Federal VA Education Benefits

To apply for any of the benefits listed below, visit the VA website: va.gov/education/how-to-apply/

• Chapter 30 – Montgomery GI Bill® (MGIB)
  Active duty service member who paid an initial $1,200 into the program on initial entry onto active duty
• Chapter 31 – Veteran Readiness and Employment Program (VR&E)
  Service member who has a service connected disability rating of 10% or higher may qualify
• Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill®
  Service member who served on active duty after 9/11/2001 for a minimum of 90 days or dependents of eligible service members
• Chapter 35 – Dependents Education Assistance (DEA)
  Dependents of 100% disabled or deceased veteran 
• Chapter 1606 – Montgomery GI Bill®-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)
  Active service member in a drilling Reserve or National Guard unit
• Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship
  Chapter 33 veterans pursuing a degree in the STEM field and have exhausted (or will exhaust within 180 days) Chapter 33 benefits
  
  

Required Documents for all benefits listed above:

• MSU Benefit Request Form
• Certificate of Eligibility in the student’s name (not required for Chapter 31)
• Joint Service Transcript or Air Force Transcript (if the student is the veteran) 

For Chapter 31, veterans must apply through the VA.gov website and meet with an assigned VR&E counselor to determine eligible programs.

Priority Deadline for Submission:
5:00 PM on the first day of class of the semester for which you wish to use benefits

Please note: will continue to accept applications through the end of the respective semester; however, if you apply after our priority deadline, we cannot guarantee your benefits will be processed before the payment deadline. If you are unable to submit all required documents by the priority deadline, please make payment arrangements with the Business Office.

Minimum GPA Requirement
Title 38, Chapter I, Part 21 states that recipients of federal VA education benefits must maintain their institution’s standard satisfactory progress in order to continue receiving educational benefits. Midwestern State University’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is a grade point average (GPA) of 2.000 for undergraduate students and 3.000 for graduate students. If a student does not meet this minimum GPA requirement or is in excessive hours status, the student may submit an appeal.

Current Education Benefit Rates
va.gov/education/benefit-rates/

Tuition and Fees
We report eligible, in-state tuition and fees to the VA after deducting tuition for any ineligible classes, ineligible fees, and any aid awarded for the sole purpose of defraying tuition and fees.

Chapters 31, 33, and Hazlewood benefits are paid directly to the school toward tuition and fees. Students are responsible for any remaining balance after benefits have been applied to the account. Please make payment arrangements with the MSU Business Office. 

Chapter 33 includes a Monthly Housing Allowance and a $1000/year book stipend. These benefits are sent directly to the student. Visit the Chapter 33 webpage for more information. 

Chapters 30, 35, and 1606 monthly stipends are paid directly to the student around the first of the month following enrollment. This means students will receive payment for March enrollment around the first of April. Students are responsible for making payment arrangements with the MSU Business Office. 

Failure to take care of tuition and fees may result in classes being voided, and you will no longer be registered for classes. Please contact the MSU Business Office to make payment arrangements or for information about payment deadlines. You can reach them at (940) 397-4101 or bus.office@msutexas.edu.

Kickers
Students who are paid under Chapters 30 and 1606 will be paid more if the student opted to contribute more than required in the enlistment contract. This might be referred to as the Army College Fund or the Navy Sea College Fund.

Enrollment Verification
Students receiving Chapter 33 benefits and enrolled greater than half time and students receiving Chapters 30 or 1606 benefits are required to report monthly enrollment to the VA. Failure to verify may cause your monthly benefits to stop. Find out how to verify your enrollment based on your Chapter at: va.gov/education/verify-school-enrollment/

Choice of Benefit
It is possible to be eligible for more than one benefit, so research each benefit carefully as some decisions are irreversible. Some veterans are eligible for Chapters 30 and 33. A veteran may choose Chapter 30 for the entitlement of 36 months. Once it is fully exhausted, the student may apply for Chapter 33 benefits and may receive an additional 12 months of that benefit. If a student chooses Chapter 33 before exhausting Chapter 30, the student will only receive the time left on Chapter 30 as Chapter 33 (no additional 12 months will be added). If you need more assistance on selecting the best benefit, please call the VA at (888) 442-4551.

Transfer of Entitlement (ToE) or Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB)
Eligibility of service members to transfer their benefits to their spouse or dependent(s) must first be determined by the Department of Defense. More information can be found at va.gov/education/transfer-post-9-11-gi-bill-benefits/

GI Bill® Comparison Tool
va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool

Ask VA (AVA)
Have a question or concern for the VA? Contact them at ask.va.gov/ or (888) 442-4551.

Important Phone Numbers

Allowing Veterans to Attend or Participate in Courses Pending VA Payment (38 USC 3679(e):
Background: Section 103 of Public Law (PL) 115-407, ‘Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018,’ amends Title 38 US Code 3679 by adding a new subsection (e) that requires disapproval of courses of education, beginning August 1, 2019, at any educational institution that does not have a policy in place that will allow an individual to attend or participate in a course of education, pending VA payment, providing the individual submits a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31 or 33.

Pending Payment Compliance: In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679(e), Midwestern State University adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post-9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from VA. Midwestern State University will not:

• Prevent the student’s enrollment;
• Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
• Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
• Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

• Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
• Provide a written request to be certified;
• Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies.

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 at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.