FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How do I contact Veterans Affairs?
What is an SCO?
I submitted my application for VA Benefits on-line. Why do I have to give the school a copy?
Do I have to send all of the support documents listed to Veteran’s Affairs?
How long does it usually take to get my benefits started?
Can my enrollment be certified by the school before I am enrolled?
Why do I have to have an advisor approve my courses?
The National Call Center said that I need the school to submit a 1999. What is that?
You said you have submitted my enrollment but the National Call Center says they do not see it. Where is it?
How will I know when my classes have been certified?
Why hasn’t the school submitted my enrollment?
I just got an email notification that my enrollment has been changed or terminated. Can you tell me why?
I need to buy my books but I am waiting on my VA money.
I need to pay my rent but I am waiting on my VA money.
Why do I have to verify my attendance each month?
Who has to verify their attendance each month? How?
If Post 9/11, Chapter 33, recipients do not have to verify their attendance to VA, why does the school require
that I complete a Verification of Attendance form for each of my classes?
Where do I get a Verification of Attendance form and who should I give it to when it is complete?
Why did I only receive a partial payment?
Why are my payments not the same each month?
How many hours do I need to take to be considered full-time for VA purposes?
I am a graduate student. Do I still have to take 12 hours each semester?
I am applying for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. It asks me to revoke one of my benefits. What should I do?
I am applying for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. It is asking for an effective date. Is that the date of the application?
I am a Post 9/11 GI Bill recipient. Why am I not getting a housing allowance?
How much should I get for my housing allowance?
I am a Post 9/11 GI Bill recipient. Why am I not getting a book allowance?
I am a Post 9/11 GI Bill recipient. What does my percentage mean?
I am supposed to be eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill at the 100% rate. Why was my tuition not covered?
I am eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill at the 100% level. Do I qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program?
Both my loan money and my Post 9/11 GI Bill money have come in. Why can’t I have my loan money?
My Recruiter told me that my college education would be paid for. What happened?
What is Tuition Assistance?
What is Top-Up?
What is ANGEAP?
I am interested in the ROTC program. Who do I need to contact?
Why doesn’t Faulkner University accept the Alabama GI Dependents Scholarship Program?
I am using benefits transferred to me by one of my parents. Why won’t VA allow them to ask about my
payments?
How do I contact Veterans Affairs?
NOTICE: EFFECTIVE 6/21/10 Atlanta Regional Processing Office will no longer be handling claims for
Alabama. Our new Regional Processing Office is in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
National Call Center: 1-888-442-4551
US Mail Address: Western Region- VA Processing Office, P.O. Box 8888, Muskogee, OK 74402-8888
Email: www.gibill.va.gov > “Ask a Question”
[top]
What is an SCO?
SCO stands for “School Certifying Official.” This is the person(s) at your school who has/have been approved
by Veterans Affairs to certify your enrollment each semester. This person certifies that you are officially
enrolled, how many hours you are taking, when your classes begin, when your classes end, the cost of your
tuition and fees and all changes made to your enrollment. To find out who your SCO is follow this link:
School Certifying Officials
[top]
I submitted my application for VA Benefits on-line. Why do I have to give the school a copy?
The school is required to keep copies of VA paperwork in your VA file. Veterans Affairs audits schools
regularly to ensure compliance with Federal Regulations.
[top]
Do I have to send all of the support documents listed to Veteran’s Affairs?
No, but we have found that doing so helps expedite your application process and having these on file helps
us help you better. It is especially important to send evidence of having a kicker or Buy-Up.
[top]
How long does it usually take to get my benefits started?
First time applications can take 90 - 120 days to process. It does not always take this long, but students
should apply as early as possible and should be prepared to cover expenses through alternate funds until
VA Benefits begin. If your benefits are not approved until after your enrollment in classes has begun, VA
should back-pay you to when your classes began.
[top]
Can my enrollment be certified by the school before I am enrolled?
No. You must complete registration for classes before you can be certified; this includes getting Advisor and
Business Office Approvals.
[top]
Why do I have to have an advisor approve my courses?
Veterans Affairs will not pay for any course which does not apply to your degree, any course which you
have already successfully completed, or courses you audit. Your advisor must evaluate any transfer credit
you may have and will help you decide which classes are best for you to take. Make sure you request an
official copy of your military credit, too.
[top]
The National Call Center said that I need the school to submit a 1999. What is that?
A 1999 is the form the school fills out to tell Veterans Affairs how many hours you are enrolled in, when
your term begins and ends and how much your tuition and fees are. While some people still complete the
paper version of this form, most schools submit their 1999’s through a website called VAONCE, which is
accessible only to school certifying officials. If VA says they do not have your 1999, call us to be sure we
have submitted your enrollment.
[top]
You said you have submitted my enrollment but the National Call Center says they do not see it. Where is it?
It may take some time for enrollments to be far enough in processing to appear in the systems they use.
How long depends on many factors including the time of year and the type of benefit you are using.
[top]
How will I know when my classes have been certified?
