Veterans Education Benefits & GI Bill® Approved Programs
The following programs are approved for veterans benefits for those who qualify:
Applying for Veterans Education Benefits/GI Bill®
Education benefits are available to U.S. Military Veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and services. The school is not able to tell you what benefits you are eligible to receive. You must contact the VA for information about your benefits. To obtain this information, visit benefits.va.gov/gibill.
To apply for benefits online, you may complete a VONAPP (Veterans Online Application) at www.ebenefits.va.gov or download and complete VA Form 22-1990 (Application for VA Education Benefits) and mail it to the VA. All instructions are included with the form.
For specific GI Bill® questions, or to receive VA From 22-1990 by mail, please contact the VA at 1-888-442-4551.
Applying to the School
If you would like to utilize the GI Bill® or other Veteran Education Benefits, you must complete an enrollment application and also provide the following documents by email to [email protected], mail, or uploading to your online student portal:
- A copy of your VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE). Your COE can be obtained from these websites: www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits, www.benefits.va.gov/gibill or www.vets.gov/education
- A copy of your official Military Transcript which can be obtained at: https://jst.doded.mil/smart/signIn.do for Joint Services Military Transcripts and https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Barnes/CCAF/ for Air Force Transcripts.
- A copy of your DD-214
About the GI Bill®
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Veteran Supportive Campus
Additional Support
Rita Frangione, Veteran Resources & VET Connect
[email protected]
Rita is the Veterans Outreach Coordinator for Vet Connect, a local veteran service group associated with Olympic Community Action Programs. Rita has over 30 years experience as a vocational rehabilitation counselor working in medical, industrial, private and non-profit settings. She is retired from the US Department of Veterans Affairs where she counseled disabled veterans in their planning for education, training and employment. Rita has a Master of Science degree in Vocational Rehabilitation from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.
Other Funding Opportunities
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship)
Available for children and spouses of service members who died in the line of duty while serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. Eligible beneficiaries attending school may receive up to 36 months of benefits which includes tuition, housing, and books and supplies. Learn more at Fry Scholarship on the Department of Veterans Affairs website.
Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance
If you are the child or spouse of a Veteran or service member who has died, is captured or missing, or is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability, you may be eligible for the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program. Learn more about Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance on the Department of Veteran Affairs website.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Will the Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) cover the cost of the Boat School programs? | Yes, the school is approved by the VA to receive GI Bill® funds for tuition. The school will bill the VA directly for the cost of tuition. |
| How do I use the GI Bill® at the school? | You must first apply for your benefit. You will then receive a letter called a Certificate of Eligibility or COE. You will provide a copy of the COE to the school with your application. The COE verifies your entitlement to the school and verifies that VA can be billed for your tuition. The COE confirms the percentage of the full benefit that you are entitled to, the months of education you are entitled to, and the timeframe within which you must use the benefit. |
| How do I apply for the GI Bill®? | There are two ways to apply, online or by filling out a paper form and sending it in. You can apply online via the VA’s “ebenefits” internet portal and VONAPP (veteran online applications) at www.ebenefits.va.gov You can also apply by downloading and completing VA form 22-1990 and mailing it to VA. All instructions are included with the form. |
| How do I obtain a copy of my GI Bill® Letter or Certificate of Eligibility? | There are two ways to obtain a copy of you GI Bill® Letter or Certificate of Eligibility (COE): 1. If you have an eBenefits Level II account, you can: a. Log onto eBenefits www.ebenefits.va.goc/ebenefits/homepage b. On the “Welcome” page, select the “Manage your Benefits” option at the bottom c. Under the “Manage you Benefits” option, select the “Status Tracking” option d. In the “Education” block, you should see a link for the benefit you are eligible for e. Select the “Enrollment Status” link (Post 9/11 GI Bill®, Montgomery GI Bill®, etc.) f. Print the page entitled “Education Enrollment Status” 2. Go to the GI Bill® website www.benefits.va.gov/gibill a. Select the “Submit a Question” option b. If you have an existing account, log in. If not, you will need to use the “Sign up” link to establish an account c. Once you are logged in, select the “Ask a Question” tab at the top d. For subject, put “GI Bill® Certificate of Eligibility” e. For question, “I am requesting a duplicate copy of my GI Bill® Certificate of Eligibility be mailed to me” f. Product is “GI Bill®” g. Category is the benefit you are eligible for h. Under the benefit you are eligible for, select eligibility i. Submit your request j. A duplicate Certificate of Eligibility will be mailed to you |
| How do I obtain my Military Transcript? | A copy of your Joint Services Transcript can be obtained for all service branches EXCEPT the Airforce at https://jst.doded.mil To obtain a Transcript from the Airforce, please visit https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Barnes/CCAF/Display/Article/803247/community-college-of-the-air-force-transcripts/ |
| Will Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) cover the cost of the Boat School programs? | The school is also set-up to receive payment through VA Vocational Rehabilitation (Voc Rehab, Chapter 31). Only veterans with a VA service-connected disability rating can apply for this benefit. You may apply online at www.ebenefits.va.gov and VONAPP (Veteran Online Applications). You may also apply by completing VA form 28-1900 and mailing it to the VA. To use this benefit, your education program must be approved by your Voc Rehab Case Manager. You must work with your case manager to meet the requirements for approval. Your case manager will notify the school via VA form 28-1905 that your program is approved. |
| How does the GI Bill® provide money for living expenses? | Once your school certifies to VA that you are enrolled, you will receive a monthly housing allowance to help with living expenses. The amount is equivalent to the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) at the E-5 with Dependents level, according to the location of the school. If you are entitled to 100% of the GI Bill® Benefit, and you are attending school full-time, you will receive the full BAH amount each month. All programs at the NWSWB require attendance at a full-time level. If your entitlement is less than 100%, you will receive an amount prorated according to the percentage of your entitlement. For example, 70% entitlement would provide 70% of the BAH amount. It is important to know that the housing allowance is paid only for the days that you are actually enrolled in school. This means that the amount will be prorated for any month when there is a break between terms. |
| How do I get my stipend for books from the GI Bill®? | The Post 9/11 GI Bill® provides $1,000 per year for books and supplies. The funds are deposited directly to your account. The amount paid is $41.67 per credit hour per term, until the $1,000 limit is reached for the school year. |
Can I apply for and receive Federal Student Aid while using the GI Bill®? | Yes, you may also apply for and receive Federal Financial Aid to assist with your expenses while attending school. You may do so online at studentaid.gov |
| Are the funds I receive from the GI Bill® taxable? | No, the benefits you receive for tuition and housing allowance are not taxable. |
