VA - Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (CH 1606)

HOW TO USE CH 1606 MONTGOMERY GI BILL SELECTED RESERVE

The Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) program offers up to 36 months of education and training benefits. If you’re a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard, you may be eligible for this benefit.

WHEN	TASK	LINK
Now	Student - review this page. Interested parents/supporters are also invited to review the information, but it is important that the student is completing these steps to understand their responsibilities in using military education benefits.
Now	Student - review our cost of attending information.	CLICK HERE
Now	Student - get your Notice of Basic Eligibility (DD 2384-1). Your unit will also code your eligibility into the Department of Defense (DoD) personnel system. Apply for benefits through the VA. Provide the VA with student's email address and phone number for future text verification from the VA. Also provide the VA with students bank account information for future direct deposits.	CLICK HERE
Early July	Student - watch the video guide: "Using the Veterans Benefit Module".	CLICK HERE
After conditional admit status is removed	Student - navigate to the Veterans Benefit Module (under Student Records) in your CP student portal to upload your eligibility documentation. When you are matriculated into the Cal Poly system, your CP email will be activated and your portal will have more options/information.At this time, you will have access to the module.
Once you have been assigned a dorm or has a California address	OUT OF STATE STUDENTS ONLY: Update one address in your student portal. Then, apply for a VACAA Waiver to waive out-of-state tuition fees. REQUIRED: COE and updated California address in student’s portal	CLICK HERE
Once you are registered in classes	Request certification of term classes in the Veterans Benefit Module as soon as registered (Delays will cause delays in payments). Only request certification of classes that are degree applicable . These are any classes that are required for graduation. They can be from your declared major or minor or classes that are required for you to change your major or to declare a minor. The VA will not pay towards classes that do not move you towards graduation or classes that are for undeclared minors (unless it is a prerequisite).
After you make any changes to your class schedule	Make changes to certification request in the Veterans Benefit Module as soon as classes are added or dropped.
After certification request is submitted	We will notify the VA electronically that you want to use your CH 1606 Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve benefits for the term.
After the deferral credit is posted to your student account	Review your account activity under the Money Matters tab and pay any amounts due.
After certification request is processed	The VA will begin to process any payments due to student at this time (see chart below).
*At the end of every month*	The VA will text or email you to verify that you have stayed enrolled in classes. Answer yes (unless you completely drop out of school). The VA will release payments to you 5-7 days after you respond.	CLICK HERE
After the term add/drop date passes	We will do a degree audit to ensure that classes are degree applicable. If we have questions about any of your classes, we will email you to ask for substantiation. Always check your school email and respond to these emails quickly.
After registering for classes EVERY TERM	Steps repeat. Student must request certification of classes in their student portal each term as soon as they register for any classes. Changes in the request must be made within 7 days of add or dropping classes.

CH 1606 WHAT IS COVERED

The amounts listed here are for a full month of enrollment. The VA will pay you a percentage of the full month’s rate based on the number of days that you’re enrolled in the month - a prorated payment. For example, if your school starts on the 20th, you would get a payment for 10 days of enrollment that month. Your payment would be 1/3 of the monthly rate.

The VA will pay you up to the rate listed here based on how many courses you’re taking:

Full-time enrollment: $493.00 for each full month
3/4-time enrollment: $369.00 for each full month
1/2-time enrollment: $246.00 for each full month
Less than 1/2-time enrollment: $123.25 for each full month

CH 1606 ADDITIONAL NOTES

Eligibility for VA Education benefits do not affect your eligibility to receive Federal Financial aid.

VA payments are tax free, but they will affect tax credits.

For licensing and certification test fees

We’ll pay up to $2,000 for qualifying licensing and certification test fees. We’ll charge your entitlement at the rate of 1 month for every $493.00 in fees we pay for licensing and certification tests.

Learn more about licensing and certification tests

For national test fees

There’s no limit on how much we’ll reimburse you for national test fees. We’ll charge your entitlement at the rate of 1 month for every $493.00 in fees we pay for national tests.

Learn more about national tests

Classes that are successfully completed may not be certified again for VA purposes if they are repeated. There are exceptions, however. If a course is required for graduation and meets the requirements for one of the 3 exceptions below, a student may repeat the course and be certified for it until it is successfully completed. There is no limit on the number of attempts. No further information needs to be provided to VA regarding those courses. A student may be certified for a repeated course if:

The student failed the class.
If a program requires a higher grade than the one achieved in a particular class for successful completion. Example: if a Nursing program requires a “B” or better in Biology, then that class may be repeated if a “B” or better was not earned. That requirement must be in the school catalog. Note: If a student chooses to repeat a course that was successfully completed, just to improve their GPA, that course cannot be certified to VA.

If a student successfully completed a course so long ago, the school requires it be repeated. Example: If student took computer programming 10 years ago and got a 'B', it may be too outdated to be accepted for credit now. Note: If the school does not require the student to retake the outdated course, but the student chooses to repeat it, that course cannot be certified to VA.

After consideration of those discussions and deliberations with OGC, VA determined that eligible CH 35 students can continue to round out in their last term. To ensure that you understand the rules governing this policy, before registering for your final quarter, check in with our VA School Certifying Officials.

VA calculates rate of pursuit. Rate of pursuit is enrolled units divided by 12, rounded to the nearest tenth. Example: 9 units / 12 = .75, then rounded to the nearest tenth, for an 80% rate of pursuit.