Veteran Affairs
Veterans Benefits
Active duty service members, veterans, and their qualified dependents may be eligible for Veterans Affairs (VA) educational benefits authorized under specific chapters of Title 38 of the U.S. Code. The Military and Veterans Affairs Office provides specialized customer services and information to assist students in establishing eligibility for and receipt of VA educational benefits. This office cannot determine eligibility, but can assist in the submission of applications and supporting documents. Only the Department of Veterans Affairs can determine student eligibility for benefits. The primary function of this office is to certify and report enrollment information to the VA to facilitate the receipt of benefits by eligible students.
Overview of Veterans Affairs (VA) Educational Benefits
There are various Veterans Affairs (VA) educational programs available, all of which have their own unique qualifying criteria and rates of payment. Depending on the benefits, the student may be eligible to receive a monthly living stipend and have their tuition and fees paid by the VA; payment of tuition and fees are the responsibility of the student if his/her benefit does not take care of the cost of attendance.
Eligible students may apply for advance payment of benefits in the following Chapters: 30, 35 and 1606. The benefit amount is determined by the student’s training time. The VA established levels of training time as: full, 3/4, half, and less than half. Benefits for students training while on active duty and those training less than half-time are limited to the amount of tuition and fees paid. Since the number of credits determine the payment amount, it is absolutely essential that students immediately report all changes in enrollment (drops/adds) to the college’s Office of Military Affairs.
Establish Eligibility and Receive Benefits
The Office of Military and Veterans Affairs provides services necessary to establish eligibility for the VA education program. To establish eligibility with the college, students are expected to provide a copy of their VA issued Certificate of Eligibility. A high school transcript is required for all undergraduate students seeking veteran benefits. Once a student’s eligibility has been established, students must submit a Certification Request for VA Education Benefits form in order to receive them. Students may gain access to their VA forms at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill and the Elizabeth City State University form at www.ecsu.edu or in the military affairs office. Continuing students, those currently receiving benefits at Elizabeth City State University, may mail or email their signed requests after enrolling in subsequent semesters. Students who mail must follow-up via phone or email (Veteran@ecsu.edu) to ensure that the office has received their request.
Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act Of 2014
The following individuals shall be charged a rate of tuition not to exceed the in-state rate for tuition and fees purposes:
A Veteran using educational assistance under either chapter 30 (Montgomery G.I. Bill – Active Duty Program) or chapter 33 (Post- 9/11 G.I. Bill), of title 38, United States Code, who lives in North Carolina while attending a school located in North Carolina (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of discharge or release from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
- Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) who lives in North Carolina while attending a school located in North Carolina (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the transferor's discharge or release from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
- Anyone using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (38 U.S.C. § 3311(b) (9)) who lives in North Carolina while attending a school located in North Carolina (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the Service member’s death in the line of duty following a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
- Anyone described above while he or she remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or terms) at the same school. The person so described must have enrolled in the school prior to the expiration of the three year period following discharge, release, or death described above and must be using educational benefits under either chapter 30 or chapter 33, of title 38, United States Code.
VA Education Programs
The Post 9/11 GI Bill, Chapter 33
If you have at least 90 days of aggregate active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001, and are still on active duty, or if you are an honorably discharged Veteran or were discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days, you may be eligible for this VA-administered program. Purple Heart recipients, regardless of length of service, are qualified for Post-9/11 benefits at the 100% level. Certain members of the Reserves who lost education benefits when REAP was sunset in November 2015, may also be eligible to receive restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
If you have eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and any other GI Bill program you must make an irrevocable election of the Post-9/11 GI Bill before you can receive any benefits.
The Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (MGIB-AD), Chapter 30
The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) is available to those who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces. There are two main programs:
• Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) For active duty members who enroll and pay $100 per month for 12 months and are then entitled to receive a monthly education benefit once they have completed a minimum service obligation.
• Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) For Reservists with a six-year obligation in the Selected Reserve who are actively drilling.
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, (VR&E)
- Comprehensive evaluation to determine abilities, skills, and interests for employment
- Vocational counseling and rehabilitation planning for employment services
- Employment services such as job-training, job-seeking skills, resume development, and other work readiness assistance
- Assistance finding and keeping a job, including the use of special employer incentives and job accommodations
- On the Job Training (OJT), apprenticeships, and non-paid work experiences
- Post-secondary training at a college, vocational, technical or business school
- Supportive rehabilitation services including case management, counseling, and medical referrals
- Independent living services for Veterans unable to work due to the severity of their disabilities
Information can be found at
http://www.benefits.va.gov/vocrehab/eligibility_and_entitlement.asp
Veterans Education Assistance Program (VEAP), Chapter 32
VEAP is available if you elected to make contributions from your military pay to participate in this education benefit program. The government matches your contributions on a 2-for-1 basis.
Dependents Education Assistance Program,
There are two main GI Bill programs offering education assistance to survivors and dependents of Veterans:
- The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship provides Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the children and surviving spouses of Service members who died in the line of duty while on active duty after Sept. 10, 2001. Eligible beneficiaries attending school may receive up to 36 months of benefits at the 100 percent level.
- The Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) Program offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of Veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition or of Veterans who died while on active duty or as a result of a service-related condition.
The Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR), Chapter 1606
The MGIB-SR program may be available to students if they are a member of the Selected Reserve. The Selected Reserve includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses. Pamphlets can be found at
http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/docs/pamphlets/ch1606_pamphlet.pdf
Licensing and Certification
Open new doors to employment by getting licensed or certified as a mechanic, medical technician, attorney, or other professional. Often required for work in certain fields, these tests may be eligible for GI Bill reimbursement.
Type of Assistance
Tests that may be reimbursable by VA include licensing and/or certification for a job as a mechanic, medical technician, therapist, computer network engineer, website developer, and other professional. There is no limit to the number of tests you may take, or number of times you may take the same test. And, VA will pay for tests even if you fail them.
National Testing Program
Advancing your education often requires you to take costly national tests. Students can be reimbursed all required (mandatory) fees charged for national admission tests, national tests for college credit, and national tests that evaluate prior learning and knowledge and provide an opportunity for credit at an institution of higher learning (IHL).
Type of Assistance
The following tests are approved for reimbursement:
• SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test)
• LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
• GRE (Graduate Record Exam)
• GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
• AP (Advanced Placement Exam)
• CLEP (College-Level Examination Program)
• ACT (American College Testing Program)
• DAT (Dental Admissions Test)
• MAT (Miller Analogies Test)
• MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test)
• OAT (Optometry Admissions Testing)
• PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test)
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
• DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests)
• ECE (Excelsior College Examinations)
• PLA (Prior Learning Assessment) testing through Learningcounts.org
• TECEP (Thomas Edison College Examination Program)
Tuition Assistance “Top-Up”
Tuition Assistance “Top-Up” benefits are equal to the difference between the total cost of a college course and the amount of tuition assistance that is paid by the military. Tuition Assistance (TA) and Top-Up are not administered through this office; students must request benefits for these programs through their unit’s education services offices. When received from their unit’s educational services office, students submit TA authorization forms directly to the Elizabeth City State University student account’s office for payment of tuition only. Fees are the student’s responsibility. Information can be found at
http://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/docs/factsheets/topup.pdf
Standards of Progress
The Department of Veterans Affairs requires that students receiving educational benefits maintain satisfactory progress. This office is required to submit notification of unsatisfactory progress to the VA when a student is placed on academic probation, suspension or dismissal.
Undeclared Major
Students pursuing a bachelor's degree may not have to declare a major before their junior year at some schools. If a freshman or sophomore has not declared a major, report the student's program as "Bachelor (undeclared)". The student cannot be certified beyond his or her sophomore year unless a major is declared. Only "General Education" courses can be certified prior to the declaration of a major.
Non-matriculated Students
VA defines matriculated as having been formally admitted to a college or university as a degree-seeking student. VA educational benefits cannot be paid to non-matriculated college or university students unless they are pending admission to your school. In that case they can be certified for two quarters or semesters. The student can be certified beyond this two-term limit only if the student is admitted to your school as a degree-seeking student, irrespective of the number of credits taken.
- Certify a non-matriculated student as "Bachelor (non-matriculated)" or "Post-baccalaureate (non-matriculated)." The only courses that can be certified are those required for admission and those required if admitted.
Additional Benefits Available to Eligible Students
Flight Training
VA offers flight training benefits to those who want to advance their pilot qualifications. You must have a private pilot’s license and valid medical certification before you start training. Payments are issued after the training is completed and the school submits your enrollment information to VA.
http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/flight_training.asp
VA Work-Study Program
If you're a full-time or 3/4-time student in a college degree, vocational, or professional program, you can “earn while you learn” with a VA work-study allowance.
Services you perform under a VA work-study program must be related to VA work. Examples of acceptable work are:
• The preparation and processing of necessary papers and other documents at educational institutions
• Any activity at a VA facility
• Any activity at Department of Defense, Coast Guard, or National Guard facilities relating to the administration of Chapters 1606 or 1607 of Title 10 U.S.C.
• Any activity of a State Veterans agency related to providing assistance to Veterans in obtaining any benefit under Title 38, U.S.C. or the laws of the State
• A position working in a Center for Excellence for Veteran Student Success, as established under 20 U.S.C. 1161t, which purpose is to support and coordinate academic, financial, physical, and social needs of Veteran students
• A position working in a cooperative program carried out jointly by the VA and an Institution of Higher Learning
• Any veterans-related position in an Institution of Higher Learning, such as:
o Assisting with dissemination of general information regarding Veteran benefits and/or services
o Providing assistance to Veteran students with general inquiries about Veteran benefits via phone, email, or in person
o Maintaining and organizing veteran-related files
The work you actually do will depend on your interests and the type of work available.
Information can be found at:
http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/workstudy.asp
Tutorial Assistance Program
Assistance may be available to those who are eligible under Chapters 30, 32, 33, 35, and 1606 to aid student’s expenses when tutoring becomes necessary. The allowance is a supplement to the monthly educational assistance check and is paid without entitlement charge for those under Chapter 35. Entitlement for those under other chapters will be charged if the tutorial assistance exceeds $600. Information can be found at http://benefits.va.gov/gibill/tutorial_assistance.asp