VETERANS BENEFITS

There are multiple GI Bill® benefits and each is different. We recommend that you compare your options using the GI Bill® Comparison Tool or the comparison table at the VA website. These tools can help you calculate your benefits, research approved programs, and determine eligibility.

In addition, you can view more detailed information on the following programs:

• The Chapter 33 - Post-9/11 GI Bill® If you have at least 90 days of aggregate active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001, and are still on active duty, or if you are an honorably discharged Veteran or were discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days.
• Montgomery GI Bill® – Active Duty (MGIB-AD) Provides education benefits to Veterans and servicemembers who have at least two years of active duty.
• Montgomery GI Bill® – Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) Provides education and training benefits to eligible members of the Selected Reserve, including the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard.
• Survivors and Dependent Educational Assistance Program (DEA)
• Offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of Veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition or of Veterans who died while on active duty or as a result of a service-related condition.

Compare all Veteran Affairs Education Benefits

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

1. Apply for admission to our university.
2. Decide which GI Bill® best fits your needs.
3. Visit https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/ to submit your application for benefits. The site will prompt you to complete VA form 22-1990 (first time VA applicant).
4. Enter this information in the Full Name and Address of School field:
   American Public University System
   111 W. Congress Street
   Charles Town, WV 25414
5. Keep an eye out for the VA certificate of eligibility (COE). This will be mailed from the VA Regional Processing Office. Alternatively, you may access a Post 9/11 GI Bill® Statement of Benefits document once your application has been processed by the VA Regional Processing Office.
6. You may upload a clear copy of your VA paperwork through the secure My Documents portal, using your eCampus login credentials. You can also email your documents to [email protected]. Please ensure all email attachments are properly sized and in a PDF or image file format.
7. Log into the student ecampus and register for class. If you use the Montgomery GI Bill®, the VA will pay you directly meaning you will need to self-pay during registration. Post 9/11 GI Bill® students should select the Post 9/11 GI Bill® payment option corresponding with their VA Percentage of Eligibility.
8. If prompted during the registration process, give your consent for the university to submit your course registrations to the VA.
9. We will submit verification of your enrollment (VA Form 22-1999) electronically to the VA after the drop period for  your course(s).
10. You will need to re-verify your enrollment on the last day of each month you are enrolled in class.
    Montgomery GI Bill® Students: In order to prompt the VA to issue your monthly payment, you must verify your attendance each month through the WAVE system. You may begin verification as early as the last day of the month in which you have course enrollments. You may choose to verify your attendance via the online WAVE portal, or by calling 877-823-2378. Chapter 35 DEA recipients are not required to verify monthly attendance with the VA.
    Post 9/11 GI Bill® Students: You are required to verify with the VA every month that you are still enrolled in the same training that was certified to VA. You can verify your enrollment via text message or by calling the Education Call Center (888-442-4551). VA strongly recommends verifying enrollment via text because it is easier and faster. For more information regarding Monthly Enrollment Verification, please click here.
11. Visit the Finance Center in the student ecampus to view the VA Enrollment Status (Rate of Pursuit) table for course load requirements.

The Top-Up benefit may be used if the course cost is not completely funded by TA or when a student exhausts military tuition assistance. TA Top-Up may be used for Chapter 30 & 33 only.

For example, if the course tuition is $750 and TA pays $500, your out-of-pocket expense is $250. You may request to submit the $250 tuition charges to the VA for reimbursement using Top-Up. You are responsible for making arrangements to pay any balance not covered by TA at the start of your course. Access to the course will not be permitted until the balance is paid in full.

Students who wish to apply for TA Top-Up should contact [email protected] to request a TA Top-Up Request Form. The university will submit an enrollment to the VA to include the amount of tuition and fees remaining after all TA funding has been reduced. Please note, the use of Top-Up will exhaust a portion of your GI Bill® benefits. The amount exhausted depends on the chapter benefit being used and the time length of the courses.

As a veteran, you may be entitled to Veteran Readiness and Employment Service (VR&E), Chapter 31, education benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.  VR&E benefits allow the student to receive benefits that may cover the cost of tuition, fees, and related education expenses. VR&E may also pay a stipend for course enrollments, based on your enrollment status.

If you are interested in determining your eligibility for this program, you may call the VA at 1-800-827-1000 and ask about Veteran Readiness and Employment Service benefits.  You may also learn more online by visiting http://www.benefits.va.gov/VOCREHAB/index.asp.  From this site, you can also apply for the benefit online.  If it is determined by the VA that you are eligible, the VA will direct you to a VA Regional Benefit Office (in your local area) to meet with your assigned VR&E counselor to review your goals and be approved to begin enrolling in courses.

Once you’re approved for Veteran Readiness and Employment Service benefits, your VR&E counselor will need to submit a Purchase Order authorization for educational benefits to APUS using the Tungsten Network portal.  This Purchase Order authorization will allow APUS to grant course access for upcoming registrations and submit your enrollments (22-1999) to your VR&E counselor.

We recommend that your VR&E counselor submit a Purchase Order authorization with starting and ending dates to supply you with an authorization to coincide with our monthly course start dates to allow you the flexibility to schedule courses based on your personal schedule (courses start the first Monday of each month).

The Veterans Benefits Administration also provides benefits for eligible spouses and children of certain veterans. Benefits can vary depending on if they have been transferred from a Chapter 30 or Chapter 33 program, so please review the requirements carefully.