Education benefits for veterans and their families

Here is how VA education benefits work for veterans, service members and their families, from choosing a program to keeping payments on track each term. The VA decides which benefit applies, and the school certifying official handles your enrollment on the school's side.

The main programs

The Post-9/11 GI Bill can help with tuition and fees, and it can include a monthly housing allowance and a books stipend, depending on service time and how you attend. The Montgomery GI Bill pays a monthly amount directly to the student instead. Veteran Readiness and Employment serves veterans with a service-connected disability who need training to work.

Family members have their own routes. A service member may be able to transfer unused Post-9/11 benefits to a spouse or child while still serving. The Fry Scholarship and the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program serve families of service members who died in the line of duty or of veterans with certain service-connected disabilities.

Applying through the VA

Apply on VA.gov, or with help from a regional office or a campus veterans center. For most programs, the VA sends a Certificate of Eligibility or a decision letter that names the benefit and how much entitlement remains. Keep it, because the school needs a copy.

Applying before you register for classes gives the paperwork time to move. If you have more than one possible benefit, ask the VA which one to use first, since choosing some benefits can be permanent.

Before your first term

• Your DD-214 or other service records
• A Certificate of Eligibility or VA decision letter
• Your class schedule for the term
• Contact details for your school certifying official

The school certifying official

Each school that takes VA benefits has a school certifying official, often in the registrar's office or a veterans center. This person reports your enrollment to the VA each term, and payments depend on that report. The VA makes the decisions about your benefit, and the official makes sure it has the right information.

Tell the certifying official about any change to your schedule, including a dropped class or a switch to online courses. A change can lower the housing allowance or create a debt to the VA. Ask the official before you make the change so you can see the effect first.

Combining VA benefits with other aid

You can file the FAFSA as well, and veterans count as independent students on the form. Grants and loans can sit alongside VA benefits, and the aid office explains how the two fit together in your offer. Some states also have tuition programs for veterans and their families.

The Yellow Ribbon Program can cover tuition costs above the GI Bill limit at schools that take part. Ask both the aid office and the certifying official whether your school is in it and how many places it has.