Sponsored by University of Maryland Global Campus.
The first step in pursuing a college education isn’t necessarily selecting the school you want to attend.
It’s often getting your money right so you can afford to pursue your educational dreams.
“That’s really the groundwork of it,” said Christy Bobsein, director of the University of Maryland Global Campus’ Veterans Certifications Office. “It’s really important that veterans are really aware of not just the benefits they have, but the obligations they have.”
For veterans who have earned GI Bill benefits, that means ensuring those benefits have been certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Applying for VA benefits is step one in the certification process..
“Initial applications can sometimes take up to six weeks for the VA to process,” Bobsein said.
Benefit certification means that veteran students, depending on the chapter of benefits they are using, get their tuition and fees paid or subsidized. In some cases benefit certification also means they get a housing allowance and book stipend, she said.
Bobsein said one of the biggest pitfalls veteran students face is not being fully aware of the obligations they take on when using their GI Bill benefits. She stressed that students using VA benefits should be aware of Grade Point Average, course load and class participation requirements.
“Even in online classes, there is a component that requires you to participate or post in a chat,” she said. “Those all impact your credits and how much money you're getting from the VA.”
Some schools will also fail students for not meeting course participation requirements, Bobsein said.
“That really means that the student is going to owe back their tuition and fees, and owe back their housing allowance,” she said. “It’s one of the things that students really need to familiarize themselves with.”
Bobsein said UMGC’s student catalog lists the student responsibilities when it comes to using VA benefits.
“If you withdraw from a class, you are probably going to owe a balance,” she cautioned. “Talk to somebody at the institution, talk to somebody at the VA. Find out what you are going to owe and find out what kinds of payment plans there are to pay that money back.”
UMGC keeps the student’s benefits eligibility certificate on file while the student is enrolled at the university.
“We really want the student to focus on being successful and not worry about if my costs going to get paid this term or not,” she said.
UMGC has a large veterans program which is divided into two distinct offices including the veterans' certifications office which Bobsein oversees.
“We focus on the approval process, getting the claims to the VA and resolving payment issues,” she explained.
UMGC’s Veterans Resource Center staffs a veterans' lounge staffed by two veteran student workers.
“Currently, the virtual lounge is open at Dorsey Station," she said.
To learn more about veteran benefit certification at UMGC, go to the college's website.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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