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15 steps to studying under the GI Bill

Whether you’re planning for four long years of college or eight intense weeks of high-tech training, you should start the process of claiming your GI Bill benefits about a year before you leave the service, said Regina Lewellyn of the University of Tennessee’s Office of Veterans Affairs.

Timelines differ from one school to the next, so consider this checklist a general guideline.

Follow these steps to ensure you get paid promptly upon completing the first month of your post-military education:

As soon as you decide

1. Get organized. Dedicate a binder or folder to your educational paperwork so it’s always within reach. Include a calendar to record important deadlines. Once you receive your discharge, include a copy of Form DD-214.

2. Request copies of your military educational transcripts. Those courses could count for college credit. It’s also a good idea to request copies of your high school transcripts and those for any college courses you may have completed already.

One year prior to separating

3. Start looking into schools. Enrollment is up, and if you wait too long to apply, you may not be accepted, Lewellyn said.

4. Check in with your chosen school’s veterans coordinator, who can explain steps specific to the institution.

5. Find out any applicable deadlines, including those for application and registration.

Six months prior to starting

6. This is the latest many schools recommend applying, so if you haven’t already, it’s time.

7. Once you’ve been admitted, complete VA Form 22-1990, your application to receive GI Bill benefits. If you fill out the form online, print a copy. If you complete the form by hand, find out whether you should mail it to VA yourself or turn it in to your school’s veterans office.

8. Submit your copy of Form 22-1990 — or the original form — to your school as well as a copy of your Form DD-214 and proof of any extra GI Bill contributions, if applicable.

9. Watch for your GI Bill certificate of eligibility to arrive in the mail from VA.

10. Find out the deadline to register for courses. Students who register the earliest are the most likely to get the courses they want.

One month prior to registration

11. If it’s been three months and you still haven’t received your GI Bill certificate of eligibility in the mail, it’s time to ask questions. You school’s veterans office is a good place to start.

12. Schedule a meeting with an academic adviser in your department to be sure you’re signing up for the right subjects.

13. If necessary, check to see whether the school will allow you to defer payment, since you won’t receive your first GI Bill reimbursement check until the beginning of your first full month of classes — at the earliest.

After you register

14. Request that your school certify your enrollment with VA. You’ll likely need to fill out a form for this. If the school doesn’t certify that you’ve enrolled, you won’t be paid your benefit.

Once classes have begun

15. Visit https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave to verify your enrollment on the last day of every month you attend classes. You may also call (877) 823-2378. The Web site, however, is recommended because it allows you to manage other aspects of your benefit, including direct deposit information and changes of address.