If your SCO has a current email address on file for you, you should get an automated email notifying you
that an enrollment has been submitted. If you are not getting these email notifications, call your SCO to be
sure we have the correct email address in our records.
[top]
Why hasn’t the school submitted my enrollment?
There could be several different reasons why we have not submitted your enrollment yet. Have you
completed all the paperwork necessary and turned it in to your School Certifying Official? Have you
completed registration, including signing your payment agreement for the term? Did you tell us you were
enrolled? Have you made changes to your class schedule which could have bumped your advisor or
business office approval? It may also be that we have been busy and have not gotten to it yet, but you
should call us if you think you have completed all the steps. We make mistakes like everyone else.
[top]
I just got an email notification that my enrollment has been changed or terminated. Can you tell me why?
Yes. If you did not add or drop courses, or withdraw, call us.
[top]
I need to buy my books but I am waiting on my VA money.
DO NOT wait until VA money or other financial aid arrives to buy textbooks. This can hinder your academic
progress. Textbooks are needed at the beginning of the term, but VA money, tuition assistance, grants and
loans can take weeks to post to your account. Be prepared to buy your books at the beginning of each
term. If you have a credit balance after your account is paid, consider saving any extra money to cover your
expenses until your future educational assistance arrives. Think ahead and be prepared.
[top]
I need to pay my rent but I am waiting on my VA money.
DO NOT depend on VA money or other financial aid arriving in time to pay expenses. Always have a backup plan. Payments can be delayed for a number of different reasons. Be prepared to cover your expenses
until Veterans Affairs can process your claim. Consider saving any extra money from each semester to
cover your expenses until your future educational assistance arrives. Think ahead and be prepared.
[top]
Why do I have to verify my attendance each month?
Veterans Affairs requires students to verify that they are still enrolled at the end of each month before they
will send out your next payment. This prevents students from receiving money which VA will have to
recoup. If you receive money for classes in which you are no longer enrolled, the money will have to be
returned. Veterans Affairs will get their money back.
[top]
Who has to verify their attendance each month? How?
Students who are receiving money under chapters 1606, 1607, and 30 have to verify their attendance to
Veterans Affairs. Students receiving benefits under Chapters 31, 33 and 35 do not have to verify their
attendance. Students can verify their attendance by calling1-877-823-2378 or by following the WAVE link
on the GI Bill website, www.gibill.va.gov (look for the graduation hat).
[top]
If Post 9/11, Chapter 33, recipients do not have to verify their attendance to VA, why does the school require
that I complete a Verification of Attendance form for each of my classes?
Faulkner University requires that you have your instructors sign a verification of attendance form because,
according the law, if you do not attend your classes at least one time, your tuition and fee money must be
returned to Veterans Affairs. Before releasing any Chapter 33 money to cover your charges or before
refunding any credit balance to you, we must have the Verification of Attendance form in your Business
Office file. There were several ways we could have verified your attendance, but this one was the easiest
and quickest. Students enrolled in the Military Education Program in a National Guard Armory do not have
to complete this form.
[top]
Where do I get a Verification of Attendance form and who should I give it to when it is complete?
You can find the Verification of Attendance form on this website under Chapter 33, or pick up a copy in the
Business Office. You can also ask your School Certifying Official for the form.
[top]
Why did I only receive a partial payment?
If your term began in the middle of the month, VA will prorate your payment by the number of days you
were enrolled. The same is true at the end of a term. If your term ends before the end of the month, VA
will prorate your payment by the number of days you were in school. There are other reasons, such as
running out of entitlement or VA not seeing all of the terms that have been submitted. If in doubt, call the
National Call Center at 1-888-442-4551.
[top]
Why are my payments not the same each month?
If you are active duty, this may affect your payment. Your payment may also be fluctuating if you are
enrolled in overlapping modules, because VA calculates your enrollment status on a day to day basis. This
is particularly an issue during summer semesters and in programs such as the MHR and BCJ programs.
[top]
How many hours do I need to take to be considered full-time for VA purposes?
The number of hours needed to be considered full-time varies by program. You must take at least 12 hours
in the traditional program to be full-time. Adult students in the evening program must take 6 hours each 8
weeks to remain full-time. Adults taking a mixture of daytime and night-time classes should contact your
School Certifying Official to see what you need to take to be full-time. One year degree completion
students are generally considered to be full-time; however, as mentioned before, programs with
overlapping modules will cause enrollment status to fluctuate. Again, non-standard terms such as summer
terms are different than the standard semester. Contact us if you need to know how many hours to take.
[top]
I am a graduate student. Do I still have to take 12 hours each semester?
Each Master’s level and Doctoral program has a set number of hours required to be considered full-time.
Contact the financial aid office to determine how many hours you need to take to be full-time.
[top]
I am applying for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. It asks me to revoke one of my benefits. What should I do?
If you are qualified for more than one benefit, revoke the benefit that is least beneficial to you.
[top]
I am applying for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. It is asking for an effective date. Is that the date of the application?
