Veterans Services
Students receiving educational assistance through the Department of Veteran Affairs must contact the VA Certifying Official in the Records Office in order to be certified for financial benefits related to UTC enrollment. In order to report attendance records the VA in a timely manner, faculty are requested to notify the Certifying Official when veteran student never attend or quit attending classes.
Eligibility
Enrollment
Checks
How to Reach Us
New Students
Your Responsibilities
Eligibility for Veteran's Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
- Eligibility
- Veterans, reservists and dependents of deceased or 100% disabled veterans are eligible to apply for educational assistance. Go to Eligibility for Veteran's Benefits for details, including information about Vocational Rehabilitation.
- Enrollment
- To receive VA Educational Benefits, you must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program and all of the classes you take must apply toward that degree. You may repeat only classes in which you have not made a passing grade.
- Checks
- During enrollment, checks are mailed at the end of the month.
Since the University does not accept advance checks from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, the first check should not be expected for at least eight weeks after the beginning of the semester.
All checks will be mailed directly to the recipient (not to the University) or will be deposited by direct deposit. - How to Reach Us
- Please contact Melanie Dixson, Certifying Official Phone: 423-425-2178 Email: Melanie-Dixson@utc.edu.
- New Students
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If you plan to use VA educational benefits while attending the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 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.
Also, furnish the following items as applicable and needed:
- A VA copy of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty). To request a copy of your military personnel record: http://www.archives.gov/research_room/vetrecs/index.html
- A VA copy of your DD 2384 (Notice of Basic Eligibility, [NOBE]) 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 was previously married.
- Your VA file number, if you have previously used your VA benefits.
- A transcript from any college or university previously attended (normally Admissions will ask for this when you apply for admission).
- A KICKER contract (Forms DD-1131 and DD-2366)
You may also review the Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents Handbook (PDF).
- Your Responsibilities
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It is your responsibility as a student to be aware of and to fulfill all requirements for receipt of your veteran's benefits.
You must notify our office of the following:
- Drops
- Adds
- Withdrawals
- Canceled Courses
- Degree and Major Changes
- Non-attendance (excessive absences from class)
- Repeated Courses
Eligibility for Veteran's Benefits
Veterans
Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty The Montgomery GI Bill program provides up to 36 months of education benefits to veterans. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses but must be prior approved by the Veteran’s Administration. Generally, benefits are payable for 10 years following your release from Active Duty.
Chapter 32 (Post-Vietnam Era Veterans Educational Assistance Program)
VEAP is available if you first entered active duty between January 1, 1977 and June 30, 1985 and you elected to make contributions from your military pay to participate in this education benefit program. The Government matched your contributions on a $2 for $1 basis. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.
Dependents of Veterans
Chapter 35 Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program
The sons, daughters, spouse or surviving spouse of a veteran may be eligible for educational assistance if the veteran died while on active duty, died after release or discharge from active duty or a service-connected disability (100%), became permanently and totally disabled as a result of a service-connected disability, died while a service connected disability was rated permanent and total, or has been listed as missing in action, captured, detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign government or power for more than 90 days. Eligible persons are entitled to 45 months of educational assistance and are paid benefits on the same basis as a veteran with no dependents.
Reservists
Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reserve
Basic eligibility exists for a person who (after June 30, 1985) enlists, re-enlists or extends an enlistment in the Selected Reserve. The Selected Reserve includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. An eligible reservist is entitled to a maximum of educational assistance based upon full-time training (or the equivalent based upon three-quarter or half-time training).
Chapter 1607 Reserve Education Assistance Program
The Reserve Educational Assistance Program is a new benefit providing education assistance to members of the reserve components-Selected Reserve (Sel Res) and Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) who are called or ordered to active service in response to a war or national emergency, as declared by the President or Congress.
The "reserve components" consist of Amry Reserve, Naval Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Army IRR, Air Force IRR, Navy IRR and Marine Corps IRR.
"Active Service" is service on active duty or full-time National Guard Duty.
Eligibility will be determined by the Department of Defense (DoD) or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as appropriate. Generally, a member of a reserve componenet who serves on active duty on or after September 11, 2001 under Title 10, U.S.C., for at least 90 consecutive days under a contingency operation is elibible for Chapter 1607 (REAP). Note: "Contingency operation" means the current Iraq or Afghanistan operations and may include other operations.
National Guard members are eligible if their active service extends for 90 consecutive days or more and their service is:
Authorized under section 502(f), Title 32, U.S.C.
Authorized by the President or Secretary of Defense for a national emergency, and
Supported by federal funds.
Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation
A veteran of World War II or thereafter who has a service-connected disability which entitles him or her to VA disability compensation and who is in need of vocational rehabilitation because his or her disability creates an employment handicap may be eligible for Chapter 31 benefits. Vocational rehabilitation may be provided for up to 48 months, and an eligible veteran now generally has 12 years from discharge or release from active duty in which to used these benefits. Disabled veterans are encouraged to contact the regional VA office in their area to obtain detailed information and to request VA Form #281900, Disabled Veteran’s Application for Vocational Rehabilitation. If you think you may be eligible for Chapter 31 (Vocational-Rehabilitation_benefits or other benefits), call 1-800-827-1000 for information.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will I be able to receive an advance payment from the VA?
- No. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga does not accept advance checks from the VA.
- May I repeat a class?
- You may only repeat classes in which you have not made a passing grade.
- Do all of my classes have to apply toward my degree?
- Yes. To receive VA Educational Benefits, you must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program and all of the classes you take must apply toward that degree.
- May I use my VA Educational Benefits for a Master's Degree?
- Yes. As long as you have remaining benefits, the VA will pay for your continuing education. The certifying official can certify the classes you are enrolled in up to the first 9 hours without a program of study. After that, you must provide them with this material.
- I changed my major, what must I do?
- You must notify the Veteran's Certifying Official and fill out appropriate paperwork.
- Will the VA pay for developmental/deficiency courses?
- Yes. If the University requires you to take these courses, the VA will pay for them.
- How much credit can I receive for my military training?
- The Certifying Official can award up to a maximum of 30 hours of elective credit based on your military training. This credit will not apply toward the last 24 hours of residency.
- May I receive tutorial services?
- Yes. Tutorial assistance to defray the cost of needed tutoring is available to eligible persons under Chapter 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.
- May I receive tuition deferment?
- Service members, veterans, and dependents of veterans who are eligible beneficiaries of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits or other governnmentally funded educational assistance, subject to the conditions and guidelines set forth in Tennessee Code Annotated 49-7-104 as amended, may elect, upon formal application, to defer payment of required tuition and fees until the final day of the term for which the deferment has been requested. Application for the deferment must be made no later than 14 days after the beginning of the term, and the amount of the deferment shall not exceed the total monetary benefits to be received for the term. Students who have been granted deferments are expected to make timely payments on their outstanding tuition and fees balance once education benefits are being delivered, and eligibility for such deferment shall terminate if the student fails to abide by any applicable rule or regulation, or to act in good faith in making timely payments. This notice is published pursuant to Public Chapeter 279, Acts of 2003, effective July 1, 2003.
