Transfer students who have previously used VA educational benefits at another institution should review the transfer information for more details on using their benefits at BU.
Post 9/11 (Chapter 33)
The Post 9/11 Bill provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post 9-11 benefits. This benefit provides up to 36 months of education benefits, generally benefits are payable for 15 years following your release from active duty.
Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, your tuition and fees will be paid directly to the school. A monthly housing allowance is available to eligible veterans based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents; view your eligibility, which is based on the zip code of the school you are attending, using the BAH Calculator. For students solely enrolled in distance learning (online courses) the BAH is equal to 50% the national average for an E-5 with dependents.
You may also be eligible to receive an annual book stipend of $1,000 paid proportionally based on your enrollment.
Benefits Procedure:
- When you receive your Certificate of Eligibility, please email it as a pdf to veterans@bu.edu
- BU Veterans services will notify the VA when there are any enrollment changes (add/drop a class, withdrawal, etc.)
- The Veteran Service Manager will monitor students’ grades as required
Certification Process
Stage 1:
- 45 days before the beginning of the term, students are certified for their schedule and credits only. The VA will then send Monthy Housing Allowance and Book Stippend directly to the student.
- Tuition from the student’s profile is sent to Student Accounts to show them how much tuition they should expect form the VA, and they then “freeze” the student’s account to avoid unnecessary late fees.
- Your account will show VA Payment Pending
Stage 2:
- Two weeks after the beginning of the term, students are VA certified for their tuition. This is done in order to wait until adds, drops, and changes have been completed ( so that dropping penalties are now in effect)
- The VA then sends tuition money directly to Boston University’s Student Accounts department.
Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) for Active Duty (Chapter 30)
The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) for Active Duty provides up to 36 months of full-time benefits, which may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training, and correspondence courses, but must have prior approval by the Veterans Administration. Generally, benefits are payable for 10 years following release from active duty. You may be eligible if you have an Honorable Discharge, a high school diploma or GED, or in some cases 12 hours of college credit and meet the requirements of one of the four categories.
Benefits Procedure:
- When you receive your Certificate of Eligibility, please email it as a pdf to veterans@bu.edu
- BU Veterans services will certify your enrollment with the VA
- BU Veterans Services will notify the VA when there are any enrollment changes (add/drop, withdraw, etc.)
Monthly Attendance Verification:
Chapters 30 and 1606 only: Chapter 30 veterans must verify their monthly enrollment before the next GI bill payment will be issued.
Students can verify their attendance the last working day of the month by calling the following toll-free number (1-877-823-2378) and following the instructions, or by submitting through the VA website and following the link to W.A.V.E. (Web Automated Verification of Enrollment).
The verification is complete when the system indicates that the student is certified. No certification or verification of attendance, or pursuit, is required prior to release of payments for Chapters 32, 35 and 1607. Payments are released the first of the month following the month for which payment is due.
Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31)
A veteran of World War II or thereafter who has a service-connected disability of at least 10% or a memorandum rating of 20% or more from the VA which may entitle him or her to VA disability compensation and who is in need of vocational rehabilitation because his or her disability creates an employment handicap may be eligible for Chapter 31 benefits. Vocational rehabilitation may be provided for up to 48 months and an eligible veteran now generally has 12 years from VA discharge or release from active duty in which to use these benefits.
Disabled veterans are encouraged to contact the VA Regional Office in Boston (1-800-827-1000) to obtain detailed information and to request VA Form 28-1900, the Disabled Veteran’s Application for Vocational Rehabilitation.
Benefits Procedure:
- When you receive your Certificate of Eligibility, please email it as a pdf to veterans@bu.edu
- BU Veteran Services will certify your enrollment with the VA
- When your Certificate of Eligibility is received Student Accounts will be notified and they will post the appropriate pending payment to your account
- BU Book Store is notified of the veteran’s eligibility
- BU Veterans Services will notify the VA when there are any enrollment changes (add/drop, withdraw, etc.)
VEAP (Post-Vietnam Era Veterans Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 32)
VEAP is available for those who entered active duty between January 1, 1977 and June 30, 1985, and elected to make contributions from their military pay prior to April 1 1987. Contributions are matched on a $2 for $1 basis by the Government. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training, and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.
Benefits Procedure:
- When you receive your Certificate of Eligibility, please email it as a pdf to veterans@bu.edu
- BU Veteran Services will certify your enrollment with the VA
- BU Veteran Services will notify the VA when there are any enrollment changes (add/drop, withdraw, etc.)
Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 35)
The sons, daughters, spouse, or surviving spouse of a veteran may be eligible for educational assistance if the veteran died while on active duty, died after release or discharge from active duty or a service-connected disability (80%–100%), became permanently and totally disabled as a result of a service-connected disability, died while a service-connected disability was rated permanent and total, or has been listed as missing in action, captured, detained, or interned in the line of duty by a foreign government or power for more than 90 days. Eligible persons are entitled to 45 months of educational assistance and are paid benefits on the same basis as a veteran with no dependents. See Required Documents on how to apply for the Montgomery GI Bill Chapter 35 entitlement.
