About our Office

Veteran Services serves as a liaison in certifying veterans, dependents, reservists/guardsmen, and veterans with disabilities for Veterans educational benefits.

• Location, Contact Information, and Office Hours

Your Responsibilities

It is your responsibility as a student to be aware of and to fulfill all requirements for receipt of your Veterans benefits.

If you are using VA Educational Benefits Assistance (GI Bill Benefits) at the University of Memphis, you should contact the Office of Veteran's Services and submit all appropriate paperwork (see Using Your VA Benefits and Our Services below for more details).

You must notify our office of the following:

• Drops
• Adds
• Withdrawals
• Canceled courses
• Degree and Major changes
• Non-attendance (excessive)
• Repeated courses

Certification Reminders
1	Register with the Office of Veterans Services every semester by completing a U of M Request for Certification form.
2	Report credit allowed for prior training in cooperation with your advisor by completing a "Request for Evaluation of Prior Credit" form. This and other forms are available from the Office of Veterans Services.
3	Inform the Office of Veterans Services of any changes in major or degree pursued, address, marital status, or number of dependents claimed.
4	After registering, report to the Office of Veterans Services immediately all changes in class schedules including adds, drops, section changes, canceled courses, and withdrawals.

Restrictions on Benefits

To continue receiving veterans educational benefits, the VA requires that you:

• attend class regularly
• make satisfactory academic progress
• adhere to a specific degree program

What about repeated courses?
The VA will not pay for repeated courses if the grade already earned is acceptable for graduation requirements and major objectives at this University, or if the courses are elective courses in excess of those needed to meet graduation requirements. This restriction includes transfer credit.

Using Your VA Benefits and Our Services

Our office participates in a variety of VA sponsored services, including:

VA Educational Programs
Chapter 30	Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty This program provides educational benefits for individuals who entered military service after June 30, 1985. Your basic pay will be reduced $100.00 a month for the first 12 months of your service unless you specifically elect not to participate in this program. The money is nonrefundable.
Chapter 31	Vocational Rehabilitation-Veterans with Disabilities To participate in this program you must have a military-related disability or disabilities that the VA has rated as at least 20 percent compensable.
Chapter 33	Post-9/11 GI Bill (Available August 1, 2009)
Chapter 35	Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program If you are the son, daughter, or spouse of a veteran classified as "totally disabled," you are eligible for the educational assistance program.
Chapter 1606	Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve You are eligible for this assistance program if you are a member of the Selected Reserve, including the National Guard, and if you enlisted, reenlisted, or extended your enlistment for 6 years or more in the Selected Reserve after June 30, 1985.
Chapter 1607	Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)

Current Students

Enrollment certifications are sent to the appropriate VA Regional Office upon receipt of the Veterans Data Sheet. (For Returning and Transfer students, these certifications are transmitted electronically; for New Students, they are mailed). You are required to submit this form to the Office of Veterans Services each semester. You will be certified on a term-by-term basis. Pre-certification will be done only when a request for Advance Pay is made.

Returning Students

Complete the following form and submit it to the Office of Veterans Services:

• U of M Request for Certification form (pdf)

Transfer Students

Complete the applicable forms and submit them to the Office of Veterans Services:

• VA Request for Change of Program or Place of Training form and instructions (pdf)
• VA Request for Change of Program or Place of Training Survivors' and Dependents' Education Assistance form and instructions (Chapter 35 only) (pdf)
• U of M Request for Certification form (pdf)

New Students

If you plan to use VA educational assistance while attending the U of M, contact or visit the Office of Veterans Services to request a packet of information and forms. Be sure to identify the VA educational program in which you are interested. The VA application must be received in the Office of Veterans Services after you have registered for courses unless you are applying for Advance Payment. Complete the appropriate "VA Application for Benefits" form and submit it to the Office of Veterans Services after you have registered for courses, unless you are applying for Advance Payment:

• VA Application for VA Benefits form and instructions (pdf)
• VA Application for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance form and instructions (Chapter 35 only) (pdf)

Also, furnish the following items as applicable and needed:

• a VA copy of your DD 214 (Certificate Of Release Or Discharge From Active Duty).
• a VA copy of your DD 2384 (Notice Of Basic Eligibility) or other armed forces separation papers.
• a copy of your Delayed Enlistment Contract.
• copies of your children's birth certificates.
• a copy of a divorce decree if either you or your spouse were previously married.
• your VA file number, if you have previously used your VA benefits.
• a transcript from any college or university previously attended.
• a KICKER contract.

Continuing Students

Complete this form and submit it to the Office of Veterans Services:

U of M Request for Certification form (pdf)

New Students on Active Duty

Complete these forms and submit them to the Office of Veterans Services:

• VA Application for VA Benefits form and instructions (pdf)
• U of M Request for Certification form (pdf)

Chapter 30 and Chapter 1606 Students

If you are participating in either the Chapter 30 program (Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty) or the Chapter 1606 program (Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve), the VA requires that you certify your enrollment once a month. You may do this in either of two ways:

• On the web. Visit the VA's WAVE (Web Automated Verification of Enrollment) site.
• By phone. Call 1.877.823.2378.

Advance Payment

Advance payment is available for eligible veterans and dependents who plan to enroll on at least a half-time basis. We accept applications as early as 120 days before the term begins but no later than 45 days before the beginning of classes. Advance pay checks include an allowance for the month (or a fraction thereof) in which the course begins as well as the allowance for the following month. Advance pay checks are mailed to us for delivery to you after we have certified you. Initial applicants who do not apply for advance pay may expect their checks to be mailed to their homes within six to eight weeks after being certified by the Office of Veterans Services. Complete these forms and submit them to Veterans Services:

• U of M Request for Certification form (pdf)
• U of M Advance Pay Request form (pdf)

Vocational Rehabilitation

Submit these documents to the Office of Veterans Services:

• a current Vocational Rehabilitation Authorization
• U of M Request for Certification form (pdf)

Work Study

Be sure to familiarize yourself the VA's Work Study Guidelines. Then, complete and submit a VA Application for Work Study Allowance.

• VA Application for Work Study Allowance form and instructions (pdf)

Tuition Deferment

Service members, veterans, and dependents of veterans who are eligible for and receiving VA educational assistance benefits may request that tuition and fees for a semester be deferred until the end of the semester. Contact Veterans Services for more information.

Tutorial Services

Tutorial assistance to defray the cost of needed tutoring is available to eligible persons under Chapters 30, 32, 35, and 1606. For those under Chapter 31, payment is charged directly to the VA.

The tutoring allowance is a supplement to your monthly educational assistance check and is paid without any entitlement.

• VA Application and Enrollment Certification for Individualized Tutorial Assistance (pdf)