VA

 

Newly Admitted Students - Fill out this form

1. Visit our New Student page for your to-do list
2. Register for a New Military Mustang Workshop (Note: Our last presentation of this workshop was 8/15/2024. To watch the recorded presentation, click here)
3. Watch the video guide for your benefit and visit the pages (linked above) for each of the benefits you’ll be using. VA beneficiaries should watch "Using VA benefits at Cal Poly" and "Using the Veterans Benefit Module". "Using the Cal Vet College Fee Waiver" is for students using that benefit. 
4. Sign up for our New Military Mustang Google Classroom. 
5. Connect with us on social media @calpolyveterans to stay updated on important announcements and events. Don't forget! Our club and the center have lots of activities they want you to join in on during the academic year. 
6. Check out our latest newsletter. 
7. Students who have been deemed to be out-of-state students who are using VA educational benefits are eligible for in-state tuition under VACAA. Submit your request here.

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Continuing Students with New Benefits - Fill out this form

1. Watch the video guide for your benefit and visit the pages (linked above) for each of the benefits you’ll be using. VA beneficiaries should watch "Using VA benefits at Cal Poly" and "Using the Veterans Benefit Module". "Using the Cal Vet College Fee Waiver" is for students using that benefit. 
2. Schedule a one-on-one appointment with our team or email us if you have any questions about your benefits or the services that the the CMCS offers
3. Connect with us on social media @calpolyveterans to stay updated on important announcements and events. Don't forget! Our club and the center have lots of activities they want you to join in on during the academic year.
4. Students who have been deemed to be out-of-state students who are using VA educational benefits are eligible for in-state tuition under VACAA.  Submit your request here. 

 

 It is our goal to support our veterans and their families by answering their questions, addressing their concerns, advocating, and providing resources. 

VA Programs include:

• any GI Bill
• CH 35 - Dependents Educational Assistance
• VR&E
• Edith Nourse Rogers Scholarship
• Fry Scholarship

NOT VA - Cal Vet College Fee Waiver & Tuition Assistance

What documents and information do I need to apply?

• Social Security number
• Bank account direct deposit information
• Education and military history
• Basic information about the school or training facility you want to attend or are attending now

VA has updated the application process, allowing eligible applicants to apply for and receive their benefits decision within minutes. 

You can apply online right now. Just answer a few questions to get started with the education benefits form that's right for you at va.gov.

Once approved, the VA will send you a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in the mail in 4-6 weeks. 

The VA requires that all Chapter 33 certifications be submitted in a two-step process. Approximately 4-6 weeks prior to the start of each term, our team begins submitting the first step of this certification process. We are only able to submit certification for those students who have requested certification of their classes in the Veterans Benefit Module of their student portal - this is the same process for all VA benefits (any type of GI Bill, Ch 35 DEA, VR&E). After the add/drop period has ended, the team will complete the second step of the certification process and report the tuition and fees owed for the term for programs that pay tuition and fees to the university. 

The first step of this process allows any housing, living, or book stipends you may be eligible for to begin to be issued by the VA no earlier than 10 days prior to the start of each term. We also work with Student Accounts to place a deferral credit on your account for the amount we expect the VA to pay. The second step will prompt the VA to issue the payment for tuition and fees to Cal Poly on your behalf.

You can expect to receive automatic notifications when we submit enrollment certifications to the VA. If a notification states that a certification was submitted without tuition and fees included, please note that this is part of that two-step process and it will be modified as soon as we are able to do so.

All students using the Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® who receive a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) and/or kicker payments are now required to verify their enrollment via text each month in order to continue receiving their payments from the VA. See the information on monthly verifications below. 

Military-Affiliated Students Awaiting VA Payment

Federal law requires that students who provide evidence of eligibility for Veterans Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31), Post 9/11 G.I. Bill (Chapter 33), or Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance program (Chapter 35) and who provide the necessary documentation and certification request will be allowed to enroll in courses and to access all educational services and facilities while awaiting payment of tuition and fees from the VA. While awaiting receipt of funds from the VA, campuses may not impose any penalty, charge late fees, or require an eligible student to borrow additional funds to cover tuition or fees. This waiting period begins the date the student provides appropriate documentation and continues either until funds are received from the VA or until 90 days after the school certifying official has certified the student's enrollment for tuition and fees.

To demonstrate eligibility, a student must provide one of the following documents:

• VA Form 28-1905 (Authorization and Certification of Entrance or Reentrance into Rehabilitation and Certification of Status),
• Tungsten Purchase Order establishing Chapter 31 eligibility,
• Certificate of Eligibility (COE), or
• Education Enrollment Status form (printed from the VA website).

In addition to providing one of the documents above, the student must request certification of their degree applicable course documentation through the Veterans Benefit Module in the Cal Poly student portal. Students must also provide all additional information requested by the School Certifying Official to properly certify enrollment to the VA. 