Benefits Procedure:
- When you receive your Certificate of Eligibility, please email it as a pdf to veterans@bu.edu
- BU Veteran Services will certify your enrollment with the VA
- BU Veteran Services will notify the VA when there are any enrollment changes (add/drop, withdraw, etc.)
Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)
Individuals who are in the Selected Reserve or National Guard (not on active duty) who, after June 30, 1985, enlists, reenlists, or extends an enlistment in the Selected Reserve are eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill for the Selected Reserve. The Selected Reserve includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, the Coast Guard Reserve, the Army National Guard, and the Air National Guard. They must be actively drilling and under a 6-year contract. They are only eligible for benefits while they remain in the reserves. The reserve components determine eligibility for this program.
Benefits Procedure:
- When you receive your Certificate of Eligibility, please email it as a pdf to veterans@bu.edu
- BU Veterans Services will certify your enrollment with the VA
- BU Veteran Services will notify the VA when there are any enrollment changes (add/drop, withdraw, etc.)
Monthly Attendance Verification:
Chapters 30 and 1606 only: Chapter 1606 veterans must verify their monthly enrollment before the next GI bill payment will be issued.
Students can verify their attendance the last working day of the month by calling the following toll-free number (1-877-823-2378) and following the instructions, or by submitting through the VA website and following the link to W.A.V.E. (Web Automated Verification of Enrollment).
The verification is complete when the system indicates that the student is certified. No certification or verification of attendance, or pursuit, is required prior to release of payments for Chapters 32, 35 and 1607. Payments are released the first of the month following the month for which payment is due.
Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP - Chapter 1607)
REAP makes certain individuals who are members of a reserve component, who serve on active duty on or after September 11, 2001 under title 10 U/S Code for a contingency operation, and who serve at least 90 consecutive days or more eligible for Chapter 1607. National Guard members are also eligible if their active duty is under section 502(f), title 32 U.S.C. and they serve for 90 consecutive days when authorized by the President or Secretary of Defense for a national emergency that is supported by federal funds. Individuals are eligible as soon as they reach the 90-day point whether or not they are currently on active duty. Disabled members who are injured or have an illness or disease incurred or aggravated in the line of duty and are released from active duty before completing 90 consecutive days are also eligible. Eligibility will be determined by the DoD or DHS.
Benefits Procedure:
- When you receive your Certificate of eligibility, please email it as a pdf to veterans@bu.edu
- BU Veteran Services will certify your enrollment with the VA
- BU Veteran Services will notify the VA when there are any enrollment changes (add/drop, withdraw, etc.)
Tuition Assistance / Top Up
To be eligible for the Top-up benefit, the person must be approved for federal Tuition Assistance by a military department and be eligible for Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)-Active Duty benefits. To be eligible for MGIB benefits, the person must be an MGIB-Active Duty participant and must have served at least 2 full years on active duty.
The amount of the benefit is limited to the amount that the person would receive for the same course if regular MGIB benefits were being paid. In no case can the amount paid by the military combined with the amount paid by VA be more than the total cost of the course.
If a person receives the Top-up benefit, his or her regular MGIB benefits will be reduced. The amount of entitlement charged for Top-up payments is determined by dividing the amount of the payment by the claimant’s full-time monthly rate.
New Rules for Tuition Assistance as of September 2014
The Department of Defense now requires graduate students receive a grade of B or higher and undergraduates receive a grade of C or higher in order for the Tuition Assistance to be reimbursable. If the student does not meet the grade requirements, the student will be responsible for paying the amount equal to the tuition assistance.
Since tuition assistance is now conditional, Boston University Student Accounting Office is now requiring students to either pay an amount equal to the tuition assistance up front, or to enter into a deferred payment plan. Information regarding the deferred payment plan can be found on the Student Accounts website.
How to Apply:
A copy of the Tuition Assistance Authorization form for the course that has been signed by an authorized military official is required. If the claimant has not requested MGIB benefits before, he/she should submit VA Form 22-1990 to establish eligibility; this form can be obtained from the campus Veterans Affairs office, downloaded, or filed electronically from the VA website.
The application, and other evidentiary documents, should be sent to the Regional Processing Office:
Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Regional Office
PO Box 4616
Buffalo, NY 14240
Tutorial Assistance
Tutorial Assistance is available for students who are receiving educational benefits under Chapters 30, 31, 32, 35 and 106 (1606). This is in addition to the regular monthly rate of educational assistance allowance payable while in pursuit of the approved program of education. To qualify, the student must need assistance in a subject matter that is required as part of a prerequisite or is indispensable to the satisfactory pursuit of his/her college degree on at least one-half time basis.
The Application and Enrollment Certification for Individual Tutorial Assistance VA Form 22-1990t is available online, in the Veterans Affairs office, or from any VA office.