Determining Eligibility

To determine eligibility:

• Students must submit a copy of their Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or Statement of Benefits to the VA Certifying Official via email, fax, mail, or in person. This document is available approximately 30 days after applying for education benefits with VA. The Statement of Benefits can be accepted if a Certificate of Eligibility is unavailable.
• Student must complete a VA Education Benefit Certification Form each semester to the School Certifying Official (SCO).
• Student must submit a Prior Education and Training Form.

• Students must also submit a copy of their Member 4 DD214, if applicable.

Note: GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website.

School-Certified Benefit Programs

CHAPTER 30 – MONTGOMERY GI BILL ® ACTIVE DUTY

• Service after 7/1/85
• 2 or 3 years of Active Duty
• GED or High School Diploma
• Contributes $100 per month for the first 12 months
• Accrues at the rate of 1 month for each month of Active Duty up to 36 months
• Access additional information on the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty.

CHAPTER 31 – VETERAN READINESS & EMPLOYMENT (VR&R)

• Needs a 10% VA disability or more to apply
• As many as 48 months of entitlement
• Access application information.

CHAPTER 33 – POST 9/11 GI BILL ®

• You served at least 90 days on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service) on or after September 11, 2001, or
• You received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service or
• You served for at least 30 continuous days (all at once, without a break in service) on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability or
• You’re a dependent child using benefits transferred by a qualifying Veteran or service member. Access additional information on transferring benefits.
• Access additional information on Chapter 33 benefits.
• You must verify your enrollment each month to receive your MHA payment.
  • Text Message
    • Opt In: Students with a U.S. mobile phone number can use text messages as an option for verifying monthly enrollment. As your enrollment approaches, you will receive the following opt-in text: “Post-9/11 GI Bill housing and kicker payments now require monthly enrollment verification. Would you like to submit yours via text? Please reply YES or NO.” Reply “YES” to opt in. The text message link will expire 14 days after receipt, so please respond within that time frame.
    • Verify: After opting in, you can verify your enrollment every month by responding to the following text message from VA: “Did you remain enrolled in your courses in MONTH YEAR as certified? Please reply YES or NO. If you have dropped all your courses, you must reply NO.” Reply “YES” to verify enrollment for the previous month. If you don’t reply within 6 days, the conversation will expire, and you will need to call the Education Call Center (ECC) at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) domestically or 001-918-781-5678 internationally to verify your enrollment.
  • Telephone
    • If you are unable to verify via text, you will need to contact the ECC at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) and ask a representative to verify your enrollment.

CHAPTER 35 – SURVIVORS & DEPENDENTS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE

• For spouses and children of 100% service-connected disabled veterans or spouses/children of veterans who died in service
• Access additional information on Chapter 35 benefits.

CHAPTER 1606 MONGOMERY GI BILL – SELECTED RESERVE (MGIB-SR)

• 6 or more years in the Selected Reserves after 7/1/85
• GED or High School Diploma
• Completed the initial Active Duty for training
• Completed 180 days of service in the Selected Reserves
• You must verify your enrollment for each month to receive payment for that month.
  • Website:
    • You can submit your enrollment certifications via the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) program
  • Telephone: 1-877-823-2378 (toll-free).
  • If your enrollment has changed during the month, you must verify your enrollment through the WAVE program
  • Access additional information on MGIB-SR benefits.

CHAPTER 1607 RESERVE EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (REAP)

• Serve a minimum of 90 consecutive days on Active Service after 9/11/01
• Remain with your component

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Federal and State Benefit Programs

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP) & MILITARY FAMILY EDUCATION PROGRAM (MFEP)

• If you, a parent, or a spouse are in the PA National Guard, you may qualify for tuition benefits. National Guard students can apply for EAP, while a dependent or spouse can apply for MFEP. · Applications can be submitted online to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Authority (PHEAA).
• The College will transfer the EAP/MFEP funds to the student account once we receive your information on the roster from PHEAA.
• Per state guidelines, military aid, such as Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) and CH 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill ®, will be taken into consideration and may reduce your EAP award, even if the College is notified after your aid has been disbursed.
• Students will receive the lesser of:
  • Full-Time Student – 100% of the tuition plus technology fee at the institution where you are enrolled OR the annual tuition rate and technology fee charged to a Pennsylvania resident at a state-owned university.
  • Part-Time Student – 100% of the tuition plus technology fee for a part-time course of study at the institution where you are enrolled OR the per credit tuition and technology fee charged to a Pennsylvania resident at a state-owned university for the number of credits in which you are enrolled

Military Leave of Absence

Whenever students, as members of the Pennsylvania National Guard or reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, are called or ordered to active duty, a leave of absence must be granted.

When released from active duty, students are entitled to and restored to the educational status previously attained without any loss of credits earned. At the student’s option, the college will refund tuition and fees paid or credit the tuition and fees to the next semester or term after termination of military leave.

The College will offer students a 100% refund of tuition and fees or a credit for the next semester’s tuition and fees. If students take a refund and return it, the refund will be at the existing rate.

Contact the School Certifying Official if information is needed about this process.