Veterans Benefits

How do I apply for Veterans Benefits?

Welcome! Please call or email your VA Certifying Official with any concerns or questions regarding VA benefits. We are located in the Registrar’s Office in the basement of New Garden Hall. We are here from 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. See below for your Certifying Official:

Last name A-Q

Call Ashley Dilger at 316-2102 or email dilgeraa@guilford.edu

Last name R-Z

Call Linda Leonard at 316-2174 or email leonardll@guilford.edu 

For the latest GI BILL information, payment rates, and application, visit www.gibill.va.gov

Inquiries Regarding VA Application or General Information 1-888-442-4551 (toll-free)
Direct Deposit Sign-up 1-877-838-2778 (toll-free)
National Personnel Records Center (Request for DD214) http://www.vetrecs.archives.gov

If you are a new veteran student:

  • Complete the online application at www.gibill.va.gov. This should be done at the earliest possible time after you have been admitted to the College (Veteran Affairs can take up to six weeks to process your application). If you are approved for benefits, submit a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility to the VA Certifying Official.
  • Provide a copy of your DD214 (active duty) or an original "Notice of Basic Eligibility" from your reserve unit, (Reservists). 
  • Complete the Veteran Responsibility Contract.

If you are a transfer veteran student:

  • Complete VA Form 22-1995 if you have received benefits at another institution under Ch. 30/1606/1607/33. If you receive the Ch.35 (Dependent/Survivor) benefit, submit the VA Form 22-5495. Submit 22-1995 (or 22-5495) form to the VA Certifying Official. This should be done at the earliest possible time after you have been admitted to the College.
  • Provide a copy of your DD214 (active duty) or an original "Notice of Basic Eligibility" from your reserve unit, (Reservists). 
  • Complete the Veteran Responsibility Contract.

If you are a new Voc Rehab student:

  • The process for receiving Chapter 31 benefits is initiated with the Veterans Affairs Regional Office and coordinated with the Case Manager in Winston-Salem. Please call 800-827-1000, visit the the Regional Office on 251 N. Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC, 27155 or click here to see the Voc Rehab website.
  • Once you contact a Case Manager, she will send the VA form 28-1905 each semester you are enrolled at Guilford.  The Case Manager will set up an appointment with you and will prepare the 28-1905 and send it to Guilford.  We will confirm attendance and send a copy of your schedule along with the completed VA Form 28-1905 and inform the Student Financial Services Office that the VA Regional Office will be paying your tuition for the semester.

All students wishing to be certified for VA benefits at Guilford College must submit an official high school transcript or GED AND official transcripts of all colleges attended (to be official it must be received by Guilford in a sealed envelope).

Once admission requirements are met and all the necessary forms on file, the VA official submits an electronic certification to the VA confirming your number of registered credit hours. 

Veteran Affairs may require as long as 6 to 8 weeks to process a certification. Then, you will receive monthly benefits by mail or direct deposit (only if you receive Ch. 30, 35, 1606, or 1607). For those collecting Ch. 31 or 33, payment will be made directly to Guilford.

You must verify attendance each month at www.gibill.va.gov (WAVE) or by calling 877-823-2378.  This can be done the last day of the month.  You will not receive payment until VA receives verification. Remember class attendance is essential!  Failure to attend may result in an F grade by the instructor, which will mean a change in VA entitlement and may result in overpayment.

It is the responsibility of any student receiving VA benefits at Guilford College to notify the VA Certifying Official when:

You change a major.

You add or drop a class including a complete withdrawal from school.

You stop attending class.

COURSES NOT PAYABLE:  Veteran Affairs does not allow payment for the following classes at Guilford College: audited courses, certificates of study, credit/ no credit courses (exception: GST 110), courses for which transfer credit has been granted, courses previously passed with a “D” or better (unless a better grade is required by your major for graduation).

A note about repeating a course: repeated courses are not coded as repeats until the close of the term. Therefore, at the close of the term, Veteran's Affairs will be notified and benefits must be re-paid if a course is determined to be a repeat unless special approval is granted.

FAST TRACK COURSES: Veteran Affairs bases pay on the number of credit hours per semester and dates of attendance.  Veteran Affairs will only pay you for the dates you are actually in class. Be aware that Fast Track courses affect full-time status.  For example, a VA student who registers for one full-term course, one Fast Track I course and one Fast Track II course will NOT be considered a full-time student by the VA. You must register for 12 credits and all courses must be full-term in order to receive the full-time benefit rate for the entire semester.

