VA Educational Benefits

Nobody works harder than Excelsior to make veterans' education affordable.

Thousands of veterans and servicemembers attend Excelsior, so our financial aid advisors have mastered the ins and outs of military educational benefits. They’ll make sure you get all the aid you’ve earned through your service, and that you apply those benefits in the most cost-effective manner.

In addition, Excelsioffers special tuition and fee discounts for veterans and military students. And because we grant so many transfer credits for prior coursework and training, you need fewer credits to complete your degree.

Use the sections below for detailed information about military educational benefits at Exelsior College, or contact our veterans' financial aid counselor at (888) 647-2388, ext. 1432, or vafa@excelsior.edu.

Post 9/11 GI Bill

Veterans can claim benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill if they accrued at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or were discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days.

Coverage ranges between 40% and 100% of the maximum amount payable, depending on length of service. Covered costs include:

Tuition and fees not to exceed the maximum in-state tuition and fees at a public institution of higher learning are paid directly to the college by the program.
A monthly housing allowance (MHA) based upon the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents at the location of an in-residence school. When using distance learning, at least one in-residence course per semester must be taken in person at the in-residence college. Attendance must be at a rate greater than 50% to receive the MHA.
An annual stipend of $1,000 for books and supplies paid proportionately based on enrollment.
A one-time rural benefit payment for eligible individuals.

Visit the VA GI Bill Web site for full benefit details and forms.

Montgomery GI Bill

The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) provides up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible veterans for:

College
Technical or Vocational Courses
Apprenticeship/Job Training
High-tech Training
Licensing & Certification Tests
Certain Entrance Examinations

You may be an eligible veteran if you have an Honorable Discharge, AND you have a High School Diploma or GED or in some cases 12 hours of college credit, AND you meet the requirements of one of the categories below:

Category I

Entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985
Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for first 12 months
Continuously served for 3 years, OR 2 years if that is what you first enlisted for, OR 2 years if you entered the Selected Reserve within a year of leaving active duty and served 4 years ("2 by 4" Program)

Category II

Entered active duty before January 1, 1977
Served at least 1 day between 10/19/84 and 6/30/85, and stayed on active duty through 6/30/88, (or 6/30/87 if you entered the Selected Reserve within 1 year of leaving active duty and served 4 years)
On 12/31/89, you had entitlement left from Vietnam-Era GI Bill

Category III

Not eligible for MGIB under Category I or II
On active duty on 9/30/90 AND separated involuntarily after 2/2/91
OR involuntarily separated on or after 11/30/93,
OR voluntarily separated under either the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) or Special Separation Benefit (SSB) program
Before separation, you had military pay reduced by $1200

Category IV

On active duty on 10/9/96 AND you had money remaining in a VEAP account on that date AND you elected MGIB by 10/9/97
OR entered full-time National Guard duty under title 32, USC, between 7/1/85, and 11/28/89 AND you elected MGIB during the period 10/9/96, through 7/8/97
Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for 12 months or made a $1200 lump-sum contribution

Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)

You can participate in this program if you elected to make VEAP contributions from your military pay. Your contributions are matched on a $2 for $1 basis by the government.

Benefit entitlement is 1 to 36 months, depending on the number of monthly contributions. You have 10 years from your release from active duty to use VEAP benefits. Any amount not used after the 10-year period will be automatically refunded.

To qualify, you must meet the following requirements:

Entered service for the first time between January 1, 1977, and June 30, 1985;
Opened a contribution account before April 1, 1987;
Voluntarily contributed from $25 to $2700;
Completed your first period of service; and
Were discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable.
If you are currently on active duty and wish to receive VEAP benefits, you must have at least 3 months of contributions available.

To apply, complete VA Form 22-1990, Application for Education Benefits.

How to Claim Benefits

To receive VA benefits as an enrolled Excelsior student you must file a Letter of Intention--Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits (PDF) and other appropriate VA forms for the Excelsior courses and Excelsior College® Examinations. Filing time limits apply:

Courses: File within one year of the course start date.
Exams: File within nine months after taking the exam

Under the post-9/11 GI Bill, your benefit is paid directly to Excelsior College, reducing or completely eliminating your out-of-pocket expenses.

Under all other VA benefit programs, you pay up front for course tuition, exam costs, and fees. The VA will then repay you on the following basis:

For Excelsior courses: After you have registered and paid for courses and filed a Letter of Intention with Excelsior’s Veterans Affairs office, the VA will send you a monthly check based on your enrollment status (half-time, full-time, etc).
For Excelsior College Exams: After you have paid for and passed an Excelsior College Examination, we report your claim for benefits to the VA. The exam completion date serves as your end-of-course date, and we report a 3-month period prior to that test date to create a semester. The VA will send you a monthly check based on your enrollment status (half-time, full-time, etc.) for that 3-month period.

Financial Aid for Veterans - excelsior.edu Excelsior College