Frequently Asked Questions
VA Payment Schedule
Payments are disbursed according to the payment schedule set by the VA. If Miami has reported your credit hours to the VA and you have questions about the timing or amounts of your payments, please contact the VA at 1-888-442-4551.
Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33)
New and existing students who believe they are eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (CH33) program must complete an online application with the VA. The form requires that individuals currently eligible for another education benefit make an irrevocable choice between their existing program and the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. You will then receive a Certificate of Eligibility letter from the VA regarding your program eligibility. Once you receive this letter, you must submit a copy to the One Stop:
One Stop
101 Campus Avenue Building
Miami University
Oxford, OH 45056
Email: veterans@miamioh.edu
If you do not submit your Certificate of Eligibility to the One Stop, cancellation of your classes for nonpayment cannot be prevented if your funds have not been received from the VA by your bill’s due date.
Once you have submitted your Certificate of Eligibility and have completed your VA Education Benefits Request Form, your enrollment will be electronically certified with the VA. Your tuition will then be billed to the VA in the second or third week of classes. This is to ensure that the correct tuition and fees are submitted to the VA and to prevent overpayments being made to you that you would have to repay to the VA. This process does not prevent you from receiving an overpayment and possibly creating a balance due to the VA if you withdraw from a course before it’s completed.
To learn more about transferring the Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits to your spouse or dependent, you can review eligibility information at the VA’s Transfer of Post-9/11 Benefits to Dependents page.
New Students
If you are a new student who is a veteran or other qualified dependent who has never used your education benefits, you need to submit an application with the VA. You also need to complete a VA Education Benefits Request Form for Miami.
Transfer Students
If you previously received education benefits at another school, you must complete a Change of Program of Place of Training Form (Form 22-1995 for Veterans and Form 22-5495 for Survivors and Dependents of Veterans) and complete a VA Education Benefits Request Form for Miami.
Previously Enrolled/Returning Veterans
If you have previously attended Miami, and if you have previously applied with the Department of Veterans Affairs and have used your education benefits at Miami and no other institution of higher learning, you must complete a VA Education Benefits Request Form for Miami. You must also complete Miami’s Re-Enrollment Application.
Standard Enrollment
Complete the appropriate VA Education Benefits Request Form to inform the certifying official of your expected registered hours. The benefit request form should be completed after applying for VA benefits and at least 45 days prior to the start of term.
Non-Standard Enrollment or Sprint Courses
Be aware that if you are taking a course that is not the full length of the semester, or if you are taking a sprint course, the actual dates of the course will be submitted to the VA. This could impact your enrollment status and your pay. For example, if you are an undergraduate student taking nine full semester hours and a three-credit-hour sprint course, you will be paid only for full-time hours while the sprint course is in session.
Adding, Dropping, or Repeating a Course
Change in course enrollment at any time may result in the retroactive loss of benefits unless the VA finds mitigating circumstances are involved. Loss of benefits may revert to the first day of class. The VA considers courses added during the add/drop period to begin on the day the course was added, not the first day of the semester.
The VA will not pay for a course for which you have previously earned credit at Miami or elsewhere. For example, if you received a “D” grade in PHY 181 last semester, and you plan to retake the course for a higher grade, you will not receive benefits the second time you take it. To receive full benefits while retaking a class, you must have 12 or more hours in addition to that class or validation from your adviser that the grade earned is not sufficient to continue in your degree program and must be repeated.
Monthly Verification - Chapters 30, 1606, 1607
Any student who is receiving VA education benefits under Chapter 30, 1606, or 1607 must certify current hours on or after the last day of each month while attending school. Students can certify current hours online at the VA’s Verify Attendance website or by calling 1-877-823-2378.
Advance Pay for Chapter 30, 32, 35, and 1606 Students
Advance pay must be requested at least 30 days before the start of the fall semester. This payment will be for the months of August and September. You will be notified through your Miami email account when the check has been received at the Oxford campus. The next payment will not be issued until November. If you are eligible for break pay, you must specifically decline the break pay to receive advance pay. Advance pay must be requested on the VA Education Benefits Request Form.
Direct Deposit
Direct deposit of education benefits is available for all veterans under Chapters 30, 35, 1606, and 1607. These students may request direct deposit through the VA online through eBenefits or by calling 1-800-827-1000. You must provide your VA file number, bank routing number, and checking/savings account number to receive direct deposit.
Classification as Ohio Residents
Veterans, their spouses, and dependents may qualify for immediate classification as Ohio residents for tuition purposes. For more information, visit the Ohio GI Promise page.
Standards for Receiving Education Benefits
In compliance with the Department of Veteran Benefits Circular, Miami has developed standards of academic progress. Each veteran must conform to the university standards to be eligible for education benefits. For more information on these standards, see the Miami Bulletin, General Edition.