Important Update for the WI GI Bill:
Effective with the spring 2008 semester students may withdraw completely from
their classes and not incur a tuition bill for that semester. Please read carefully the following
policy revision:
If you withdraw from the institution prior to the 100% refund deadline,
the semester and credits will not be counted toward the eight semesters and 128 credits allowed
for the WI G.I. Bill benefits. If you withdraw from the institution after the 100% refund
deadline, the semester and credits will count toward the eight semesters and 128 credits you
are allowed under the WI G.I. Bill.
In some cases, if the withdrawal is due to medical circumstances, you may
not be required to count the semester or credits against your WI GI Bill eligibility. Contact
the veterans' services coordinator at your campus for more information.
If you have questions about this policy revision, please contact the Military
Education Benefits Office.
Wisconsin GI Bill:
Changes to the Wisconsin GI Bill from the 2007-2009 Wisconsin State Budget:
When the state budget was signed, it resulted in only a few changes to the Wisconsin GI Bill.
These changes are listed below and are effective for the 2007-2008 academic year.
- Eligible children of veterans no longer need to be enrolled full time to be eligible for this program
- Eligible children of veterans may begin using the Wisconsin GI Bill at the age of 17
- Un-remarried surviving spouses of eligible veterans who had a chlid with the veteran can receive the remission
for up to ten years after the child has turned 18, or would have turned 18
There were no changes to the credit/term limits, delmitation date for veterans, or to the type
of degrees covered by this program.
Check the Status of your WI GI Bill on-line:
To see if your approved for the Wisconsin GI Bill, click on
https://services.dva.state.wi.us/WDVALogin.aspx Once there, sign up for a loginID and password. If this is your first time
applying for State veterans benefits, you won't be able to see your status until the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs
"WDVA" assigns you a base number; which is part of the approval process. When you log on and see "WI GI Bill Eligibility Approved,"
it means you have been approved by the WDVA. They will notify your school of your eligibility within the next two weeks. Once the school
receives this information it will usually take about a week for the waiver to be placed on your student account.
Federal Montgomery GI Bill:
VA pay rates increase:
Effective August 1, 2008, the benefit rates for Ch.30 and Ch.1607 students will increase by 20%. Please visit
the GI Bill website for more information on this important update for the new school year at:
http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/rates.htm
REAP/CH. 1607 Changes:
Effective April 1st, 2008, the VA announced that students using CH.1607 or REAP benefits must now
"self-certify" their attendance to the VA at the end of each month using the VA WAVE automated verification of enrollment
in order to get paid. Active duty veterans and national guard members already use WAVE at the end of each month to
receive their monthly benefits. Students using CH.1607 benefits will be notified of this change by the VA in Feb.
and March. Students can go to the GI Bill website at: www.gibill.va.gov and
click on the WAVE link for more information. Or students may also call in their monthly certification at 877/823-2378.
Other changes have also occurred recently with CH.1607 beneficiaries. Please visit the
gibill.va.gov website for additional information.
If one served for 2 continuous years on active duty with their Guard Unit they could qualify for the highest pay rate under
Ch.1607 which is 80% of the Ch.30 rate. NOW reservists who serve multiple tours equaling 3 years or more of aggregate service
may also be eligible to receive Ch.1607 at the highest pay rate. This change is effective January 28, 2008.
Eligible Ch.1607 participants may now participate in the "Buy-up" program. By contributing an additional $600, monthly payments
will increase by $150 during the eligibility period for Ch.1607 benefits.
Other changes have recently occurred that effect CH.1607 beneficiaries. Please visit the gibill.va.gov
website for additional information on the changes discussed in this section as well as other information affecting Ch.1607 participants.
Enrollment Certification:
For all of you receiving federal VA benefits you should be sure to turn in a "VA Benefits
Request Form" (located in the forms section of our website) for every semester that you would like to use
your benefits. On this form, you are given the option to request certification for fall and spring at the
same time. However, it's always a good idea to check with our office before EVERY semester to make sure that
your enrollment has been certified.
