VA Benefit Overview
Students in approved programs at Â鶹´«Ã½ may use any VA educational benefit toward the cost of their program. Students should check with their respective program to verify its eligibility to participate in VA program benefits.
VA Educational Benefits include, but are not limited to:
- The Post 9-11 GI Bill®/Yellow Ribbon Program (Chapter 33)
- The Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (Chapter 30)
- The Montgomery GI Bill-Reserves (Chapter 1606)
- Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) (Chapter 1607)
- Veteran Readiness and Employment Program (VR&E)
VA Educational Benefits do not include the Illinois Veteran Grant or Tuition Assistance issued through the Department of Defense.
To determine which VA educational benefit is best for you and to determine your eligibility for educational programs through the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans and active duty military members should contact the GI Bill hotline at 1-888-GIBILL1 (1-888-442-4551) to speak with a VA counselor and visit the .
listing Â鶹´«Ã½ as their place of study.
Once a student has submitted the appropriate application through VA and has received his/her certificate of eligibility (COE), he/she should submit a copy of the COE to the program Registrar and their financial aid office so his/her enrollment may be verified with VA.
Students are responsible for completing any necessary steps as directed by VA to ensure that Â鶹´«Ã½ receives the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill tuition payment and the VA’s portion of the Yellow Ribbon payment. Please refer to the Certificate of Eligibility or call 1-888-GIBILL1 (442-4551) to verify that you have completed all necessary steps with the VA.
VA Pending Payments
In accordance with the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 - Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), Â鶹´«Ã½ employs the following provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill (Ch. 33) or Veteran Readiness and Employment Program (VR&E ) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. The University will not:
- Prevent the student’s enrollment due to a pending VA payment;
- Assess a late penalty fee to the student due to a pending VA payment;
- Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding in place of the VA payment;
- 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
Post 9-11 GI Bill VA Benefits-Tuition and Mandatory Fees
For all students who are eligible for the post 9-11 GI Bill® VA Benefits , the maximum Post 9-11 GI Bill benefit amount awarded (tuition and fees) is based on:
- An annual maximum of $28,937.09 per student for tuition and fees in the 2024-2025 academic year (August 1, 2024-July 31, 2025). The annual maximum amount for the 2023-2024 academic year is $27,120.05.
- The student’s percentage of eligibility as reported on the Certificate of Eligibility as issued by VA
- The student's receipt of non-federal financial aid (see below)
- The student's enrollment/course load (full vs. part-time)
- Whether the student is taking courses on campus or online
Once certification has been submitted to the VA by Â鶹´«Ã½'s certifying official, payment will be issued after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs processes the student's enrollment certification. Processing times will vary. For information on when payments will be issued, Veterans must contact the GI Bill hotline at 888-GIBILL1 (1-888-442-4551).
- Living expense stipends will be issued directly to the Veteran by the VA on a monthly basis. Living stipends are not available for students on active duty or students who are enrolled less than half-time.
- Book and supply stipends will be issued directly to the student by the VA each academic term (semester, trimester, quarter, etc).
- Tuition and fees payments will be issued directly to Â鶹´«Ã½ by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and will be credited to the student account. The amount of tuition and fees that will be paid is determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and may not cover the full cost of tuition and fees.
- Â鶹´«Ã½ will place an "anticipated credit" on your student account for the portion of the tuition and fees benefit that is expected from the VA until tuition and fee payments are received. This means that students will not be required to front the money expected from the VA and will not be issued late fees on their student account for the amount expected by VA.
- The anticipated credit is an estimate of what the VA will send toward a student's tuition and fees based on the Certificate of Eligibility and enrollment for the academic term. If the actual payment received by VA is less than what was estimated for the anticipated credit, the student will be responsible for paying the difference out of pocket or through pursuing other financing options.
- Yellow Ribbon payments from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (if the student is eligible) will be issued directly to Â鶹´«Ã½ through the student account.
- The Yellow Ribbon match provided by Â鶹´«Ã½ (if the student is eligible) will be credited to the student account at the same time the VA Yellow Ribbon payment is credited.
VA Educational Benefits and Financial Aid
Veterans may apply for financial aid in addition to their VA benefits. Receipt of federal aid will not reduce a Veteran's eligibility for VA educational benefits.
Federal (Title IV) aid includes:
- Federal Direct (Stafford) Loan
- Federal Graduate PLUS Loan
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal SMART Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
VA benefits will not reduce a student's eligibility for federal aid though it is recommended that Veterans take into account the amount of funding they receive from the VA when accepting or declining their federal loan assistance. Veterans may contact an advisor in the Office of Financial Aid if they need assistance in determining the amount of loan funding they should accept or decline.
Non-Federal (Title IV) Aid
Non-federal assistance may or may not impact VA benefits. Please be sure to reach out to the appropriate financial aid contact to determine the impact of any other tuition benefit, outside scholarship or state grant you may be receiving.
GI Bill® is the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) registered trademark. More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. Government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.