UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG - UMUC Europe

vEtERAns EduCAtion bEnEFits
UMUC students who are active duty or veterans may be
eligible for educational assistance programs administered by
the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). Information
and application forms may be obtained at local education
centers. Please ask the education counselor for assistance
in applying for VA benefits. Other forms and additional
information can be found on the GI Bill Web site at
www.gibill.va.gov. Students may also contact the VA Office
in Heidelberg for assistance.
APPlying FoR vA bEnEFits
A student who is applying for benefits for the first time
should:
G Complete the DVA form 22-1990 (Application for
Educational Benefits).
G Have the education services officer (ESO) also sign the
22-1990 form, if the student is on active duty.
G Submit a photocopy of his or her DD214 if the student is
a veteran.
G Mail the form(s) to the DVA Regional Office in
Buffalo, NY, or to the UMUC VA Office in Heidelberg.
A student who has already used VA benefits either at another
university or at UMUC must:
G Complete the DVA form 22-1995 (Request for Change of
Program or Place of Training).
G Have the education services officer (ESO) also sign the
22-1995 form, if the student is on active duty.
G Mail the form(s) to the DVA Regional Office in
Buffalo, NY, or to the UMUC VA Office in Heidelberg.
Please note: Submitting your application online using
VONAPP will delay the processing of your benefits.
CERtiFiCAtion PRoCEss
Notification that a student wishes to use VA benefits is a
student’s responsibility and must be submitted through
MyUMUC (my.umuc.edu) each term or session the student is
requesting benefits. UMUC acts as a certifying agent for the
Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA Office in Heidelberg
confirms the course(s) are part of the student’s degree program
and submits DVA form 22-1999, certifying enrollment, to
the DVA Regional Office in Buffalo, NY. Students may view
the status of the processing of their certification through
MyUMUC by selecting “View My Veterans Benefits.” The
primary responsibility of the university is to verify active
enrollment of VA students; it is not to make decisions on
individual claims.
Please note: UMUC Europe students are not eligible for the
VA Advanced Payment program.
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UndERGRAdUATE CATALoG | 2009-2010
Requesting Certification
All students requesting VA benefits must submit their request
for certification each term or session through MyUMUC
(my.umuc.edu).
G Applying for VA Benefits
Students using their VA education benefits must complete
the Apply for Veterans Benefits form each registration period
(Fall, Spring, and Summer) to request that certification
of enrollments be submitted by UMUC to the DVA
Regional Office. To apply, students should a) select
MyAcademics > Veterans Benefits > Apply for Veterans
Benefits; b) indicate the term VA benefits will be used; and
c) complete and submit the certification form.
G Adjusting VA Benefits
Students enrolling in additional classes or enrolling
for classes in Session 2, after submitting a certification
for Session 1, must submit the additional course(s) for
certification. To adjust benefits, students should a) select
MyAcademics > Veterans Benefits > Adjust Veterans
Benefits and b) select the additional course(s).
G Viewing Certification Status
Students may view the status of their certification
requests by selecting MyAcademics > Veterans Benefits >
View My Veterans Benefits. The status may be:
1) pending, the VA Office in Heidelberg has not yet
received the request; 2) received, the VA Office is
reviewing the request; 3) submitted, the certification
was submitted to the DVA Regional Office on the date
indicated; and 4) denied, the course has been denied and
will not be submitted for certification.
vA students from other institutions
Students who are not pursuing UMUC degrees but who
wish to receive VA benefits for UMUC Europe courses must
request written permission (a parent school letter) for each
course from their degree-granting school before enrolling. The
parent school letter must be submitted to the UMUC Europe
VA Office in Heidelberg with the appropriate VA application
and any necessary documentation.
PAymEnts
Most VA payments are made by the Department of Veterans
Affairs directly to students and are calculated in accordance
with federal regulations. Education benefits are paid according
to how the Department of Veterans Affairs views both the
nature of the courses and the course load a student is taking.
Students should check with the UMUC Europe VA Office
in Heidelberg regarding how VA benefits are paid for special
format classes such as distance education and seminars, as