Each quarter, the process for students using a VA benefit will look like this: 

(THIS PROCESS IS NOT FOR STUDENTS USING A CAL VET COLLEGE FEE WAIVER. IT IS ONLY FOR STUDENTS USING VA BENEFITS)

1. You will request certification of your classes immediately after registration, in the Veterans Benefit Module. We will notify the VA of your intent to use benefits for the quarter with the number of units for which you have requested certification. This starts the VA payment process. 

• CREDIT TO YOUR STUDENT ACCOUNT: If you are using Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits or VR&E, we will ask Student Accounts to place a credit on your account for the amount that we believe the VA will pay on your behalf. If you complete your certification request early enough, we will have this credit in place before your tuition and fees are due. Make sure to always check your account and pay any remaining amounts that we do not expect the VA to pay!  If you delay too long, you will need to pay the tuition and fees and request reimbursement once we have processed your credit. 
• PARKING PASSES: If you are using VR&E and need a parking pass, make certain to enter the Cal Poly Parking Lottery through your portal. Then, we will notify the VA the number of units you are planning to take for the quarter. If you change your classes (drop or add), just go into the module and update your classes. Then, contact Cal Poly parking once you have been approved in the parking lottery, to give them your vehicle information. They will take the VA's parking payment and apply it to your account. 
• BOOKS & SUPPLIES: If you are using Post 9/11 GI Bill or Fry, you will receive your books and supplies stipend direct deposited into your bank account. This pays at $42 per unit until you hit the maximum of $1000 (less if you are a reduced percentage beneficiary). If you are using VR&E, you can go to the bookstore once your counselor has placed approval in the Tungsten system and get your books. 
• CAL POLY TUITION & FEES PAYMENT DUE - CANCELATION OF CLASSES: Students awaiting benefits for Veterans Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31), Post 9/11 G.I. Bill/FRY/STEM Scholarship (Chapter 33), or Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance (Chapter 35), cannot be imposed penalties, late fees, or be required to borrow additional funds to cover tuition or fees. The waiting period begins the date the eligible student submits their Veterans Educational Benefits Certification Request (through the portal Student Center) and continues up to 90 days after their enrollment certification is sent to VA. During this time, these eligible students will not be dropped from classes or barred from enrollment. 

2. Once the official add/drop date for the quarter has passed, we will do a degree audit to ensure that the classes you have requested certification for are degree applicable and will move you towards graduation. If we have any questions about your classes, we will email you and ask that you provide additional documentation regarding certain classes to prove to the VA that those are classes that move you towards graduation. Always respond to these emails ASAP. If you don't, we will not certify the classes in question and your payments will be reduced. 

• PAYMENTS TO CAL POLY FROM THE VA: If you are using Post 9/11 GI Bill, Fry or VR&E this is when we bill the VA. You might receive notice sometime after requesting certification each quarter, from the VA (in the mail) that says that Cal Poly did not charge for your classes. We must, by law, wait until after our degree audits are done to bill the VA. If you are planning on dropping a class after the add/drop date, please check in with us first. You could owe the VA or Cal Poly. At the end of the quarter, we again update the VA system with final class information. 

3. Living/housing stipend payments start after you attend. They pay for the attendance from the month prior and will be direct deposited into your bank account. Payments for attendance in September, December, January, April and June will be prorated and reduced because we are not in school for the entire month. Summer payments depend on the whether you are enrolled in classes. After we have completed our degree audits, we will update the VA system to ensure continued payments of your benefits. These payments are made directly to the student from the VA. They are in no way associated with any housing or dining payment plans that have been contracted through the university. Students must make their housing and dining plan payments as required through those contracts. 

Make sure to request certification of your classes each quarter AS SOON AS YOU ARE ENROLLED. Delays will mean delays in payment of your benefits. If you add or drop classes after you have requested certification, just go into the Veterans Benefit Module in your portal and update your request. If you plan to take classes at a community college, let us know so that we can provide you with the correct documentation to take to your community college School Certifying Official.

 

The Veterans Benefit module is available in your CP Portal Student Center. Use it every quarter, as soon as you register for classes, to let us know that you want to use your VA benefits. Only VA benefits are requested through this module. Cal Vet College Fee Waivers are uploaded elsewhere on this website using a secure form each academic year, click on the tab above for more information. 

A VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) made out to the student - not the veteran transferring benefits -  is the only document that needs to be uploaded to the Veterans Benefit Module. It must be submitted before or during your first request for certification. 

We are committed to providing a supportive and welcoming environment for all military-connected students. We understand the unique needs and challenges that you may face, and we are here to assist you every step of the way.

