Required Documents

To start using VA education benefits, you must already be formally admitted to Kennesaw State University as a degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate student, or as a *transient/guest student seeking a degree at another institution. If you are a prospective student and need information about applying to Kennesaw State University, please visit KSU Admissions.

All required documents must be submitted electronically using your KSU student email. Please follow the instructions on the forms to email documents to the correct email address.

*If a transient/guest student, we must also receive a Parent Letter from the student’s home institution. Please contact your designated KSU School Certifying Official for more information.

Please scroll down to the Benefit Review Information below for Chapter-specific details.

 

Benefit Review Information

Chapter 33 Post 9/11

The VA will pay the school directly the tuition and mandatory student fees for eligible certified enrollment at the awarded benefit level. The VA does not pay the school for bookstore charges, meal plans, housing on campus, perking permits, or for some portions of Executive/Premium graduate programs. When eligible, the student will receive a book stipend and monthly housing allowance payments from the VA. Visit the VA’s GI Bill® Comparison Tool for estimated benefit payments.

To receive any monthly housing allowance (MHA), students must be certified for enrollment that is greater than half time. Full time for undergraduate students on the 15-week fall and spring semesters is 12 credit hours, so at least 7 credit hours is required to receive any MHA. Full time for graduate students on the 15-week fall and spring semesters is 9 credit hours, so at least 5 credit hours is required to receive any MHA.

To receive the maximum MHA, students must be certified for full-time enrollment and have at least one class on campus (lecture or hybrid – does not include the 95% hybrid). Enrollingin shorter terms within the semester may impact your benefit payments.

Full time hour requirements per term/session

Students using Ch. 33 Post 9/11 must verify their enrollment to the VA on the last day of each month of certified enrollment to receive their MHA. You can find instructions on the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs website.

If your remaining benefit time will not cover the semester, the Bursar’s Office requires you to pay your part of the tuition and fees by the payment deadline. 

If you are classified as out-of-state for tuition purposes (as stated on your KSU acceptance letter), please contact the Tuition Classification team to apply for the appropriate waiver. The VA will only pay in-state rates, and the waiver is required in order for you to avoid having to pay the difference.

If you receive tuition-specific scholarships/funds (those designated specifically for tuition, e.g., HOPE, Zell Miller, Military Tuition Assistance), these funds are subtracted from your total tuition and fees prior to submission to the VA. Schools must deduct tuition-specific funds and TA benefits from the net tuition and fees submitted to the VA for payment.

Chapter 31 VR&E:

Ch. 31 VR&E will pay the tuition, mandatory student fees, and books for eligible enrollment as authorized by the student’s VR&E Counselor. If you have inquiries regarding other benefit payments under Chapter 31, please contact your VR&E Counselor. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure their VR&E Counselor has uploaded the authorization for the School Certifying Official and that the authorization is current for the upcoming semester. To find out if it has been uploaded, please contact your VR&E Counselor.

Students using Ch. 1606 and Ch. 30 receive a monthly stipend from the VA based on the level of certified enrollment. Enrolling in shorter terms within the semester may impact your benefit payments. The VA sends out payments around the beginning of each month for the previous month of enrollment. Current VA benefit payment rates can be viewed at www.va.gov.

The VA does not pay the school for the tuition and fees; therefore, the student is responsible for payment of their student account by the payment deadline each semester.

Students using Ch. 1606 and Ch. 30 must verify their enrollment to the VA on the last day of each month of certified enrollment. You can find instructions on the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs website.

Chapter 35 Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA):

Students using Ch. 35 receive a monthly stipend from the VA based on the level of certified enrollment. Enrolling in shorter terms within the semester may impact your benefit payments. The VA sends out payments around the beginning of each month for the previous month of enrollment. The VA does not pay the school for the tuition and fees; therefore, the student is responsible for payment of their student account by the payment deadline each semester. Current VA benefit payment rates can be viewed at www.va.gov.

Department of Veterans Affairs Tuition Classification – Military-Connected and Veterans Waivers Full Time Hours

Intake Process – Getting Started

If you haven't already applied with the Department of Veterans Affairs to use VA education benefits, please plan on applying at least two months before the start of your first term at Kennesaw State University to obtain your Certificate of Eligibility.

The following documents are required for students intending to use VA education benefits at KSU. Email both documents to your School Certifying Official at the same time. We cannot process one document without the other.

*If Ch. 31 VR&E, an authorization is provided by the VR&E Counselor instead of the COE. In this case, the Intake form should be submitted on its own once the student has been approved for the VR&E benefit.

Once we receive both documents, your School Certifying Official will email you the Benefit Review for your specific benefit which provides detailed information about how your benefit works here at KSU. This email will also include important next steps required for you to receive your benefits.

The Intake process notifies us that you plan to use a specific VA education benefit, allowing us to send you the benefit information and KSU processes surrounding that benefit. It does not initiate certification of enrollment to the VA. Please visit Documents Required: Every Semester for information on requesting certification of your enrollment each semester (including your first semester).

Department of Veterans Affairs Tuition Classification

If you are classified as out-of-state for tuition purposes (as stated on your KSU acceptance letter), please contact the Tuition Classification team to see if you are eligible to have your classification changed or to apply for the appropriate waiver.

Requesting Certification Every Semester – New and Continuing VA Students

Certification of  your enrollment to the VA is not automatic. Students must request certification of their enrollment for their benefits each semester (including the first semester). This is done by submitting the Request for Certification (RFC) form via KSU student email to vabenefits@kennesaw.edu. The RFC should only be submitted after you have registered for classes for the upcoming semester and your schedule is set or *mostly set.

By submitting the Request for Certification (RFC) form, you are requesting that we certify your enrollment to the VA with your schedule as it stands at that time. Please download the form to your computer to complete and save it as a pdf document. Then email your completed form to vabenefits@kennesaw.edu using your KSU student email.

Schedule changes made after submission of the RFC will be reviewed for certification after the drop/add period ends for that term.

Priority Dates for RFC Submission (to ensure timely certification of your enrollment to the VA):

FALL SPRING SUMMER
July 20​ December 1 April 1

*Ch. 33 Post 9/11 and Ch. 31 VR&E students:

Request for Certification forms should be submitted at least one week prior to the beginning of the term/semester for the benefit to be applied to your student account in advance of the payment deadline.

Points to Remember:

  • The Request for Certification form (RFC) is required each semester you wish to use your benefits and should be submitted via your KSU student email to vabenefits@kennesaw.edu.
  • RFCs are processed in the order received.
  • Late RFCs will be processed but will result in late VA payments.
  • Only classes applying to the declared major(s) and *minor (if any) shown on your Degree Works can be certified to the VA. We must review class applicability during both the early and final certification process. *Minors are not authorized under Ch. 31 VR&E.
  • The number of certified credit hours determines the level of benefit the student may receive. Current pay rates can be viewed at:  www.va.gov.
  • VA payments are paid around the first of a month for the previous month of enrollment and are prorated for partial months.
  • The first VA payment of each term/semester may be delayed due to processing times by the VA.
  • Please call the VA Education line at 1-888-442-4551 for any payment questions. School Certifying Officials do not have access to your VA payment information.