It can be any date on or after August 1, 2009, when the Post 9/11 GI Bill began. If you want to be back-paid
for terms already completed, you will need to put a date that is on or after the first day of those classes. VA
will not back-pay for classes taken more than a year ago. If you want to be paid from today on, you can put
today’s date. If you will not be starting until a future date, you can put a date closer to the start of your
term.
[top]
I am a Post 9/11 GI Bill recipient. Why am I not getting a housing allowance?
Active Duty service members and their spouses, as well as, students who are taking only on-line classes
and/or students whose rate of pursuit (status) drops to 50% or below, are not eligible to receive a housing
allowance.
[top]
How much should I get for my housing allowance?
Your housing allowance is set, by law, at the rate for an E-5 with dependents, at the zip code of the school that is
certifying your enrollment. Find out the zip code for your school and then follow this link:
http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/bah.html to see what your rate should be. Your housing allowance
will be paid “in arrears,” which means that you will receive a housing payment near the beginning of each month
for the previous month.
[top]
I am a Post 9/11 GI Bill recipient. Why am I not getting a book allowance?
Active Duty service members and their spouses are not eligible for the book allowance. There is also an
annual cap on the book allowance. VA will only pay a book allowance for your first 24 hours taken each
academic year. The Academic year, for VA purposes, begins August 1st of each year.
[top]
I am a Post 9/11 GI Bill recipient. What does my percentage mean?
The percentage is your rate of benefit. It applies to your tuition and fees, housing and book allowance.
Multiply these three by your percentage to see what you should get. You can also use the Benefit
Calculator found on the GI Bill website, www.gibill.va.gov. If the cost of your tuition per hour is more than
the cap (limit) for the state, you will be paid your percentage times the cap times the number of hours you
are taking.
[top]
I am supposed to be eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill at the 100% rate. Why was my tuition not covered?
There is a cap. The VA will pay 100% of your tuition UP TO the cap. Traditional students, some adult
programs and graduate level programs may be over the cap. To see what the current cap is, follow this link:
cap link not yet available
[top]
I am eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill at the 100% level. Do I qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program?
Active Duty service members and students whose cost of tuition per hour is below the cap will not need the
Yellow Ribbon Program. If your tuition is over the cap, the Yellow Ribbon Program can help pay some of
the difference. You will need to fill out a copy of the Yellow Ribbon Program Application and send or bring
it to the School Certifying Official on your campus.
[top]
Both my loan money and my Post 9/11 GI Bill money have come in. Why can’t I have my loan money?
You must verify that you have attended each class before we can release your Post 9/11 money for tuition
and fees. If Veterans Affairs has paid for terms which have not yet begun, you will have to wait until those
terms start to get your instructors to sign your Verification of Attendance form. Until these classes begin,
you cannot verify your attendance because you have obviously not attended. Until that happens, your loan
money may be covering the charges that have posted to your account.
[top]
My Recruiter told me that my college education would be paid for. What happened?
There are a variety of resources available to service members and veterans to help cover the cost of
education, but you need to do some research to find out what is available to you. GI Bill benefits vary
widely depending on your branch of service and length of active duty. Visit the GI Bill website at
www.gibill.va.gov for more information. You may also have tuition assistance, ANGEAP, loan repayment, a
kicker and other programs available. Ask your recruiter for more details or talk to your education service
office.
[top]
What is Tuition Assistance?
Tuition Assistance is a Department of Defense Benefit. Currently a student can get up to $4500/year. The
tuition assistance fiscal year restarts on October 1st of each year. Contact your Education Service Office to
find out how you can use tuition assistance. IMPORTANT- Active Duty service members cannot use VA
Benefits and tuition assistance for the same classes.
[top]
What is Top-Up?
Top-Up is a benefit available to Active Duty service members who are using Chapter 30 benefits. Students
who wish to receive Top-Up must apply for VA Benefits, apply for tuition assistance and be approved, and
send a copy of their approved tuition assistance form to your Regional Processing Office.
[top]
What is ANGEAP?
ANGEAP is an Army National Guard Education Assistance Program. Eligibility can be determined by
completing an ANGEAP form available in your financial aid office. This form is not available on line.
[top]
I am interested in the ROTC program. Who do I need to contact?
In Montgomery, the Army ROTC program is run out of the AUM campus. You can call 334-244-3474 or 334244-3528 to get more information. The Air Force ROTC program is run out of the Alabama State campus.
You can call them at 334-229-4305. Faulkner has students in the ROTC programs. These students register
for classes at Faulkner and their ROTC classes appear on their Faulkner transcript.
[top]
Why doesn’t Faulkner University accept the Alabama GI Dependents Scholarship Program?
Faulkner University would love to accept students using the Alabama GI Dependents Scholarship Program;
however, the law, as it is currently written, excludes private schools from this program.
[top]
I am using benefits transferred to me by one of my parents. Why won’t VA allow them to ask about my
payments?
Veterans Affairs is bound by the same FERPA laws that Faulkner is subject to. In order for your parents (or
your spouse) to speak to either institution regarding your personal information, you must sign a release
form saying they have your permission.