Schedule Changes and Failed Courses:
If you make changes to your schedule that changes your enrollment level you must complete a
Change of Course Load/Credits Form and send it
to our office. When grades are posted, our office reviews enrollment and grades to make sure that students completed
the courses that they were certified for. Failing grades are reported to us with the last date that the student
attended the class. Our office must notify the VA of the last date the student attended the class so that they
can adjust their rate of pay accordingly.
The VA may cover tutoring Costs:
Are you struggling with your courses? You might want to take advantage of a tutor, courtesy
of the VA. The course that you receive tutoring in must be necessary for the completion of your approved program.
You must be enrolled at least halftime and be a recipient of Chapter 30, 32, 35, or 1606. The VA will pay up to
$100 per month for your tutorial assistance up to a maximum of $1200. If you would like to take advantage of
this program, print off and complete the application at
http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/22-1990t.pdf.
Are you Planning to Attend Classes for Less Than Half-Time Enrollment, or are you
Currently Serving on Active Duty?
Please be aware that due to VA policy, any student enrolled less than half time and/or
who is on active duty AND is receiving the Wisconsin GI Bill will NOT be eligible for monthly Montgomery
GI Bill payments. Half time enrollment is considered to be less than 6 credits for undergraduates and
less than 4 credits for graduate students.
National Guard / VedEd Programs:
National Guard & VedEd Tuition Reimbursement Programs:
Due to a change in the Wisconsin Administrative Code, the deadline for submitting the VetEd pre-application
has increased from 30 days to 180 days after the start of a semester. This change is effective March 1st. The deadline for
submitting post-applications is unchanged.
If you are using the National Guard Tuition Grant you can pick up an application in our office, or online at:
http://dma.wi.gov/devops/docview.asp?docid=5841.
If you are using the VetEd program, be sure to complete your pre-application and post application online at
https://services.dva.state.wi.us/WDVALogin.aspx
Due to a change in the Wisconsin Administrative Code, the deadline for submitting the VetEd pre-application has increased from
30 days to 180 days after the start of a semester. This change is effective March 1st. The deadline for submitting post-applications
is unchanged.
Beginning with the WinterUM 2008 semester the National Guard Tuition Grant reimbursement program no
longer requires a pre-application. Students using the program only need to complete the application (DMA Form 189),
which is due within 60 days of the semester end date. The DMA Form 189 is available on our website under Forms, it's
labeled "National Guard Tuition Grant."
Due to a change in the Wisconsin Administrative Code, the deadline for submitting the VetEd pre-application has increased from
30 days to 180 days after the start of a semester. This change is effective March 1st. The deadline for submitting post-applications
is unchanged.
Tuition Assistance for National Guard Members:
Guard members receiving National Guard Tuition Grant reimbursement each semester for their
tuition may be eligible to receive reimbursement for segregated fees through Federal Tuition Assistance. For more
information visit: http://nationalguardbenefits.com/
or contact your unit education office.
Need Help Getting your NOBE?
National Guard Members who need to obtain their Notice of Basic Eligibility or NOBE for short
now have a one-stop shop to obtain this important documentation on-line. For more information visit:
http://nationalguardbenefits.com/. Members whose documentation is
not available on-line should contact their unit education offices.
Veterans request a DD-214 on-line:
The Office of Military Personnel Files has announced that veterans and the next of kin of deceased veterans
can now submit a request for a copy of their DD214, Record of Military Service on-line. For more information please visit:
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/index.html
Campus Veterans Meet:
The Student Veterans' Organization invites you to come join your fellow UWM veteran
soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen. Meetings every Wednesday in the Gasthaus in the Union
basement at 1600 hours.
Wisconsin Veterans Forum:
An electronic forum was recently created for Wisconsin Veterans. This is an informal way
to ask questions and get answers from fellow veterans regarding student life. To access the forum and view the
postings visit: http://community.uwsp.edu/forums/61/ShowForum.aspx.
You will need to join the forum to post. To "join" see the help link in the top right corner of the page to the left
of the help link is join, click join. If you have any questions about using the forum let us know at
vets@uwm.edu