TRAINING TIME: For normal fall and spring sessions, full benefits will be paid for 12 or more credit hours, ¾ for 9-11 credit hours, ½ for 6-8 credit hours, less than ½ time for 4-5 credit hours. For one five-week summer session, 4 credit hours are considered full-time and for the ten-week summer session, 8 credit hours are considered full-time.

For students receiving the Post 9/11 GI BILL, your rate of pursuit must be more than 50% of full-time pursuit to be considered for the full basic housing allowance. Meaning, you must be registered for at least 7 credits during the normal fall and spring terms to be eligible for the basic housing allowance.  

TO AVOID OVERPAYMENTS/REPORT CHANGE OF REGISTRATION:  You are required to report any changes to your registration (dropping/adding classes) to the VA Certifying Official in a timely manner. Failure to do so may result in overpayment of benefits and/or payment problems.

Important for students receiving the Post 9/11 GI Bill: An individual who doesn't complete one or more courses and who does not provide mitigating circumstances for not completing such a course(s), will be charged an overpayment equal to the amount of ALL tuition and fees, basic housing allowance, and Yellow Ribbon, if applicable, for that period of enrollment.  VA will determine the amount of the overpayment and notify you, not Guilford College.

GRADES: Please be aware that your final grades can affect your eligibility for benefits. Receiving a “W” grade may cause a large overpayment with the VA. “F” grades due to a lack of attendance will be reported to the VA and could also cause a large overpayment with the VA.  You must earn an overall 2.0 GPA each term to remain in good standing with the VA.  Guilford is required to report a termination of your benefits if you go on academic suspension or dismissal. A termination of benefits will also result if you have two consecutive terms of GPA below 2.0.  

 

***Attn: Veterans applying for Post 9/11 GI Bill***

Only those Veterans wanting to switch to the new Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill) need to re-apply to the VA. We are unable to certify Fall 2009 enrollment certifications for those electing Chapter 33 until we receive a new Certificate of Eligibility (COE). Make note that this election is irrevocable. The new Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill) application will be available after May 1, 2009 thru the VA website; however, the Post 9/11 G Bill is not effective until August 1, 2009. Fall 2009 enrollment certifications can be processed after July 6, 2009 for those electing the new Chapter 33. Click here to apply for the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Chapter 33 Eligibility & Entitlement.   Generally, an individual who served a minimum of 90 days on active duty after September 10, 2001, will be eligible for educational assistance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. However, only Veteran Affairs can establish eligibility for this benefit. Individuals eligible under chapter 33 are generally entitled to 36 months of educational assistance.  Individuals may not receive benefits under chapter 33 and 30, 31, 32, 35 of title 38 or chapter 107, 1606, or 1607 of title 10 concurrently. 

Note:  Individuals eligible under chapter 30 who elect to receive benefits under chapter 33 are only entitled to the number of months they had remaining under chapter 30 (including any revoked months of transferred entitlement) up to a maximum of 36 months. 

Monthly Housing Allowance.  The monthly housing allowance is based on the monthly basic allowance for housing (BAH) payable for a military member with dependents in pay grade E-5 residing in the same ZIP code for the college or university where the individual is enrolled.  Active duty members, individuals training at ½ time or less, and individuals pursuing only distance learning are not eligible for a housing stipend.  The full BAH is payable for all pursuit that is more than 50% of full time pursuit, e.g., where 12 semester hours would be full time, the full BAH would be payable for all pursuit of more than 6 semester hours.  To determine the BAH for your school’s zip code, go to the following link: 

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/bah.html

Stipend for Books and Supplies.  Individuals may receive a stipend of up to $1000 a year for books, supplies, etc.  The individual will receive a lump sum payment in the first month of each quarter, semester, or term.

Yellow Ribbon Program. Guilford is a Yellow Ribbon School!  We have entered into an agreement with VA to fund up to 50 percent of the established charges not already covered under chapter 33.  VA will match each additional dollar funded by the school.  The combined amounts may not exceed the full cost of the school’s established charges.  Only individuals entitled to the 100 percent benefit rate (based on service requirements) may receive this funding.