Federal benefits

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of active duty service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. 

Service Members/Veterans quality for 100% of the benefit if they have three years of active duty service, received a Purple Heart, or served at least 30 continuous days on active duty and were discharged due to a service connected disability. The VA will award a percentage of the benefit outside of these parameters. You may check the VA's Post 9/11 GI Bill® Eligibility matrix here.

The VA pays tuition and fees directly to the school (the amount covered depends on the students eligibility rating) and a monthly housing payment directly to the student. The housing payment is based on the school zip code. Students may check current housing allowance rates here. The VA also pays a book stipend of up to $1000 per school year. Students eligible for a percentage of Post 9/11 GI Bill® will receive the corresponding percentage of the allowable amount for tuition/fees, housing allowance, and book stipend.

Post-9/11 GI Bill® does not pay the school directly for non-tuition related costs such as: residence hall costs, meal plans, parking passes, or any other costs you choose to add to your student account.  Please be aware you will be responsible for paying for these costs out of pocket. 

Approved training under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® includes graduate and undergraduate degrees, and vocational/technical training. All training programs must be offered by an institution of higher learning (IHL) and approved for GI Bill benefits. Additionally, tutorial assistance, and licensing and certification test reimbursement are approved under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® .  Check out the VA's Post 9/11 GI Bill website for more information.

It is important to notify our office of any changes in your enrollment information as soon as possible, as waiting may create a substantial debt to the VA.

Students should provide their Post 9/11 GI Bill® Certificate of Eligibility (or its equivalent} by the first day of class.

The Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30) assists students who entered active duty for the first time after July 1, 1985, and who agreed to have their pay reduced by $100 for 12 months. Veterans must have received an honorable discharge and active-duty personnel must have served at least two years to be eligible to use their benefits.

Certain veterans and active-duty military personnel who were eligible for educational assistance under the Vietnam Era GI Bill® (Chapter 34) on December 31, 1989, may be eligible for benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill® if they have served on active duty since October 19, 1984, without a break in service and served three continuous years on active duty from June 30, 1985, through June 30, 1988, or served two continuous years on active duty followed by four years in the selected reserves after June 30, 1985. A break in service of 90 days or less during the period October 19, 1984, through June 30, 1985, will not disqualify a person from eligibility for benefits. However, a break in active duty of any length after June 30, 1985, will disqualify a person for Chapter 30. These participants are not required to make contributions to the program. Certain individuals who are voluntarily or involuntarily separated from active duty with an honorable discharge may elect to participate and make a $1,200 contribution to the Montgomery GI Bill® program before separating from active duty. This includes individuals who may have participated in the Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP - Chapter 32).

Individuals are allowed 36 months of full-time entitlement. Participants who have eligibility through the Vietnam Era GI Bill have 36 months of entitlement or the amount of entitlement they have remaining from Chapter 34, whichever is less. Benefits must be used within 10 years from the date the individual was last discharged from active duty.

The current payment rate is published by the VA annually. You may check the amount here: VA Rate Chart. The amount you receive might be higher if you have a buy up or a kicker.

Students receiving CH30 benefits may not simultaneously receive the WI GI Bill during the same semester. 

Students should provide their MGIB® Certificate of Eligibility (or its equivalent} by the first day of class.

Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) (Chapter 31) provides assistance to veterans who have a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent and are in need of vocational rehabilitation. VR&E covers a student's tuition and fees, books, school supplies, and also pays a monthly housing allowance.

VR&E does not pay the school directly for non-tuition related costs such as: dorm costs, meal plans, or any other costs that you choose to add to your student account.  Please be aware that you will be responsible for paying for these costs out of pocket.  

Veterans who have remaining Post 9/11 GI Bill® eligibility and are eligible for VR&E may choose to receive to receive either the Post 9/11 GI Bill® housing allowance payment amount or the VR&E subsistence allowance. 

Eligible veterans may be allowed up to 36 months of full-time benefits. Veterans generally have 12 years from the date they are notified of their entitlement to use their benefits.

Student should provide their Chapter 31, VA VR&E’s contract by the first day of class.

Montgomery GI Bill® - Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606) benefits are available to reservists who enlist, reenlist, or extend an enlistment in the Selected Reserve for not less than six years on or after July 1, 1985. For officers, the six-year period is in addition to any other obligated period of service. Eligibility for the program requires the reservists have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent. In addition, the reservist must have completed Initial Active Duty Training (IADT). Finally, a reservist must be participating in training at the time benefits are used.

A reservist is allowed 36 months of full-time benefits.

Students should provide their MGIB® Certificate of Eligibility (or its equivalent} by the first day of class.

Survivors and Dependents Education Assistance (DEA) benefits (Chapter 35) provide educational benefits to spouses and children of veterans who either died while in service, died as a result of a service-connected disability, or became totally and permanently disabled as a result of their military service.

Survivors and dependents are allowed 36 months of full-time benefits. Spouses have 10 years from the date of the veteran's effective date of permanent and total disability rating or the veteran's death to use the benefit. Dependents' benefits end on their 26th birthday or eight years from the veteran's effective date of permanent or total disability rating or the veteran's death, but not after the dependent's 31st birthday.

Students should provide their ch35 Certificate of Eligibility (or its equivalent} by the first day of class.

The VA will reimburse you for fees for the following tests:

• 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)

If you are on active duty, you may be eligible for Federal Tuition Assistance Programs that will pay a portion of your tuition directly to the school.  Contact your military education officer at your unit or military installation education office for more information about your branch's program.  Please forward your approved Tuition Assistance Authorization to Jenna Nelson in the Business Services Office.  Pearl will invoice on your behalf and payments made directly to UWL to be applied to your student account.

Individuals who are entitled to veteran educational assistance under chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment) or chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill ®) shall submit a certificate of eligibility (COE) and submit a written request (cert request) to use the entitlement not later than the first day of the course of education. 

While payment from the VA is pending, UWL will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or to UWL facilities, or the requirement that a student borrow additional funds because of the student’s inability to meet their financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by a federal payment (VA).

UWL may require the amount of tuition and fees owed above the expected federal educational assistance to be paid according to the UWL payment due dates.

Current VA Rate Tables

This benefit is administered by the U.S. Army.

The Loan Repayment Program (LRP) is a special incentive that the Army offers to highly qualified applicants entering the Army. Under the LRP, the Army will repay part of a Soldier's qualifying student loans. Only specified Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs) qualify for the LRP.

You may find more info: College Loan Repayment Program