Military Education Benefits
Navigating education benefits from the VA can be daunting! Here are three helpful tips from our Director of Financial Aid.
For the past twelve years I’ve assisted military families and veterans at The King’s College with their education benefits. I’d like to share a few tips I’ve picked up over the years for navigating the Veteran Affairs (VA) education benefits world.
- Start the process early. Whether you are a parent transferring benefits to your child or you are using your own benefits, the process takes time (10-12 weeks). This website is helpful in navigating that process. You’ll know you’ve completed the process when the student receives a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA. You will be required to send the COE to the school you’re applying to.
- Reach out. Get in touch with the individuals at your college of choice who work with veteran’s education benefits. It’s common for larger schools to have an Office of Veteran’s Affairs and for smaller schools (like King’s) to have a contact person. That’s me!
- Learn the details. Know the particulars of your specific education benefit program. For instance, the Post 9/11 GI Bill sends tuition and fees benefits directly to the school while the housing allowance is sent to the student. The amount you’ll receive, for both tuition and housing, will be based on a percentage of the maximum benefit. Students who qualify for 100% will be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Your percentage will be listed on your COE.
The VA education benefits for survivors and dependents, also known as DEA, does not send any funds to the school but sends a monthly stipend directly to the student.
Navigating education benefits from the VA can be daunting so don’t hesitate to reach out to your school’s Office of Veteran’s Affairs or financialservices[at]tkc.edu if you’re planning to attend King’s!
// Photo by Justin Cron //