FAQs

This is the first time I have used my veterans’ education benefits. How do I apply?

• You will need to establish your eligibility with the Veterans Administration. You can apply online. Once the VA has processed your application, they will send you a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). This is your official notification that you are eligible to use your benefits.

I am a new student at NAU, how does my enrollment get certified to the VA?

• In order to receive payment on your benefits, you must be admitted as a student and register for classes in an approved program of study. You must complete an Enrollment Certification Request for VA Education Benefits through your and submit the form to NAU Veteran and Military Services, they, in turn, will review your schedule and certify your enrollment to the VA. When the VA completes the processing of this certification, they will send you an Award Letter.

What type of veterans’ education benefits are available at NAU?

• Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill®
• Chapter 30 – Montgomery GI Bill® (MGIB)
• Chapter 31 – Vocational Rehabilitation
• Chapter 35 – Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program
• Chapter 1606 Select Reserve and National Guard Units
• Chapter 1607 Reserve Education Assistance Program

How soon will I receive my first payment?

• It can take the VA several weeks to process your initial application and anywhere from 6 to 10 weeks to process enrollment certifications. Generally, VA education benefit payments are made at the end of each month you attend school; for example, if classes start in August and your claim has been completely processed by the VA, the payment for that month will normally be received in the first ten days of September.

Do I need to verify my attendance to the VA?

• Students using Chapters 30 MGIB, Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® , 1606 and 1607 must verify their attendance to the VA on the last day of each month. Your payment for that month will not be released until you have verified your attendance. Attendance can be verified online www.gibill.va.gov or by phone 1-877-823-2378.
• Students using Dependents Education Assistance (Chapter 35) or  are NOT required to verify monthly attendance.

Does the GI Bill® pay the school directly for my tuition costs?

• The Post 9/11 GI Bill & the Veteran Readiness & Employment program will pay tuition & fees directly to NAU.

How do I enroll in Veteran Orientation?

• Go to https://www.nau.edu/admission/orientation/ and select where you will attend classes.
• Select the semester in which you will begin attending classes (summer classes do not require in-person orientation).
• Select Student Veterans.
• Select Register Online.
• Please Note: Be sure you follow the new student military connected checklist to know what you need to complete before Veteran Orientation.

Do I need to live on campus?

• Housing: No student is required to live on campus. However

Do I need a meal plan?

• Meal Plans: NAU students are not required to purchase meal plans unless they are living on campus. Meal plans can be purchased through the student’s Louie account.

How much will I be eligible to receive each month?

• The VA will determine your payment rate based on the type of benefit you are eligible for and how many hours you are enrolled in. You can check the VA website to find out the basic payment rates. These are basic rates of pay for MGIB, REAP and Dependents Education Assistance and do not include kickers, buy-up or any other additional programs.
• Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill® you may receive: tuition & fees (paid directly to the school) not to exceed the tuition & fees at the most expensive state Institution of Higher Learning (IHL). View a listing of the maximum tuition & fees for each state. A monthly housing allowance based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. This amount is based on the ZIP code of the location of the school (CCC’s zip code is 86005) you are attending. Determine the BAH for your ZIP code. An annual book stipend of $1,000 paid proportionately based on enrollment.

What if I can’t get my official academic transcripts?

• We will not be able to certify your Veteran’s educational benefits. If you owe another school money, and cannot get your transcript, we recommend you contact them directly and ask if you can work out a payment plan.

Why do you ask for official academic transcripts before certifying my benefits?

• In order to receive your benefits, we require that all prior official academic transcripts be submitted to CCC’s Registration and Enrollment Services office. This includes ALL previously attended colleges, universities, trade/vocational schools, and military transcripts regardless of whether they received Veteran’s educational benefits there or not. Official transcripts must be received and evaluated by the CCC’s credentials evaluator prior to certification of benefits. Please allow at least two weeks from date of official transcript receipt for the CCC credentials evaluator to evaluate your transcripts to bring in your applicable transfer hours.

I am an actively drilling member of the Reserves or National Guard. How do I apply for Tuition Assistance?

• Reserve Service members can apply online and Guard members may also apply online. This program is not administrated by the VA or the NAU Veteran and Military Services Office. If you have questions regarding your eligibility for Tuition Assistance contact either your Unit’s Education Services Officer or Commanding Officer.
• Once you have received your TA approval you will need to submit it to the NAU’s Enrollment and Services Office.

Can service members use DODTA concurrently with any form of the GI Bill?

• Service members who qualify may use GI Bill benefits concurrently with TA through the Top Up option. Under the Montgomery G.I. Bill and the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, the Top Up option enables active duty Service members and certain Reservists to receive from the VA those tuition costs that exceed or are not authorized in the amount of TA provided to the Service member by his or her Service. The concurrent use of GI Bill benefits and TA will not exceed 100 percent of the actual costs of tuition. There is no provision in Change 3, DoD TA 1322.25 for the concurrent use of TA with Chapters 1606 or 1607 benefits. For more information on the MGIB, visit their website.

Do DoD TA users need to submit a DoD TA authorization form each semester?

• Yes, a new DoD TA authorization must be submitted each semester and must list each course the student is taking.

How does the DoD TA rate work with Residency Status?

• The student’s tuition rate will be changed to $250/credit regardless or residency status. Therefore, they do not need to worry about residency status while utilizing TA; however, students taking classes on a campus should consider seeking residency status if they know they will not be eligible for DoD TA prior to completing the degree.

Do DoD TA users certify classes?

• Yes, they do need to certify their courses through LOUIE.

Who do I contact for DoD TA questions and correspondence?

• All questions, inquiries, and information regarding DoD TA should be directed to dodta@nau.edu or call 928-523-8387. This email is operated by the VSC.

