Veteran Benefits

All benefits require you apply for admission to Valparaiso University in addition to applying for financial aid. Other information required is listed below each Chapter.

Chapter 1606, 1607, and 30

1.  Complete an online application to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

VA Form 22-1990 for new applicants
VA Form 22-1995 for transfer students
Print a copy before submitting the application, and send it to the VA School Certifying Official

2.   Provide a copy of your Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE) or Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to the VA School Certifying Official. This document will be mailed to you from the VA after your application has been processed and your educational benefits have been granted.

3.   Provide a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy) to the VA School Certifying Official.

Chapter 31

1.    Your VA Rehabilitation Case Manager must provide you with VA form 28-1905 (Authorization and Certification of Entrance or Re-entrance into Rehabilitation and Certification of Status). This form will detail the specific guidelines the University must adhere to for credit approval, payment of tuition, and purchases of school supplies. A new form must be presented to the Office of Student Accounts for each semester you wish to claim VA educational benefits.

2.   Provide a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy) to the VA School Certifying Official.

It is the student’s responsibility to self-identify as a Chapter 31 Veteran when purchasing books and supplies at the University’s bookstore. To receive reimbursement for books receipts, please charge your books to your student account or submit a copy of your books receipt to the Office of Financial Aid.

Chapter 33 – Post 9/11- Yellow Ribbon

1.   Complete an online application to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

VA Form 22-1990 for new applicants
VA Form 22-1995 for transfer students
Print a copy before submitting the application, and send it to the VA School Certifying Official

3.   Provide a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to the VA School Certifying Official.

4.   Provide a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy) to the VA School Certifying Official.

If you are entitled to receive 100% of the benefits payable under the Post 9/11 GI Bill® the University does offer a matching program for our Veterans.

Chapter 35

1.   Complete an online application to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

VA Form 5490 (Application for Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance) for new applicants
VA Form 5495 for transfer students

Print a copy before submitting the application, and send it to the VA School Certifying Official

2.   Provide a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to the VA School Certifying Official.

• 1.   Apply for financial aid
• 2.   Notify the Office of Financial Aid of your intent to register for each semester.

New and transfer students can expect to begin receiving VA funding, including book and housing stipends (BAH), approximately four to eight weeks from the date the certification is submitted to the VA. Remember  the payment is made to the student for the number of days the student is certified for the month. If a student is certified for a whole month, the full monthly benefit is paid. If the student is only certified for part of the month, the benefit is prorated.

Payment usually comes between the 1st and 15th of each month and is paid for the previous month. The VA does not consider a check as late until after the 10th of the month. Inquiries regarding check status or other payment issues may be made directly to the VA at: 1-888-442-4551.

Students receiving educational benefits under Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Chapter 33 Post 9/11 will have their tuition and fees paid (part or full) depending on eligibility, directly to the University.

All students who are receiving Chapter 1606 Selected Reserve, Chapter 1607 Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP), Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill® benefits, or Chapter 35 Survivors’ and Dependents Educational Assistance, MUST verify their enrollment monthly to receive payment.

To verify enrollment, beneficiaries have the following options available:

• Text: To verify via text, beneficiaries can opt-in when they begin using their benefits to receive a text message from VA on the last day of each month to confirm their enrollment.
• Email: If beneficiaries choose to opt out of text verification, they will receive monthly enrollment verification messages by email.
• Online: Beneficiaries can verify their enrollment through VA’s online tool.
• Ask VA: Beneficiaries can verify through Ask VA by sending a message with their enrollment dates.

If a beneficiary would like to change their enrollment verification method, such as to text or email, they can call the Education Call Center (ECC) at 888-442-4551, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.

For a list of current pay rates, visit the VA Education Website.

The State Approving Agency (SAA) approves programs and courses of instruction so that educational benefits may be paid to eligible students under the programs administered by the DVA. Therefore, students must be admitted as matriculated and pursuing an approved program of study for enrollment certification of VA benefits. Students are also expected to make satisfactory academic progress toward completion of a degree. Any changes in enrollment including change of major, change of course, course deletions, and complete or partial withdrawals must be reported in writing to the Office of Financial Aid’s VA School Certifying Official via: .

Failure to comply with the official school withdrawal procedure may affect both past and future benefits. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure tuition and fees are paid in full.

Undergraduate and graduate students who are called to active duty need to contact the Office of the Registrar regarding being put on a military leave. In addition, the veteran must also inform their academic advisor to discuss how their degree plan may be impacted and also the VA School Certifying Official. Failure to comply could result in you incurring a debt to the VA.

Once a student has confirmed registration the Office of Financial Aid can begin putting information into the Enrollment Manager Program. Students still making changes to their schedule or those who were admitted later in the process may see a delay in their VA certification due to how information has to be entered into the Enrollment Manager Program.

Every attempt is made to have all the necessary information into the VA system by the first week in August for the fall semester and by the first week in December for the spring semester. Summer certifications are done May through July because of the two summer sessions.

Valparaiso University will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individuals inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under Chapter 31 or 33.

If a student is not 100%, Section 103 states: the restriction on penalties would not apply in cases where the student owes additional payment to the school beyond the amount of the tuition and fee payment from VA to the school. VA would have to make payments to schools no later than 60 days after receiving the tuition and fee certification from the school, and they would have to report semiannually to Congress any cases in which VA fails to make such payments within 60 days of certification.

Please contact the Office of Financial aid at 219.464.5015 or  to be connected with your financial aid counselor.

We understand there may be delays in when you receive your money from the VA and the University makes every attempt to provide the necessary information in a timely fashion. There will always be situations outside our control and we ask your patience as we work to better serve our growing Veterans population.