Upon accepting an offer of admission, all prospective military-connected students must:  ^{*(follow links in each step)} 

• **Connect with the staff of the CMCS. This connection is crucial to ensure that you receive the guidance and support you need throughout your academic journey. 
• **Join our Newly Admitted Military Mustang Google Classroom. We'll use this tool to keep you up-to-date throughout the time leading up to school starting. 
• **Apply for your VA military education benefits (VA Certificate of Eligibility) once you accept your offer of admission. Cal Vet College Fee Waivers for the children and spouses of disabled veterans can apply after the 2023 tax season ends in April. 
• **Veterans and service members turn in your DD214 or CAC to the CMCS  for Priority Registration. Remember to request a copy of your official military transcripts be sent to the Office of the Registrar at Cal Poly.  
• **Submit your military education benefits documents to the CMCS before August 15th to have them in place for Fall. VA benefits documents are submitted through your Cal Poly Student Portal in the Veterans Benefit Module after July 1st. Cal Vet College Fee Waiver approval codes are submitted here.  
• **Out-of-state students who are eligible for VA educational benefits are eligible for an out-of-state fees waiver once they have been assigned their new CA address (often a dorm address). Students - change one of the addresses in your Cal Poly Student Portal to reflect your CA address. Then email a copy of your VA Certificate of Eligibility to the CMCS requesting a VACA Waiver. The CMCS will apply for you and notify you via your Cal Poly email when it is approved. 
• **VA Students only: Request certification of your classes each quarter as soon as you are registered through your Cal Poly Student Portal in the Veterans Benefit Module. Cal Vet College Fee Waiver (CVCFW) students who are only using this state benefit and not a VA benefit will never use the Veterans Benefit Module in their student portal - class certification is not required for the CVCFW. 
• **In addition to connecting with the Center for Military-Connected Students, service members are required to obtain approval from their respective Education Services Officer (ESO), military counselor, or Service before enrollment. This step is vital to ensure that your educational pursuits align with your military service commitments and responsibilities. Your ESO or military counselor will provide valuable insights and guidance to help you make informed decisions about your education and will provide you with the necessary documentation required to use any military education benefits that are available to you. 

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NOTE: Cal Poly email accounts and the Veterans Benefit Module are not accessible to new students until July. 

 

Students using Post 9/11 GI Bill™ benefits must also verify their enrollment directly to the VA after each month of attendance. This requirement is fulfilled directly through the VA. 

This requirement can be fulfilled monthly by calling the VA at 888-442-4551 and choosing option "1" . Sign up for text message verification by speaking to a representative at the same number during the VA's regular business hours. To reach a representative, do not choose an option. 

• If you fail to submit enrollment verification for two months, your Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) payments will be held by the VA. 
• If you sign up for text message verifications, you will receive a text message reminder monthly that says, "Did you remain enrolled in your courses in (MONTH/YEAR) as certified? Please reply yes or no. If you have dropped all your courses, reply no". You must respond to this text within 6 days.
• International students can call the VA at 001-918-781-5678

More information can be found here: Enrollment Verification FAQs.pdf

 

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:

1. The student failed the class.

2. 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.

3. 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. 

You may be eligible for a monthly housing rate. The Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) is generally the same as the military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. This rate is variable and dependent on factors such as the location of your school, your rate of pursuit, and whether you enrolled in the program prior to 1/8/18.

To calculate your housing rate:
     1. Visit the GI Bill Comparison Tool,
     2. Search for California Polytechnic State University 
     3. Refine your search based on attendance, i.e., online classes only, and your benefit, and
     4. “View details”. You are able to adjust the refinements to see how changes can impact your MHA rate.

 

If you receive disability compensation, pension, or education benefits from VA, you can update your direct deposit information in your VA.gov profile. You’ll need your bank’s routing number and account number to make the updates. You must use the same bank account for all VA payments. 

Note: You’ll need to sign in to VA.gov to update your direct deposit information. Once signed in, you’ll have to verify your identity and set up 2-factor authentication only if you haven’t done this already.

Please sign in to change your direct deposit information online

Try signing in with your DS Logon, My HealtheVet, or ID.me account. HERE

If you have questions, please call us at 800-827-1000. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET. Or go to your nearest VA regional office.

How else can I update my VA payment information?

To update your direct deposit information or the address on your paper checks, you can:

• Call us at 800-827-1000 (TTY: 711), or
• Call us at 918-781-7550 (for international direct deposit updates), or
• Go to your nearest VA regional office and change this information in person

Note: If you don’t have access to the internet or a phone, you can update your direct deposit information with Standard Form 1199a (PDF).

Rate of Pursuit:

Post 9/11 GI Bill, Fry Scholarship, and STEM Scholarship: 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.

Training Time:

Chapters 30, 31, 35, and 1606
Term	Full-Time	3/4 Time	1/2 Time	Less than 1/2 time
10-13 Weeks	12+ units	9-11 units	6-8 units	4-5 units
8-Weeks	8+ units	6-7 units	4-5 units	3
5-Weeks	5+ units	4 units	3 units	2