The Department of Veterans Affairs Education Service offers many benefit programs. These benefits include the Montgomery GI Bill, Tuition Assistance “Top Up”, Veterans Educational Assistance Program, Survivor’s and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program, Tutorial Assistance Program and numerous other benefit programs.
If you are an undergraduate student enrolled in a BA or BS program (and not using Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment program benefits), please contact Patricia Sarkuti at psarkuti@umw.edu or at 540-654-2140.
BLS, BSN, certificate students, graduate students, and any student using Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment program benefits should contact Ryan Hastings at rhasting@umw.edu or at 540-654-5853.
Priority Registration for Veterans, Active Duty Members, Reservists and National Guard Members
Policy
The 2012 General Assembly established Virginia code 23-9.2:3.7 C, which states:
The governing boards of each public institution of higher education shall, in accordance with guidelines developed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, implement policies that recognize the scheduling difficulties and obligations encountered by active duty members of the United States armed forces.
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia through consultation with the Military Education Advisory Committee (MEAC) issued guidelines requiring institutions to establish course registration policies that provide reasonable accommodation to students who are active-duty military members, reservists and Virginia National Guard members. As a result of this ruling, beginning with fall 2014 registration, the University of Mary Washington will extend priority registration to all active duty members, veterans, reservists and Virginia National Guard members.
Procedures
- Priority registration will be granted the first semester of enrollment
- Student must self-identify to the Office of the Registrar
- Veterans must provide a copy of DD 214, retired military identification card or the DMV issued veteran card
- Reservists and Active Duty members must be present a copy of their current Military ID card
- In order to ensure priority registration, students who are required to self-identify must do so before the following dates:
- Fall – March 1
- Spring – October 1
VA Contact Information
A veteran using benefits for the first time should fill out the 22-1990 Application for VA Education Benefits form. If a veteran has used benefits at another institution or if s/he is changing programs at UMW (e.g. non-degree seeking to a degree seeking program), s/he should fill out the 22-1995 Request for Change of Program or Place of Training form. These forms are available at www.gibill.va.gov. For faster processing, the forms should be submitted online via VONAPP. If the forms must be processed on paper, please send the forms directly to:
Department of Veteran Affairs
Buffalo Regional Processing Office
PO Box 4616
Buffalo, NY 14240-4616
The regional office for veterans attending UMW is the Roanoke Office.
Veterans Administration Regional Office
210 Franklin Road, S.W.
Roanoke, VA 24011
Veterans seeking information on what type of benefits they have should contact the Educational Officer on the base (if active duty), or they may call the toll free number: 1-888-442-4551.
Some veterans may need to verify their enrollment at the end of each month. The enrollment can be verified by calling 1-877-823-2378 or by WAVE account on the internet.
Enrollment Certification Process
To begin the enrollment certification process, the veteran must complete the Request for Veterans Benefits Form for each semester that s/he wishes to claim benefits.
For more information, go to VA Education and Training
Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Information
We work closely with the VA and actively support our veterans, active duty members and their dependents to ensure a successful program. Some basic information about Chapter 33:
Active Duty, Veterans and Dependents:
- Apply by logging into VA.gov and select the “Education and Training” tab. After registering for classes, please submit a Request For Veterans Benefit Form
- Do not wait to receive the Certificate of Eligibility from the VA before submitting your Request For Benefits form.
- Submit to the Liaison, a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) once received from the VA.
- The VA will send UMW a check for the amount of tuition and fees reported. If a course is dropped after the term has begun and payment has been issued, UMW will issue a refund check to the veteran. IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO REIMBURSE THIS AMOUNT BACK TO THE VA. The VA will be notified and they will contact the student regarding this overpayment.
- The tuition and fees payment is prorated by the student’s benefit level. If you are less than 100% eligible for Chapter 33 Post 9/11 benefits, you will have a balance on your account. This balance must be paid to avoid late fees and holds on your account.
