of Veterans Affairs, located in building 139, T.H. Harris Hall SUBR Registrar's Office:

Undergraduate & Graduate Enrollment Verification Form (pdf)

Monthly Verification

Post-9/11 GI Bill® students who receive Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) and/or kicker payments are required to verify their enrollment to continue receiving their payments. Veterans, Reservists, and Guardsmen who receive VA educational benefits under Chapter 30 (Montgomery G.I. Bill (MGIB) - Active Duty) and Chapter 1606 (Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) - Selective Reserve) must verify class attendance on or after the last day of the month.

You may verify by phone (1-877-823-2378) or via the web at www.gibill.va.gov

Failure to verify class attendance could result in non-receipt of VA educational benefits for the month. Benefits may be delayed in those months with federal holidays.

Benefit Restrictions

For you to receive educational benefits, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs requires that a student "be making satisfactory academic progress towards your goal" (e.g., courses must apply toward degree in which you are enrolled). Failure to adhere to this regulation may result in a decrease of the amount or the loss of VA benefits.

Your academic advisor or school director will approve the courses in which you may enroll each enrollment period in your curriculum and certify that they apply toward your degree by completing and signing the appropriate Undergraduate & Graduate Enrollment Verification Form.

For each enrollment period, you must submit a completed Undergraduate & Graduate Enrollment Verification Form by the third day of classes to the ULM Veterans Affairs Office in order to certify your benefits.

The SUBR Certifying Official is obligated by the VA to closely monitor your academic performance and to provide your enrollment information (e.g., dropping below full-time enrollment) to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Although not all-inclusive, some of the primary reasons for this required reporting are to adjust the amount of VA educational payment benefits:

  1. a) based on your current enrollment status,
    b) based on the number of courses that apply toward your degree,
    c) based on the number courses that apply toward your degree as a result changing majors at SUBR, or
    d) based on the number of transferable courses that apply toward a degree as a result of transferring to SUBR from an accredited college or university.

Although not all-inclusive, some of the basic ways to ensure that you receive your benefits in a timely manner are:

  1. a) to submit your required Undergraduate & Graduate Enrollment Verification Form each enrollment period within the first three days of classes,
    b) forecast your intent to enroll in future enrollment periods,
    c) remain enrolled in required courses for which you register, and
    d) earn grades in each course that indicate ULM and VA satisfactory progress toward your degree.

After you have enrolled during an enrollment period as a full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, or less than half-time, you want to avoid an Overpayment of Benefits for which you are responsible to repay the VA.

To avoid such overpayments, always report any action you take that affects your class enrollment (e.g., dropping courses, resigning from the University) to SUBR's Office of Veteran Affairs.