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Programs and Benefits

Find the GI Bill® or programs that you may be eligible for: visit the GI Bill - Education and Training to compare the programs:

  • Scroll to the bottom of the GI Bill home page and click on “Compare the Programs.”
  • Click on the “Comparison Chart between the Post-9/11 and other GI Bills.”

(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 https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.)

Applying for VA Educational Benefits

You may apply for VA Educational Benefits online by accessing the VA application through the GI Bill website.

Education Benefits Application Process

The website for GI Bill benefits is VA.gov. Select Apply for Education Benefits, then follow the necessary prompts.

If you are a Service member, Veteran, or a family member interested in education and training opportunities, you can apply for your Certificate of Eligibility (COE). You can also manage your current benefits.

Ready to apply? Which form do you want to use?

  • Veteran applying for a new benefit (22-1990)
  • Dependents applying for a transferred benefit (22-1990E)
  • Dependents applying for a new benefit where your sponsor is permanently and totally disabled (22-5490)
  • Dependent applying for a new benefit where your sponsor is deceased, MIA, or a POW (22-5490)

Make a change to your current education benefits

If you need to make a change (for example, you're moving to a new school), manage your benefits with Form 22-1995 (Chapters 30, 31, 33, 1606) or Form 22-5495 (Chapter 35).

How Do I receive Credit for Prior Military Training?

Take or send your Joint Service Transcript, your Community College of the Air Force transcript, or your DSST/CLEP Examination scores to the Experiential Learning Program at elc_program@memphis.edu.

JST (Joint Services Transcript)

The JST (Joint Services Transcript) is now the official transcript tool for Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard personnel.  These branches of service have aligned to provide one collaborative transcript program.  The JST replaces:  The Army American Council on Education Registry Transcript System (AARTS); the Sailor Marine Corps American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART); and the Coast Guard Institute (CGI). 

This standardized transcript is academically accepted and approved by the American Council on Education (ACE).  It provides corresponding ACE college credit recommendations allowing institutions to validate and document the recommended college credits for professional military education, training courses and occupational experience.

Community College of the Air Force (CCFA)

The USAF provides a transcript through the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) with ACE recommended credit.  Contact CCAF and complete its transcript request.

DSST/CLEP Examinations (DANTES)

Obtain a record of any credit earned by credit by examination via CLEP or DSST. 

State of Tennessee Programs

TN STRONG Act (for National Guardsmen)

View University & Student Business Services information about the TN STRONG program. 

TN Waiver - Dependents of Veterans Killed in Armed Conflict

A dependent child whose parent was killed or died as a direct result of injuries received, or has been officially reported as being either a prisoner of war or missing in action while serving honorably as a member of the United States armed forces during a qualifying period of armed conflict, or the spouse of such veteran, may be eligible for a waiver of tuition and required registration or matriculation fees, and may be admitted without cost to any of the institutions of higher education owned, operated, and maintained by the state of Tennessee, if certain age limits, time periods for eligibility, and residency requirements are met. Contact the Veterans Affairs Office in Nashville, TN at 1-800-827-1000 for more information and verification procedures.

VA Services/Programs at UofM

Our office participates in a variety of VA-sponsored services, including:

Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty

If you participated in this program, $100 was taken each month for the first 12 months of your service unless you specifically elected not to participate in the program. The money is nonrefundable.

If you participate in this program, the VA requires that you certify your enrollment once a month. You may do this in either of two ways:

Chapter 33: Post-9/11 GI Bill

Chapter 35: Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program

If you are the child or spouse of a veteran classified as "permanently and totally disabled," you are eligible for the educational assistance program.

Chapter 1606: Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve

You are eligible for chapter 1606 benefits, if you meet the following requirements:

  • Incur a six-year Selected Reserve Obligation. You must enter into a six-year obligation to serve in the Selected Reserve, If you're an officer, you must agree to serve six years in addition to your current obligation.
  • Complete your IADT (Initial Active Duty for Training).
  • Maintain Selected Reserve Status. Serve in a drilling Selected Reserve unit and remain in good standing.
  • Complete High School. You must obtain a high school diploma or equivalency certificate before you apply for benefits.

Veteran Readiness and Employment Program 

Chapter 31: Veteran Readiness and Employment Program

To participate in this program you must have a military-related disability or disabilities that the VA has rated as at least 20 percent compensable.

Submit these documents to our office:

Work Study

Be sure to familiarize yourself the VA's Work Study Guidelines. Then, complete and submit a VA Application for Work Study Allowance.

Tuition Deferment

Service members, veterans, and dependents of veterans who are eligible for and receiving VA educational assistance benefits may request that tuition and fees for a semester be deferred until the end of the semester. Students utilizing their GI Bill may request a VA deferral when completing their VA certification request.

Tutorial Services

Tutorial assistance to defray the cost of needed tutoring is available to eligible persons under Chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, and 1606. The tutoring allowance is a supplement to your monthly educational assistance check for Chapter 1606 recipients. 

Enrollment in All Online or Distance Learning Courses

How Enrollment in All Online or Distance Learning Courses (Web, Hybrid, TN eCampus (formerly RODP)) Impacts CH 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill Monthly Housing Allowance (BAH)

The monthly housing allowance is payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill to eligible students enrolled for MORE than ½ time (pursuing training at a rate of pursuit greater than 50%) and enrolled in at least one in-residence course per semester. Students who are enrolled in all online or distance learning courses with method of instruction listed as Web or Hybrid, or TN eCampus (formerly RODP) courses receive 50% of the National average BAH.

Enrollment in Separate Parts-of-Term (POTs)

How Enrollment In Separate POTs Affects VA payment

If you enroll in separate POTs during a semester (Full, 1st, and/or 2nd ), the VA will determine your rate of pursuit as full time, ¾ time, or ½ time separately for each POT based on the number of hours you are enrolled in each POT. VA only combines the total hours enrolled in each POT to determine training time when the POTs overlap.