- The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Education Assistance Act, also known as the “Forever GI Bill,” was signed into
law on August 16, 2017. This legislation brings significant updates to VA education benefits. Two sections
of the law, Sections 107 and 501, affect housing payments, which you need to know about as you plan and
budget for the school year. As of Fall 2019, VA is working to implement the changes on how Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) rates are determined. To keep you informed, we’ve outlined key information for you to know:- SECTION 107:
- Effective August 1, 2018, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® MHA is calculated based on the location of the campus where you attend the majority of your classes, rather than the location of the main or branch campus of the school where you are enrolled. If you are using your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to complete your program at different locations, your MHA rate will be based on where you are physically taking the majority of classes. If your residential course load is split equally at different campuses, you will be paid based on the location with the higher rate.
- Some students took classes outside of the main or branch campus at a location VA defines as an “extension campus.” VA defines an extension campus as “a location that is geographically apart from the main or branch campus but is operationally dependent on that campus for the performance of administrative tasks.”
- AN EXAMPLE OF EXTENSION CAMPUSES INCLUDE:
A smaller, satellite campus of a large university that offers courses but does not have its own
administration onsite. This campus may be a room(s) or a just a few buildings and offer fewer courses. - If you attend classes at an extension campus, it is important to check the MHA rate using the GI Bill
Comparison Tool at VA.gov/gi-bill-comparison-tool/ to see what your MHA rate will be beginning
December 1. The GI Bill Comparison Tool is updated with Academic Year 2019-2020 rates.
- AN EXAMPLE OF EXTENSION CAMPUSES INCLUDE:
- SECTION 501:
- Effective January 1, 2018, the Post-9/11 GI Bill monthly housing allowance (MHA) will be the same as the Department of Defense’s E-5 with dependents basic allowance for housing (BAH) rate. You will receive this rate if you first used your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits on or after January 1, 2018. If you started using your Post-9/11 GI Bill before January 1, 2018, you will continue receiving MHA payments based on the slightly higher VA rate.
- While making IT system updates to be able to process rates stipulated by 501, VA has continued paying MHA at the higher VA rate. For some beneficiaries, this means that you were/are being overpaid since August 1, 2018 and will begin receiving the corrected rate this year after December 1.
- Please note: If you were overpaid because of these changes, VA will automatically review your claim
for waiver of the debt and provide additional information on this process to you. If you have any
questions, the letters will provide a phone number, or you can call the VBA Education Hotline at
1-888-GI-BILL-1 (1-888-442-4551). For students outside the U.S., call 001-918-781-5678.
- SECTION 107:
Updated Information – October 2021
Beginning with terms starting after December 17, 2021, students using their Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits at an Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) facility will be required to verify their enrollment at the end of each month. Failure to verify for two consecutive months will impact their Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) and/or kicker payments. This is part of a phased approach, and has already been rolled out to Post 9/11 GI Bill students attending Non-College Degree (NCD) facilities.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is encouraging students to sign up for text message verification. This will provide students a simple and convenient verification option and ensure they receive MHA and/or kicker payments uninterrupted.
After December 17, 2021, all impacted students with a US mobile phone number on file will receive an opt-in text as their next enrollment period approaches. Note: Students who do not have a US mobile phone number on file with VA will not be able to use text verification. They will be automatically enrolled into email verification.
Sources for current information regarding VA educational benefits including Chapter 33 can be viewed at the following sites:
Disability and Rehabilitation Programs
The Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment program is managed by the University of Mary Washington’s Office of Student Accounts, and Ryan Hastings. They may be contacted respectively by telephone at 540-654-1250 or 540-654-5853 or by email at umwbills@umw.edu.
To learn about Transfer Policies please visit the Military Credit page.
The Virginia State Approving Agency (SAA), is the approving authority of education and training programs for Virginia. The SAA investigates complaints of GI Bill beneficiaries. While most complaints should initially follow the General Student Complaint Procedure (UMW policy D.9.1), if the situation cannot be resolved at the school, the beneficiary should contact the SAA at saa@dvs.virginia.gov.