Veteran Education Benefits (VA)

As part of our commitment to advance education opportunities for military members and their families, Azusa Pacific University staff are equipped to assist you in utilizing your VA education benefits as provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Each benefit chapter has its own criteria for eligibility, application process, and restrictions.

VA Benefits Application Process

  1. Apply for VA Education Benefits to receive documentation showing that you have been awarded education benefits by the VA.
    • If you applied for Vocational Rehabilitation, your assigned Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor will send an authorization to us directly.
    • Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for all other VA education benefits, including Post-9/11 and Montgomery GI Bill®
  2. Submit the MVEB Application, which explains the regulations and procedures students must follow while using benefits.
    • This form can only be filled out after you have been accepted to APU and you have been assigned an APU email address.
    • You will be prompted to upload required documentation; an explanation of each required document can be found on the second page of the form.
  3. After you have enrolled in classes, complete a VA Certification Request Form, which authorizes APU to certify your enrollment to the VA.
    • You should complete this form only after you have enrolled in classes for the term for which you wish to be certified.
    • You will need to complete and submit a VA Certification Request Form upon the start of each semester during which you would like to use your VA education benefits.
    • If you make any changes to your class schedule, please notify us immediately by submitting an Add/Drop Form to ensure we are able to submit your certification correctly.
  4. After the add/drop deadline, APU will certify your enrollment so you can receive the funding you are entitled to.

Please note:

  • As soon as we have a completed file for you and you are enrolled in classes within APU's system, we can begin certifying your enrollment to the VA so that you can receive the education benefits you are entitled to.
  • Per VA regulations, only classes that are part of your degree program can be certified for benefits. Undergraduate students should work with an academic advisor to ensure you are enrolling only in classes that are part of your degree program. Graduate and professional students should consult their academic department for required courses. Any classes outside your degree program cannot be certified, and VA education benefits will not be applied toward these classes.
  • If you are not enrolled full-time in your program at any time, you will not qualify for the full monthly payment rate that VA pays to you directly. If you are enrolled half-time or less, you may not qualify for any monthly payment at all depending on the type of education benefit the VA has awarded you. We encourage you to use the VA's GI Bill® Comparison Tool for information regarding the payment rates you qualify for.
  • GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

VA Benefit Types

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers a variety of education benefits. Explore the benefit types below to find out more about the various veterans benefit programs available. Remember, only the Department of Veterans Affairs can determine your benefits eligibility.

Chapter 1606—Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve

This program provides education and training benefits to eligible members of the Selected Reserve. Under this entitlement, the VA sends funds directly to the student. Learn more about Chapter 1606 and eligibility requirements on the VA website.

Chapter 30—Montgomery GI Bill®

Active duty servicemembers and veterans may be eligible to receive Chapter 30 education benefits. Under this entitlement, the VA sends funds directly to the student. Learn more about Chapter 30 and eligibility requirements on the VA website.

Chapter 31—Veteran Readiness and Employment, VR&E (Formerly called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment)

Individuals who qualify for Chapter 31 benefits work with a veteran readiness counselor to develop an educational plan. Under this entitlement, the VA sends funds for mandatory tuition and fees directly to the university. Learn more about Chapter 31 and eligibility requirements on the VA website.

Chapter 35—Dependents’ Educational Assistance

Chapter 35 provides educational assistance to dependents of veterans who meet specific criteria. Under this entitlement, the VA will send funds directly to the student. Learn more about Chapter 35 and eligibility requirements on the VA website.

Fry Scholarship

The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) provides Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits to some surviving spouses and children of servicemembers. Learn more about the Fry Scholarship and eligibility requirements on the VA website.

Chapter 33—Post-9/11 GI Bill®

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® is available to eligible servicemembers as well as to servicemembers’ dependents, when applicable. Eligible servicemembers may transfer their Chapter 33 entitlements to a qualifying dependent if he or she meets specific requirements set forth by the VA. Chapter 33 assists students with mandatory tuition and fees based on the student’s benefit level, which is determined by the VA. Learn more about Chapter 33 and eligibility requirements on the VA website.

Under this entitlement, the VA will send funds for mandatory tuition and fees directly to the university up to an annual maximum cap based on your eligibility percentage. To find out more, use the GI Bill® Comparison Tool

STEM Scholarship Provides GI Bill® Extension for Military-Connected Students

The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship helps students who qualify for Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits and need a little more funding to earn a STEM degree or teaching credential. Find out more about the VA’s STEM scholarship program.

The Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill® program also includes additional benefits that you may be eligible for:

Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon Program assists students at the 100% benefit eligibility level of the Post-9/11 GI Bill® in paying tuition and fees when tuition and mandatory fees exceed the annual cap for the academic year. It is a matching program that allows APU to contribute up to an additional $14,000 per year, which the VA will match. Note that active duty servicemembers and spouses of active duty servicemembers using transferred benefits are not eligible for Yellow Ribbon.

4 Questions About Yellow Ribbon Schools and Military Benefits

Yellow Ribbon schools like Azusa Pacific offer additional funding to help eligible veteran students pay the balance that is left after their annual contribution from the VA has been maxed out. Read more about the Yellow Ribbon program and military education benefits at APU.

Basic Housing Allowance

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® may also provide a monthly Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for students who attend school at a rate above half-time. The amount of BAH a student receives depends on the student’s eligibility rating, as determined by the VA, as well as on course load. BAH also varies based on the location of the campus where you attend the majority of units. To find out more, use the GI Bill® Comparison Tool. Note that when a student enrolls in only online courses during a term, the VA will pay out a lower BAH rate. In order to qualify for the regular BAH rate, the student must enroll in at least one face-to-face class each term. Note that active duty servicemembers and spouses of active duty servicemembers using transferred benefits are not eligible for BAH. The VA sends BAH funds directly to the student.

VR&E Request for Supplies Instructions

If you are utilizing Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31) benefits, you may qualify for a computer at no cost to you (dependent on your VR&E counselor’s approval). Please follow the steps below in order to request a computer and other computer-related items:

  1. Obtain a Request for Supplies Form from your VR&E counselor and fill out the areas relevant to you.
  2. Submit the form to APU’s MVEB office; we will fill out the rest of the form.
  3. We will then return the form to you and you must then submit it back to your counselor for approval.
  4. After your counselor approves and signs off on the form, the approved form must be sent back to us and we will then notify APU’s Computer Store of the items you are eligible for.
  5. You may pick up your items from APU’s Computer Store 48 hours after submitting the final approved form to us.

Please note that final approval rests with your VR&E counselor and APU is unable to release items that do not receive approval. Should you have any questions, please feel free to let us know.

Parent Letter Instructions

If you are using VA education benefits (except Ch. 31 VR&E -- see note below) and you decide to take a course at another institution, that institution will need to certify your enrollment to the VA as your "Host School." Because APU is your degree-granting school, APU is known as your "Parent School." In order for the Host School to certify your enrollment, it will need to obtain a Parent Letter from APU. In order for us to generate the Parent Letter and send it to the Host School, we need the following items from you:

  1. Documentation showing that the classes you want to take elsewhere will transfer into your program at APU. Once you obtain such documentation, you can move on to step 2 below.
    • Traditional Undergraduate Students: Take a look at the Articulation Agreements that APU already has in place with other colleges. If you cannot find an articulation agreement for the school and classes you want to take, please contact APU's Undergraduate Registrar's office and let them know that (1) you would like to take courses at another school and (2) you need paperwork showing that the courses will transfer into your program at APU.
    • Professional Undergraduate Students: Take a look at the Transfer Plans that APU already has in place with other colleges. If you cannot find a transfer plan for the school and classes you want to take, please contact APU's Graduate and Professional Registrar's office and let them know that (1) you would like to take courses at another school and (2) you need paperwork showing that the courses will transfer into your program at APU.
    • Graduate Students: Please contact APU's Graduate and Professional Registrar's office and let them know that (1) you would like to take courses at another school and (2) you need paperwork showing that the courses will transfer into your program at APU.
  2. Fill out a Parent Letter Request Form to provide us with the information we need in order to send the Parent Letter to your Host School. You will be prompted to upload the transferability documentation that you obtained in step 1.
  3. Once we receive a completed Parent Letter Request Form from you, we can issue the Parent Letter to your Host School, authorizing them to certify you for the courses you are planning to take there. Please let us know if you have any questions.

NOTE: If you are using Ch. 31 VR&E, you do not need a Parent Letter sent by APU to your Host School. Instead, please contact your VR&E counselor and request that they send an authorization directly to your Host School.

Military Friendly School badge for 2021-22

Full Menu