VA Enrollment Certification Procedures

Students receiving VA benefits must adhere strictly to a planned program of study as indicated on their school and VA forms.

Step One - Applying for VA Educational Benefits

Students applying for GI Bill benefits for the first time and who are classified under one of the eligibility statuses as listed below must apply for educational benefits online from the VA at https://www.vets.gov/education/apply/.

Eligibility Status

Chapter 30 - Veterans/Active Duty
Chapter 31 - Vocational Rehabilitation
Chapter 33 - Post-9/11 GI Bill
Chapter 35 - Veteran's Spouse/Dependent
Chapter 1606 - National Guard/Reserves

Note: The National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 ended REAP on November 25, 2015. Some individuals will remain eligible for REAP benefits until November 25, 2019, while others are no longer eligible for REAP benefits. For more information, please see: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/reap.asp.

For more information about the different benefit programs, see our VA Benefit Programs page.

Step Two - Receiving Certification from the University of West Georgia

Enroll in Courses at UWG - This typically happens at Orientation after being admitted.
Submit Your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to us - UWG requires an up-to-date COE be submitted to the Veterans and Military Programs Office. Students must obtain their own COE from the VA eBenefits website at https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage.
Provide us with a Copy of the Servicemember's DD-214 (Copy 2 or Copy 4) - The DD-214 helps us understand the nature of your benefits. The National Archives can help if you no longer have the original.
Complete UWG's Certification Request Form - The form is available online or in person in our office.

Initial Certification

UWG will process VA certification on the student's behalf once the above requirements have been completed.

Subsequent Certification

Please e-mail the Veterans and Military Programs Office at cav@westga.edu (include your Student ID) with any changes that may occur such as:

Change in enrollment credits (add or drop a course)
Change in program of study
Change in eligibility status
Change in contact information (name, address or phone number)
Withdrawing from the semester (dropping all courses)

VA Attendance Requirement

Students receiving Montgomery GI Bill from Active Duty (Chapter 30) and Selected Reserve/National Guard (Chapter 1606) benefits must verify their class attendance on or after the last day of each month before monthly payments are deposited into your account or mailed to you. You can do this quickly and easily online at https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave/index.do.