Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.To submit an application for VA Educational Benefits, please visit How To Apply For The GI Bill And Related Benefits | Veterans Affairs (va.gov). Eligibility is determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs, not UTRGV.
Please refer to the individual benefits links on the Resources tab of our website. Each VA Benefit outlines the eligibility requirements.
Yes, you can refer to the MVSC-VA Education Benefits Checklist, which outlines the steps and requirements.
We require all students to submit an online request each semester through the UTRGV Veterans online certification portal. If you are not officially enrolled in courses, request will be denied. Waitlisted courses will not be certified. You are responsible to submit a request with the correct chapter you requesting to be certified under.
MVSC’s priority deadlines are set to provide VA School Certifying Officials ample time to process requests. All certification (and re-certification) requests are submitted through the UTRGV Veterans online certification portal. The priority deadlines per term are as follows:
- Fall – July 1st
- Spring – December 1st
- Summer – May 1st
Please refer to the current payment rates from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Each benefit is unique and has different pay scales. For questions, please contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-888-442-4551 or set up an appointment with once of our VA School Certifying Officials.
Please fill out a Tuition Deferment form and email it to veteranservices@utrgv.edu or submit it in person at either of our locations.
Students receiving VA Education Benefits must obtain a Parent Institution Letter (PIL) from the "primary" school to receive VA benefits at the "secondary" school. The Parent Institution Letter gives the receiving school assurance that the class, if completed successfully, will apply to the student's intended academic program.
Undergraduate Students:
- Full-time Undergraduate: An undergraduate student who is enrolled for at least 12 credit hours during a regular semester or at least six hours of credit during a summer session is considered full-time.
- Half-time Undergraduate: A half-time undergraduate student is one who is enrolled for 6 to 8 credit hours during the regular semester or three hours of credit during a summer session.
- Three-Quarter time Undergraduate: A three-quarter time undergraduate student is one who is enrolled for 9 to 11 credit hours during the regular semester.
- Less than Half-time Undergraduate: A less than half-time undergraduate student is one who is enrolled for 1 to 5 hours during a regular semester.
Graduate Students:
- Full-time Graduate: A graduate student who is enrolled for at least nine hours of credit during a regular semester, or six hours of credit during the summer sessions (six hours can be taken during one summer session or split between the two summer sessions). Graduate students in an accelerated online program are considered fulltime upon enrollment in six credit hours in any two seven-week accelerated modules that comprise a traditional academic semester (fall, spring or summer).
- Half-time Graduate: A graduate student who is enrolled for at least six hours of credit during a regular semester or three hours of credit during the summer sessions. Graduate students in an accelerated online program are considered part-time upon enrollment in three credit hours in any two seven-week accelerated modules that comprise a traditional academic semester (fall, spring or summer).
Students receiving educational benefits must report any changes made to their schedule to the Military and Veterans Success Center. Students who do not report changes in their schedule may be subject to repayment by the VA. Enrollment changes impact VA Educational Benefits and can create an overpayment with the department of Veterans Affairs and the institution. Mitigating Circumstances are circumstances beyond the student’s control that prevent the student from continuing in school or that cause the student to reduce credits. For questions, please email veteranservices@utrgv.edu or make an appointment with a VA School Certifying Official.
Classes that are successfully completed may not be certified again for VA purposes if they are repeated. However, if a student fails a class, or if a program requires a higher grade than the one achieved in a particular class for successful completion, that class may be repeated and certified to VA again.
Example 1: if a Nursing program requires a “B” or better in Biology, then that class may be repeated if a “B” or better was not earned. That requirement must be in the school catalog.
Example 2: If a course is required for graduation, a student may repeat the course and be certified for it until it is successfully completed. No further information needs to be provided to VA regarding those courses.
Example 3: If a student chooses to repeat a course that was successfully completed, just to improve their GPA, that course cannot be certified to VA.
For details, click here to open the Veterans Services Center Checklist. If you have any more questions e-mail us at veteransupport@utrgv.edu or call to our office in Brownsville at 956-882-8980 and to our office in Edinburg at 956-665-7934.
If you have not attended any other institution you will not need to submit a transcript.
Student must apply for their educational benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Click the Apply for Educational Benefits link and you will be redirected their website. Once you have applied for benefits you will receive a Certificate of Eligibility in the mail.
When first processing your paperwork, the Veterans Administration goes by a first come first serve basis so it can take up to three months before first getting paid. After your initial set-up and you have been certified for the first time, the upcoming certification process is a quick one.
As much as we would love to certify you without any documentation and make the process an easier one, all students wishing to be certified and receive their educational benefits must turn in the required documentation. Any documentation such as degree plans missing from the file will put the student’s certification on hold until it has been received by our department. Our institution must follow VA policy in order to continue serving our student veteran population.
No, you do not. We recommend that all freshmen and sophomores turn in their advisement sheet every semester to help speed up your certification although it is NOT required. All other documentation does not need to be turned in every semester unless you change your major in which you will need to bring in a new degree plan. If you do not bring in a new degree plan, we will not be able to certify you for any classes not listed under your current degree plan.
Yes, you can. Both degree plans must be on file and any class you take must be in accordance with what is listed in your degree plan. Any classes not listed will not be certified.
Online courses can be classified as synchronous or asynchronous. A synchronous course requires students to login to Blackboard Collaborate or Zoom at a specific time. An asynchronous course will allow students to complete activities at their own time. An example of an asynchronous activity is a Discussion Board. Synchronous class meeting times can be found in ASSIST or in your course syllabus.
You may be eligible for in-state tuition if you meet all of these requirements:
- You’re receiving benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD), or Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), and
- You’re a “covered individual” (the next 2 sections explain what this means for Veterans, spouses, and children) and
- When you start school, you live in the state where the school is located
Eligibility requirements for Veterans
As a Veteran, you’re a “covered individual” if you’ve served on active duty for at least 90 days since September 10, 2001.
Note: Section 702 of the Veterans Choice Act covers you only after discharge, not while you’re still on active duty or while you’re a member of the Active Guard Reserve (AGR).
Eligibility requirements for spouses or children
As a spouse or child of a Veteran, you’re a “covered individual” if one of these is true:
- You’re using education benefits transferred from a Veteran, or
- You’re using benefits under the Fry Scholarship and the Veteran had served a period of active-duty service of at least 90 days before their death
Please refer to the VA’s guidelines for additional information.
In-State Tuition Rates Under The Veterans Choice Act | Veterans Affairs (va.gov)