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We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the contributions you have provided to the defense of our country while serving in the Armed Forces. WMU is committed to assisting students receiving educational benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

WMU is proud to serve students who are:

• Present or former reservist or National Guard member
• Surviving spouse, child or parent of a deceased veteran
• Uniformed service member
• Veteran, veteran's dependent

Veterans certifying official

The role of the VA Certifying Official is to certify semester enrollment and monitor academic progress that is reported to the VA. The Certifying Official is knowledgeable on each educational chapter offered through the VA and can provide general information but is not an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs and does not have access to veteran records. If you have specific questions or require specific information please contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at (888) 442-4551.

Military and Veterans Affairs

The Office of Military and Veterans Affairs—located in Ellsworth Hall, room 1255—assists in creating a smooth transition from service to student.

Admission for military service members

Western ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ University waives the application for our undergraduate WMU application for veterans, current service members, spouses and dependents. Qualified applicants provide their service information on the admissions application in order to waive the fee, and it will automatically be waived. Please contact Admissions at (269) 387-2000 with questions. 

Tuition

Western ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ University will apply the in-state tuition rate to all individuals who are eligible for VA educational benefits. Additionally, in-state tuition is granted to dependents of those individuals who have honorably served or are serving in the Reserve or Active components of the US Armed Forces and who would otherwise not be eligible for VA educational benefits. 

• If the student is a child of the Veteran, we require a copy of the Veteran’s DD214 and a copy of the student’s birth certificate as documentation for our records. 
• If the student is a stepchild, we require a copy of the Veteran’s DD214, a copy of the student’s birth certificate and a copy of the marriage license as documentation for our records. 

Review tuition rates

VA policy regarding certification for hours and tuition/fees (new as of May 2021)

Schools can begin submitting hours only to the VA 120 days prior to the beginning of each semester. The VA requires schools to submit tuition/fees after the add/drop period.

Students using GI BILL® Chapter 1606 AND POST 9/11 will need to verify their attendance to the VA at the end of each month of the semester in order to receive their monthly stipend. The VA requires students to .

VA debts

The new VA Policy states that all debt letters will be sent to the school to repay the VA for classes that students either withdraw from or stop attending during the semester. 

Students will not receive a penalty while waiting for VA payments to come in. WMU flags students using VA benefits and is required to give the VA 60 days for Ch. 1606, and Ch. 35 payments to get started. The  Chapter 1606 and Chapter 35 monthly stipends go directly to the student. The student must make arrangements to pay the school for tuition/fees within that the 60-day time frame.

Under Post 9/11, the VA requires we give the VA 90 days to make payments for tuition/fees to the school. Post 9/11 veterans can pay the difference of what the VA will pay and what they owe once the VA payment comes into the school.

Financial aid

The VA suggests student should contact the financial aid department at the school for scholarships or loans prior to seeking outside loans. Student Financial Aid can be reached at (269) 387-6000.

Compliance

A covered individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits. Any covered individual is permitted to attend or participate in the course of education beginning the date on which the individual provides a certificate of eligibility to WMU and ending on the earlier of the following dates:

1. The date on which payment from VA is made to the institution.
2. Ninety days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.

WMU will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes or institutional facilities or the requirement of borrowing additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under chapter 31 or 33.

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