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January 21,2021

Dear GI Bill® Student,

As we enter Spring peak season for GI Bill® enrollment processing, we want to make you aware of how we process your enrollment. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) is committed to processing enrollments as quickly as possible and does so in the date order they are received. Our targets are 24 days for original (first time) applications and 12 days for supplementals (re-enrollments). We expect to continue to hit these targets throughout the Spring enrollment period, but unique factors may cause some claims to take longer than that.

To ensure you receive your GI Bill benefits in a timely fashion, we recommend that you:

• Plan ahead of time. You can use the GI Bill Comparison Tool to estimate the general level of benefits you should expect.
• Enroll as early as you can and avoid changing your course schedule as much as possible once you are enrolled.
• Get to know and stay in contact with your School Certifying Officials. You can find them by searching the GI Bill Comparison Tool for your school and scrolling down to “Contact Details.”
• Be sure you understand your school’s procedures regarding requests for certification to VA.
• If you do drop/add hours, contact your School Certifying Official immediately to mitigate potential overpayment.
• If you have changed your bank account or moved to a new address, please contact VA Education Service to update your information either on the GI Bill website through our “Ask a Question” link or by phone at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551). If we do not have your correct information, your payment will be delayed.
• If you need to contact us by mail, use the address of the Regional Processing Office handling your claim. You can find your Office and the mailing address on our website. If you use a different address, we may not receive your message.
• If you are experiencing financial hardship due to a delay in payment, we ask that you contact the Education Call Center at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) between 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Central Time, Monday-Friday. VA will expedite any hardship request.

As a reminder, we have posted FAQs about how your benefits will be protected during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a fact sheet with basic information and resources for students. VA has also developed the COVID Coach App to help both Veterans and their families cope with feelings of stress and anxiety they may be experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s available for iOS and Android devices. Download COVID Coach by visiting the VA Mobile App Store. 

If you are nearing the end of your educational journey, our “A Guide to Furthering Your Career has a lot of great information about entering the job market and entrepreneurship.

Respectfully,

Education Service

If you know a Veteran who is in crisis, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1.