Are you unsure about where to start in your GI Bill® Benefits process? Here is a step-by-step overview of how to apply and what to do once you are accepted.
Before You Are Accepted
1. Review this website, including our policies and procedures handbook. Please contact the Military & Veterans Affairs Coordinator, Dustin Noll, if you have any questions regarding GI Bill® education benefits and how they work at St. Edward's University.
2. Have you already applied for the GI Bill®? If not, please visit VA.gov and apply at your earliest convenience. If you need to update or manage your education benefit, you can do so by visiting this section of VA.gov.
3. Meet with an undergraduate or graduate admission counselor to discuss programs and majors.
4. Apply for admission.
5. Submit all transcripts, including the Joint Service Military Transcript. If you served in the Air Force, submit the Community College of the Airforce transcript to the Office of Admissions.
Once You Are Accepted
1. Upload a copy of the following required documents to the SEU Veterans Portal:
-
Post 9/11 GI Bill®: VA Certificate of Eligibility or the VA.gov statement of benefits. This, in part, allows for a semester specific grace period covering tuition and standard fees while St. Edward's waits for the VA to pay.
-
Ch. 30 Montgomery GI Bill®, Ch. 35 DEA: COE at your convenience. Both of these GI Bills do not pay tuition to the school; therefore, we will certify the student based on the assumption they have the benefit.
-
Voc-Rehab, Ch.31: We verify the student's eligibility in this program by seeing an invoice in the VA's Tungsten invoicing system. No documentation is needed aside from the Request to be Certified.
2. Meet with an Academic Advisor to declare a major and enroll in classes.
Once you're enrolled for the semester in which you've requested to use GI Bill® benefits, we can start assessing your degree audit to ensure pursued courses are meeting degree requirements.
3. Submit your St. Edward's University, GI Bill® Request to be Certified.
The Request to be certified must be completed for every semester you intend to use your GI Bill® benefits.
4. Access the University Billing Center to view your charges.
- Keep up with important dates
- Make payment arrangements (via the university billing center) for any balance not covered by VA funding.
- The following fees are not covered by GI Bill® funding:
- University Health Insurance
- Parking Permit (fee waived for disabled veterans)
- Housing and Meal Plans
- Topper Tender
- Parking tickets, Library fines, No-show fee for scheduled tutoring or Health and Counseling visits
5. Our office recommends that all students file a FAFSA as students may qualify for additional grant money.
For undergraduate students, this could include the Pell Grant, which can be utilized in addition to VA benefits.
- Apply for an FSA ID
- Apply for Financial Aid using FAFSA
- Please remember to include St. Edward’s school code: 003621
If you have additional questions, you may contact our office or review our FAQs.
Accepted Benefits
GI Bill® Benefits you may use at St. Edward's University:
- The Post 9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 33
- Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, Chapter 31
- Survivors and Dependents, Chapter Ch. 35
- The Fry Scholarship - Dependents of Active Duty members killed in the line of duty on or after 9/11/2001
- Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty Chapter 30
- Montgomery GI Bill® - Selective Reserve, Chapter 1606
Yellow Ribbon Program
The Yellow Ribbon program provides additional funding beyond the defined academic year's tuition and standard fees cap for students using the Ch.33 Post-9/11 benefit at the 100% eligibility level. This excludes students who are serving on Active Duty or spouses in receipt of transferred benefits from a service member still on Active Duty.
-
We have 250 slots for veterans and their dependents
-
Our annual amount is $20,000 in additional funds ($10,000 from SEU and $10,000 from VA) and helps offset a portion of tuition and fees. Students are responsible for any outstanding balance outside of their Veterans benefits.
The criteria for participation in the Yellow Ribbon program are as follows:
-
Eligible for the Post 9/11 (Chapter 33) GI Bill® education benefit at the 100% level
-
Maintain good academic standing at St. Edward's University, must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.
-
Be admitted as a degree-seeking student with net tuition and fee charges above the VA’s annual maximum rate as posted at www.gibill.va.gov.
Note: Unused funding does not roll to the next academic year.
The Yellow Ribbon Program is available to most degree programs offered at St. Edward’s. Contact the Military & Veterans Affairs Coordinator for more information.
Certification Process
Once all necessary documents are received, and the student is enrolled in courses satisfying degree requirements, we will certify the student's coursework to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- The book stipend (paid to student) and tuition (paid to St. Edward’s University) is disbursed at the same time, approximately 3 to 4 weeks before the certified coursework begins.
- BAH is always paid in arrears. Consider the spring 2020 semester; standard dates are defined as 1/13-5/7/2020. January's payment will be pro-rated and scheduled to be sent to the student on February 1, 2020. The payment on June 1, 2020, will be pro-rated in recognition of the 7 days of coursework in May. All BAH payments in between will be in full as long as the student maintains a full-time rate of pursuit status within coursework meeting degree requirements.
Policy for Return of Unearned TA Funds
Institution's Policy on Return of Unearned TA Funds to the Government
Return of Tuition Assistance: Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption the student will attend the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded. St. Edward's University will return any unearned TA funds on a prorated basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned founds returned based upon when a student stops attending.
-
-
-
-
-
16-week Course Withdraw submitted
Before or during Week 1 100% return
During Weeks 2-4 75% return
During Weeks 5-8 50% return
During Week 9-10 40% return (60% of course completed)
During Weeks 11-16 0% return12-week Course Withdraw submitted
Before or during Week 1 100% return
During Weeks 2-4 75% return
During Weeks 5-6 50% return
During Week 7 40% return (60% of course completed)
During Weeks 8-12 0% return8-week Course (Including Distance Education) Withdraw submitted
Before or during Week 1 100% return
During Week 2 75% return
During Weeks 3-4 50% return
During Week 5 40% return (60% of course completed)
During Weeks 6-8 0% return
-
-
-
-
Hazlewood
As a private university, St. Edward’s is unable to participate in the Hazlewood Program.
- The Hazlewood Act exempts qualified students taking classes at public institutions of higher education in Texas from tuition and fee charges but does not include property deposits or student services fees.