How are fees paid when using DODTA?

• Fees and books are not covered by DoD TA nor are they deferred. The student must pay fees directly to NAU before late fees are charged to the student.

DoD TA application process:

Depends on branch of service but the service member must initiate their benefits through their base Education Support Officer (ESO), base education center, or via their military education portal. This is how the student receives their DoD TA authorization form.

• Air Force:
  • AFVEC is the Air Force’s site for information about educational benefits. Apply for a TA.
• Army and Army Reserve/National Guard on active duty:
  • Soldiers’ TA enrollment requests must be submitted and approved online prior to the course start date; any enrollments requested on or after the class start date will be approved as Soldier funded.
• Coast Guard:
  • Service member must initiate it
• Marine Corps and Reservists on active duty (more than 120 days):
  • Contact base education center
• Navy:
  • Apply for Tuition Assistance electronically from any computer,by clicking on Secure Tuition Assistance & Other Funding.

Does NAU have a DoD TA tuition rate reduction?

• The approved DoD TA rate is $250/credit. The tuition rate will only be changed once the student submits their DoD TA authorization form to dodta@nau.edu. Once received, the VSC assistant director will change the tuition rate within 3 business days. The student’s tuition will then be deferred and billed to their branch of service. Calls and institution fees are not covered or deferred.
• If the student needs verification that NAU will reduce the tuition rate to the approved DoD TA rate before they are able to request a DoD TA authorization form, the student must complete the following steps:
  • Send an email to: thirdpartybilling@nau.edu from your NAU email with the subject line “Cost Verification Request”. In the body of the messages include your name, student ID, and the term and classes for which you need the cost verification.
  • Watch for an email in your NAU account from the NAU Third Party Billing Department. This will be the cost verification form and it is generally sent within 3 business days after your request.

Can I study abroad on the GI Bill?

• In order for the GI Bill to cover study abroad programs, the student must be in a program which requires study abroad for degree completion. Even in those limited circumstances, there are very narrow options for host-schools that are approved by the GI Bill. Please contact the Veteran Success Center for the most up to date requirements.

Why won’t the VA pay for a class I’m taking?

• It’s possible that the class is not in the program plan for the degree or certificate you are seeking at NAU or you may have already taken and passed the class. VA will not pay for a class that you have already taken and passed whether it was at NAU, from another school or from transferable military credit.

Does the VA care what classes I take?

• Yes. While you are a degree/certificate-seeking student at NAU, the VA will only allow certification for classes that apply toward your NAU degree/certificate requirements. If you have taken classes that meet the requirements of your NAU degree/certificate at NAU, from another school, or from transferable military credit, the VA will not fund your classes. NAU can not certify you for classes whose requirements you have already met.

I am pursuing my degree at another institution and will be attending NAU as a guest student. How does my enrollment get certified to the VA?

• Guest Student – student is pursuing their degree at another institution, the parent school, and wishes to take classes at the same time at another school, the secondary school. The credits taken at the secondary school must be able to transfer back to the student’s degree program at the parent school. NAU can be the parent or the secondary just reverse the roles.
• You will need to request that the Veteran Certifying Official from your parent school provide a “Parent School Letter” to the NAU Veteran Services Office that approves your classes at NAU for certification to the VA. Additionally, you will need to complete and submit an Enrollment Certification Request for VA Education Benefits to the NAU Veteran Services Office. Once this document has been received and you are registered in the approved classes at NAU, your enrollment will be certified to the VA.

I am a new student at NAU but I have used my Veterans’ education benefits before. What paperwork do I need to complete?

• If you have used your education benefits at another institution, you will need to complete the appropriate VA application for a Change of Place of Training or Program. Veterans (chapters 33, 30, 1606 and 1607) will use VA Form 22-1995 and for Dependents (chapter 35) will use VA Form 22-5495 these forms are available at. VONAPP and submit a copy to the CCC Veteran Services Office along with the CCC VA form Enrollment Certification Request for VA Education Benefits which is available on our Veteran Forms page if you have any questions you may contact the CCC Veteran Services Office email: cccvets@coconino.edu phone: 928-226-4309

I am a continuing student at NAU, how does my enrollment get certified to the VA?

• You certify your courses in your Louie account under the VA Enrollment Certification link. If you have further questions, please contact the Veteran Success Center.

Will my VA benefits pay for enrollment in online classes?

• Yes, generally, enrollment in distance learning classes can be certified to the VA. Chapter 33, Post 9/11 GI Bill®, enrollment in distance learning classes can affect eligibility for BAH. The VA does not allow certification for enrollment in distance learning for remedial classes.

How many college credits do I get from my military experience?

• Military credits will be evaluated through CCC’s Credentials Evaluator in the Office of Registration and Enrollment Services. How to request your military transcripts:
  • Army, Marine or Navy transcripts
  • US Air Force Transcripts (CCAF)

Are Veterans Education Benefits taxable?

• Payments you receive for education, training, or subsistence under any law administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are tax free. Do not include these payments as income on your federal tax return. This information is from the IRS website. You will need to check with your tax advisor regarding your individual state income tax requirements.

I am a combat veteran am I eligible for any type of waivers?

• Arizona Revised Statute §15-1808 grants a tuition waiver to the child or spouse of a veteran killed in the line of duty. This provision applies only to students attending a public college or university in Arizona. Effective July 29, 2010, the waiver will be extended to veterans who receive a Purple Heart citation on or after September 11, 2001, and who have been determined to be at least 50% disabled as a result of the injuries incurred. A qualifying veteran will need to have been an Arizona resident at the time of death or injury, or assigned to an active military base in Arizona. Eligibility will be verified by the Arizona Department of Veterans Services.