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4 simple steps to start your GI Bill benefits

Patience is the key. If you’re about to enroll in college using your Montgomery GI Bill benefits, only a few steps are involved in the process. But getting the ball rolling means a lesson in waiting.

“The VA is slow, but it always comes through,” said Annie Hake, who completed her associate in arts degree in nursing at Pensacola Junior College in May.

“The longest wait you’ll have is the first few months after you actually apply for your benefits,” she said. “You might even have to start school before the benefits actually get to you. But in most cases, you can still begin taking your classes and have the financial requirement deferred until you start receiving your MGIB payments.”

Hake served four years in the Navy. She separated as an E-5 in January 2004 and decided to enroll in college in time for the spring semester. Like many service members who’ve never been on a college campus, she wasn’t sure how to get started. Her first stop was to visit an admissions counselor.

“I knew I wanted to be in nursing, so the counselor helped me pick out the right degree program and the classes I would need,” Hake said.

“Then I was advised to visit the on-campus VA representative,” she said. “They know the military, and they know what the process is for receiving your military education benefits. So that’s the first place you go after you actually enroll in college, because they can help you with filling out the forms and also with getting the forms to the VA.”

There was nothing difficult about the process except the waiting, Hake said.

“Once I got everything done and the paperwork was sent to the VA,” she said, “it took two and a half to three months before the money was actually sent to me. After that, there was never any waiting period.”

What you need to do

Most college and university campuses, including vocational schools, have an on-site Department of Veterans Affairs representative or a student services administrator assigned to assist military students and veterans. The process required for receiving your MGIB is simple:

1. Contact the school’s admissions office. You’ll be advised on your eligibility to enroll and register for classes.

2. Visit your on-campus VA representative. The office usually is in the vicinity of the college’s other administrative offices. When you first visit the admissions office, ask for the room number to the VA office.

3. Be sure to bring a copy of your Form DD-214. This form validates your honorable discharge. Without validation of an honorable discharge, your MGIB benefits will be denied.

4. Complete VA Form 1990. According to Kandi LeClear, student services assessment coordinator at Kansas’ Barton County Community College, Fort Riley Campus, this can be done at the VA office on campus.

“Students can fill out the form right here, and then they have to take it back to their commanding officer or the installation’s education office so it can be signed,” she said. “Once it’s signed, the student brings it back to us. Then we make copies of it, and we take care of forwarding it to the regional VA office.”

That’s when the waiting begins. In general, the turnaround for receiving benefits is from eight to 12 weeks.

“Once a student has applied and the application is processed, the student will receive a letter of eligibility,” LeClear said. “This shows the entitlement they’re allowed to receive. Then we ask that they bring the letter back to us so we have a copy of it for our files.”

Working through the VA office on campus streamlines the process. It eliminates the possibility of making mistakes on VA Form 1990 and also ensures that the forms get to the right VA regional office. Most schools allow military students and veterans to begin taking classes on schedule, even if their MGIB payments have not been received.

“We try to tell students that they need to be very patient and that the reimbursement isn’t going to happen overnight,” LeClear said. “Most schools with a student eligible to receive military education benefits know that the money is going to arrive. So most schools will defer payments for up to three months.

“Some institutions may require a small down payment, like 25 percent. But in general, not having the money from the VA won’t stand in the way of a service member being able to start attending classes.”

In general, active-duty service members have 10 years to use their benefits after leaving military service. Members of the Selected Reserve have 14 years from the date they became eligible for the program. Generally, if a reservist separates from the Selected Reserve, the benefits end the day of separation.

There are exceptions, such as disability, upgraded discharges or re-entering the service. Check with your education office or VA representative on campus for information about MGIB extensions.

For more information about using your MGIB benefits, call (888) GIBILL1 or www.va.gov.