FAQ

What is considered full-time for Veteran Benefits?

Full time enrollment is based on twelve hours unless a student has an assistantship appointment, then eight hours is considered full time for the fall/spring. Summer requires 6 hours of enrollment to be considered full-time. You can view the Student Code which outlines this information at https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article3/part3/3-301/.

How can I maximize my benefits each semester?

Keep in mind, you must be actively attending 12 credit hours to draw your maximum benefit. The VA does not consider JUST the total hours of enrollment for the semester. They consider the beginning and ending date of each session when evaluating your benefit eligibility. The current term dates can be found at https://registrar.illinois.edu/academic-calendars/.

The example below uses the Spring 2021 semester dates. There are 3 sessions published for the spring term. Study days and final exams are included.  Classes that you withdraw from are back dated to the first date of the term and no longer included as part of your enrollment eligibility.

Each session below is reported individually.  Only when the sessions overlap for a total of 12 or more hours will you be considered full time for that date range.

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It shows that I have a VA Hold on my account, what does that mean?

If you are drawing on Chapter 33 benefits, you will see the UIUC VA Benefit “hold” on your student account. This is not an actual registration hold. This acts as an identifier that you are using state or federal veterans benefits where we are pending payment from one of these sources to apply towards your tuition or fee charges. This identifier prevents late fees from being assessed to your student account while the campus is waiting for VA funding to arrive. Please note again, this “hold” should not prevent any changes to existing registration or new semester registration.

I use military Tuition Assistance benefits, who do I contact for questions?

Tuition Assistance payments are handled through our sponsored billing office. Their office can be reached at 312-355-5410 or by email at bursarsponsorbilling@uillinois.edu.

I just registered for my courses this semester, why isn’t the VECR form letting me complete it?

Students need to wait at least 24 hours after registering to complete the VECR form, this allows the system to update overnight with your enrollment. You should be able to complete the form the next day after you have registered.

How do I know which certificate programs are eligible to use my VA benefits? Is NetMath covered?

Our approved certificate programs can be found on our Weams Institution Search page. You can access this page at https://inquiry.vba.va.gov/weamspub/buildSearchInstitutionCriteria.do. Search for UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN.

Unfortunately, the NetMath certificate program is generally not available for use with VA benefits. However, if you are admitted to our University as a degree seeking student, and a NetMath course would count towards an approved undergraduate or graduate degree program requirement, we may be able to certify the course. In this case we would need a letter from the college or department you’ve been admitted to, which states the course counts towards your degree requirements before we are able to certify the course.

Can I use federal VA Benefits as a non-degree (non-matriculated) student?

Students who are conditionally admitted and are required to take a few courses before they will be formally admitted can have up to two terms certified for VA benefits. Please keep in mind if you are enrolled in a Term A course and Term B course during the same semester, the VA would consider this to be your two terms. We will ask that students submit documentation showing they are required to take these courses in order to be admitted into a degree-seeking program before we are able to certify the courses.

Can I use the Illinois Veterans Grant (IVG) for degree and non-degree programs? What about undergraduate, graduate or online programs?

IVG can be used for both degree and non-degree programs, even those that are online. Benefits are applicable to both undergraduate and graduate enrollment. There are no minimum credit hour enrollment requirements and benefits are applicable for non-credit courses.

Are there any discounts or tuition reductions available for veterans?

Unfortunately, there are no automatic discounts or reductions available to veteran students. If you are looking to use state or federal benefits, please review our section on how to apply for education benefits.

If you are a child of a veteran and an Illinois resident, you may want review more information about the Children of Veteran’s Tuition Waiver for qualifications and requirements.

Do students using VA Benefits qualify for in-state tuition rates?

Students drawing on Chapter 30, Chapter 33 or Chapter 35 VA benefits will receive the in-state tuition rate while they are actively drawing on that benefit.

What happens after I have exhausted my benefits and no longer qualify for the in-state tuition rate?

Most students will revert back to an out-of-state billing status though, there are a few exceptions. Please review this link https://www.vpaa.uillinois.edu/resources/Post911 for more information.

Does the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign participate in the Yellow Ribbon program?

Because of legislation passed by the State of Illinois, Public Act 98th Congress 0306, any student who is actively drawing Chapter 33 Post 9/11 will be charged tuition as an in-state student. Since Yellow Ribbon is restricted to out-of-state charges, it is no longer necessary at our institution. There is also new legislation attached to the Choice Act that awards in state tuition to dependents using Chapter 33 Post 9/11 but our state law is already in place.

You may initially be assessed an out-of-state tuition charge. After the 10 day add/drop period (which is the time available to students to add/drop or withdraw from the institution) our office notifies the Registrar of any Chapter 33 Post 9/11 recipient who has requested certification of their enrollment to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Registrar then changes their assessment from out-of-state to in-state, so you will see a little back and forth activity/adjustments on your students bill after the first 10 days of school. Please note that once the Chapter 33 Post 9/11 benefit is exhausted, the student reverts back to an out-of-state assessment of their tuition.

Can I use my VA Benefits to Study Abroad?

If you are a recipient of Federal VA Education Benefits, you are encouraged to consult with a School Certifying Official (SCO) to discuss your benefits, and if they will apply to your study abroad expenses. There are limited programs that are approved for study abroad by the VA. For study abroad programs that are approved, students may only enroll in courses that apply to their degree requirements.