Veteran’s Benefits

Veteran’s Benefits

This institution is approved to offer GI Bill® educational benefits by the Virginia State Approving Agency.

“GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.”

Richard Bland is committed to making your experience here one of excitement and ease. So, take a minute to look at the following information and procedures, which we hope will make your experience move smoothly from admission to certification and payment.

Depending on the Program qualification you may be eligible for GI Bill that pays benefits in 4 areas:

• Tuition
• Fees
• Book Stipend
• Monthly Housing and Meal Allowance (MHA)

The following are the GI Bill Programs. For details of benefits, go to https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/index.asp

• Chapter 30 MGIB (Montgomery GI Bill)
• Chapter 31 VR&E (Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program)
• Chapter 32 VEAP (Veterans Educational Assistance Program)
• Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill
• Chapter 35 DEA (Dependents Educational Assistance Program)
• Chapter 1606 MGIB-SR (Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserves)
• Chapter 1607 REAP (Reserve Education Assistance Program )
• GA. National Guard (USA & USAF) (REAP)
• Tuition Assistance T/A

The following documents are required for us to process your request to use GI Bill benefits.

• DD-214 if applicable (1 time only)
• Certificate of Eligibility (COE – First Time you apply – 1 time only) or Letter of Remaining Benefits (every semester – provided to you by the VA)
• Copy of updated Academic Grid (every semester – provided by your academic advisor)
• Copy of Student Schedule/Bill from your Banner Account (every semester)

For transfer students who have used GI Bill at another College or University, Request for Change of Training Location or Program form ( https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/index.asp )

• Form VA 22-1995 for Active Duty, Veterans, Reserves and National Guard
• Form VA 22-5495 For Dependents

A Veteran earns GI Bill benefits under the Department of Defense resources while serving their country. When the Vet wants to “cash them in”, the funds will come from Veterans Affairs money. The COE (Certificate of Eligibility) is your documentation that you have been approved to utilize the benefit you have earned.
The COE can be obtained online at vabenefits.vba.va.gov. It will detail how many months of benefits and the percentage of payout for which you qualify. In order to transfer benefits to dependents, the sponsor must apply for a new COE in the student’s name.

• A GI Bill benefits package may be submitted as soon as classes are open for registration.
• All payments from the VA will come by Electronic Transfer of Funds (Direct Deposit) either directly to RBC or to the Student. No paper checks will be sent.
• All students will be initially certified to the VA for $ 0.00. This will cause the VA to release payments directly to the student at the earliest possible date (no earlier than a week prior to the semester start date). The closer to school start the package is submitted, the longer it will take for the VA to process your request and issue payment.
• Approximately 3 weeks into the semester, when all charges and credits have been applied to the student’s bill, a second Certification will be submitted to the VA for Chapter 33 students detailing the actual Tuition and Fees charges. This will cause the VA to issue payment directly to RBC for Tuition and Fees and a payment directly to the student for their book stipend. Students may apply online for a book voucher and should remember that the cost of the voucher will be added to your student account and must be paid in accordance with the business office guidelines.
• Students who receive scholarship, grant or other outside money specifically intended to be used to pay for Tuition including GO ARMY or Employment Tuition Assistance) will have their GI Bill Tuition and Fees payment reduced by the combined amount of these funds. Any Tuition and Fees charges not covered by these funds will be paid by the VA to the limit of the Vets benefit award. Book Stipend payments will not be affected. This action was taken by the VA in 2011 to prevent duplication and overpayment of Tuition and Fees to the student from multiple sources.
• Students relying on VA provided funds to cover school costs must execute an AGREEMENT TO PAY FORM in Financial Aid with the State Certifying Officer (SCO)This document will exempt eligible students from being in jeopardy for class drops due to non-payment of charges by the due date.

STUDENTS RECEIVING CHAPTER 30, 1606. 1607. MUST VERIFY THEIR ENROLLMENT MONTHLY BY WEB AUTOMATED VERIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT (WAVE) OR BY CALLING 1 877-823-2378 THE INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR). THE EARLIEST STUDENTS CAN VERIFY THEIR ENROLLMENT IS THE LAST CALENDAR DAY OF EACH MONTH.