Military and veteran education benefits
If you are a veteran of U.S. military service, an eligible active-duty member of the military, or an eligible dependent, you may be eligible for Veterans Affairs (VA) Educational Benefits.
VA Educational Benefits include, but are not limited to:
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) — For those who served at least 30 consecutive days on active duty after September 10, 2001
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® Yellow-Ribbon program — For qualified Post-9/11 applicants
The Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty (Chapter 30) — For those who enlisted after 7/1/1985
The Montgomery GI Bill® - Selective Reserve (Chapter 1606)
The Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 35) — For the spouse and children of deceased or disabled veterans
The Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31) — For disabled veterans approved by Veterans Affairs for study at Augustana
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship — This additional provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill may be awarded to children of an active duty member of the Armed Forces, who has died in the line of duty, on or after Sept. 11, 2001. Eligible children may be married and under the age of 33.
If you are not sure for which educational benefits you qualify, contact the Veterans Affairs regional office in St. Louis at (888) 442-4551. Follow the telephone prompts, and you will be connected with a counselor. You also may request information through Veterans Affairs.
VA Educational Benefits do not include the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG), Illinois National Guard Grant Program (ING), or the Illinois MIA/POW Scholarship Program. These programs are only available at Illinois public institutions.
How to apply for Veteran Education Benefits
To apply for any VA benefit program, you must complete the application. Once you have done this, the VA will send you a Certificate of Eligibility for your Veterans Affairs educational program. Depending on which chapter you are eligible for, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility to the Office of Financial Aid.
Post 9-11 GI Bill®/Yellow Ribbon Program
Augustana College is a participant in the Yellow Ribbon program. Yellow Ribbon recipients will have their maximum Post 9-11 benefits processed with the VA. The remaining amount, up to the cost of tuition and fees, will be covered by the Yellow Ribbon program, which is split evenly between Augustana College and the Veterans Affairs.
Veteran Affairs Pending Payment Compliance
Students using either Post 9-11 GI Bill® (Ch. 33) or Veteran Readiness and Employment (Ch.31) and awaiting pending payments from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs will not have any of the following measures taken against them:
1. Will not be prevented from enrolling/registering;
2. Will not have a late fee assessed on their billing statement;
3. Will not be required to secure alternative or additional funding while waiting for their payment;
4. Will not be denied access to any college resources that are available to all students who have paid their tuition/fees due to the college. College resources include access to classes, library, or other school facilities.
To qualify, students may be asked to provide their Certificate of Eligibility (from the VA) by the first day of class; a written request to be certified; and additional information if needed to correctly certify enrollment as described in other institutional policies.
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 Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.