Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship

STEM SCCHOLARSHIP - HOW TO USE

* The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship, once approved, pays according to Post 9/11 GI Bill rules.

The Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship allows eligible Veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill or dependents using the Fry Scholarship to get added benefits. This scholarship provides up to 9 months (or $30,000) of benefits for training in high-demand fields.

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 - Review eligible fields of study	CLICK HERE
Now	Student - apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) 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. Once approved, the VA will send a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in the mail in 4-6 weeks. Safeguard this document. Once approved for the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Schoalrship, students must start using the scholarship within 6 months.	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 COE. 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 Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits for the term.
After certification request is submitted	We will notify CP Student Accounts to place a deferral credit on your account for the amount we believe the VA will pay on your behalf for tuition and campus-based fees only. A grace-period of 90 days will also be added to your account for tuition and campus-based fees only (not housing or dining costs).
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 your degree audit is completed	We will bill the VA for the amount of tuition and fees we believe they will pay on your behalf.
After registering for classes EVERY TERM	Steps 8-16 repeat

STEM SCHOLARSHIP WHAT IS COVERED

2026-27 Academic Year	EDITH NOURSE ROGERS STEM SCHOLARSHIP - Post 9/11 GI Bill (based on full-time enrollment with at least 1 in-person class at 100% eligibility)
Semester - State Tuition	Paid fully to Cal Poly
Semester - Campus-Based Registration Fees	Paid to Cal Poly. The VA covers campus-based fees that are required/charged to every student at Cal Poly. Some small fees will not be covered.
Monthly Stipend	SLO Campus: $3198 per full month or $106 per enrolled day Maritime Academy: $3369 per full month or $112 per enrolled day Paid directly to the student after attendance each month (other factors can reduce MHA payments)
Books & Supplies	$1000 per academic year, paid $41.66 per unit until exhausted, paid directly to the student
Housing/Dorm	No payments are made to Cal Poly for housing/dorm costs from any military education benefit. Payment of housing balances are the student's responsibility.
Dining	No payments are made to Cal Poly for dining plan costs from any military education benefit. Payment of housing balances are the student's responsibility.
Parking	No payments are made to Cal Poly for parking costs.

STEM SCHOLARSHIPS ABOUT PAYMENTS

ALLOWANCE	HOW IS IT PAID?	WHEN IS IT PAID?
Military Housing Allowance (MHA)	Direct Deposit from the VA to the student's bank account	Monthly, after the student completes the prior month of attendance. (Ex: October attendance is paid on November 1st)
Books & Supplies	Direct Deposit from the VA to the student's bank account	At the beginning of the term or within a month of certification
Tuition & Registration	Directly to Cal Poly	Mid-term. The VA is billed after the drop date and after an audit of classes is done to ensure that all certified classes are degree applicable.

STEM SCHOLARSHIP ADDITIONAL NOTES

The VA uses STEMText to communicate with you about your Rogers STEM Scholarship benefits through text messages. If you receive the Rogers STEM Scholarship, they’ll send an opt-in text message to your primary phone number. They’ll ask if you’d like to receive updates about your VA STEM benefits by text message. To participate, respond “yes” within 7 days of receiving this message.

You can also use STEMText to verify your attendance each month. Verifying by text instead of email can help you get your housing payments faster. They'll send you a text message each month asking if you attended your STEM courses. To verify, just respond “yes.”

Go to the VA's STEMText video (YouTube) to learn more

Note: If you need to update your primary phone number, call the VA at 888-442-4551 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET.

To help you make the most of your monthly housing allowance payments, please keep the following in mind:

MHA is not paid during breaks (such as breaks between terms).

MHA payments are prorated if the course(s) do not span an entire month.
MHA payments are paid in arrears, meaning that they are paid after the student attends. No advance payments are made from the VA.
Payments are not tied to your dorm/dining plans or living arrangements. It is the student's responsibility to make timely payments for these plans.

Federal Financial Aid Programs (Title IV Financial Aid), such as Pell Grants, do not impact what your school can certify for your reimbursable Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition and fees. Eligibility for VA Education benefits do not affect your eligibility to receive Federal Financial aid.

Scholarships can impact what your school can certify for your reimbursable Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition and fees. This is regardless of if your school or a third-party agency is providing the scholarship. If the scholarship is tuition and fees specific – it must be deducted from what is certified to VA. If the scholarship is not tuition and fees specific (i.e. it can be used for housing or non-mandatory fees) – it does not need to be deducted from what is certified to VA.

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

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 GI Bill 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. To receive MHA payments, students must have a rate of pursuit greater than 50%. Please contact Center for Military-Connected Students regarding summer terms.