Veterans Frequently Asked Questions
Veterans Frequently Asked Questions
Students can find answers to frequently asked questions below. If you still have questions, please reach out to vabenefits@udel.edu.
Admissions and Residency
Undergraduate Students: Lorena Trujillo at lorenat@udel.edu
Graduate Students: grad@udel.edu
Professional and Continuing Studies (PCS) Students: continuing-ed@udel.edu
In addition to the Student Residency Classification requirements, and the University's general policies regarding classification, any student actively using the below chapters of VA benefits will be eligible for a residency credit to be added to the account after certification has been completed and, in some cases, benefits have been received. If benefits expire, the student would revert to the out-of-state rate.
- Chapter 33 - The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill®
- Chapter 30 - Montgomery G.I. Bill® Active Duty (MGIB-AD)
- Chapter 35 - Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) Program
- Chapter 31 - Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)
If you are a newly admitted student, enlist in the Delaware Reserve or National Guard, and complete training prior to starting classes, please contact the Registrar’s Office at residency-reclass@udel.edu for more information.
If you feel that you meet any of the guidelines to be reclassified as an in-state student, please review relevant policies and deadlines. You are responsible for completing the reclassification application in advance of the semester in which you are requesting reclassification.
Financial Aid
Even if you are planning on utilizing VA or DOD education benefits to fund your education, we recommend you submit a FAFSA. This will determine whether additional federal financial aid and/or grants are available to you.
Students using certain VA benefits will have a residency credit added to their account either after free drop/add or when the VA funds arrive and are posted. The student will still show as being classified as an out-of-state student but will have this credit applied to assure the benefit is given.
For questions regarding VA or DOD benefits, please email us at vabenefits@udel.edu or call 302-831-0552.
For questions about your financial aid or bill in general, please contact Student Financial Services at sfs-mail@udel.edu or 302-831-2126.
Benefits Usage
| Credits for Full-Time Status |
Undergraduate Students |
Graduate Students |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | 12 | 9 |
| Winter Session | 6 | depends on the program |
| Spring Semester | 12 | 9 |
| Summer Session | depends on the number of weeks of enrollment | depends on the number of weeks of enrollment |
Several graduate degree programs designate a student as full-time even if they are not enrolled in nine credits. If that is the case for your program, please have your advisor email us at vabenefits@udel.edu.
If you are working on your dissertation and you are not enrolled in any credit-bearing courses, we will not be able to certify you for benefits usage, even though you are considered a full-time student. Please contact us as soon as possible at vabenefits@udel.edu if you are in this status.
Yes, in some cases. This amount can be certified under Post-9/11 GI Bill® certification only.
The VA only counts time you are enrolled in school, and it counts this time by taking into account full- or part-time status. A full-time student will use approximately four months of GI Bill® each full semester and less during winter or summer courses. If you are only enrolled in fall and spring courses, your 36 months of benefits should allow you to complete a four-year degree.
Contact the VA via the GI Bill® Hotline (888-442-4551) to verify your remaining amount of benefits or manage your education benefits.
Yes, however, to receive VA benefit payment for a course, it must apply toward the pursuit of the degree. If one course does not count towards the degree plan, that course will not be certified.
The VA requires schools to submit two certifications. The first includes the number of credits in which you are enrolled and whether or not they are in-person or online. The second includes your tuition and fees, if applicable to your chapter. Since tuition and fees can change during the add/drop period, $0 is listed in the initial certification to avoid erroneous payments from the VA for tuition. After the add/drop period concludes, the School Certifying Official will submit an adjusted certification to indicate the accurate tuition amount so that tuition benefits can be sent to the school.
Once a certification requests tuition, it can take two to four weeks for the VA to process and send payment directly to the school.
Please note Chapter 30, Chapter 35 and Chapter 1606 students receive a monthly stipend to their bank account; the VA does not pay your tuition directly to the school.
Yes, please notify our office as soon as possible. Withdrawing from or auditing a course often creates a debt to the student.
The VA determines your MHA based on the monthly Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents and considers the following factors:
- The percentage of Post-9/11 GI Bill® eligibility; students with less than 100-percent eligibility will receive that percentage of MHA.
- Students must attend at a rate of pursuit of more than half time (51 percent or more). For example, if a student is taking nine credits when 12 credits is considered full time, the rate of pursuit is 80 percent (9 divided by 12, rounded to the nearest tenth)
- If you're taking only online classes (also called distance learning):
Students attending classes online will receive the online MHA (half the national average). If a student takes at least one credit on campus, they will be eligible for the in-person MHA. - The campus location where you physically attend most of your classes.
MHA pays behind, is prorated and depends on the factors above. For example, for the fall semester, you would receive your first payment at the end of September or beginning of October.
We are not a traditional Yellow Ribbon school. While students are using certain VA benefits, they may be eligible for a residency credit added to their account bringing tuition down to the in-state rate.
Normally, the letter will give you a few payment options. If you have further questions, contact the VA Debt Management Center at 800-827-0648.
Policies and Student Life
Any student who is a member of a military reserve unit or the National Guard and is activated or called to active duty automatically will be entitled to a full refund of all tuition and fees that they have paid toward the expenses of that academic term. It is the responsibility of the student to present evidence of their activation. Please email us at vabenefits@udel.edu to learn more.
Complete the New Student Application in the Student Accommodation Manager (SAM).
Submit documentation about your disability. You can submit documentation using one of the following methods:
- Attach to your application in SAM.
- Send a fax to 302-831-3261.
- Email dssoffice@udel.edu.
- Mail your application to Office of Disability Support Services:
240 Academy Street
Allison Hall, Suite 130
Newark, DE 19716
Schedule a registration meeting with a DSS Accommodation Coordinator by calling 302-831-4643. During your registration meeting, you will have the opportunity to request any accommodations that were not listed on the application. Students will be eligible for the accommodations for which they are approved as long as they are a student at the University of Delaware.
We would love to have you join Blue Hen Veterans (BHV), a Registered Student Organization (RSO) on campus. BHV is the official Student Veterans of America chapter at UD and seeks to connect veterans of the Armed Forces, Armed Forces Reserve, Armed Forces Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and their family members and dependents from all branches of military service. Find BHV on Student Central or visit the organization in Trabant 157 (next to the University Package Center).
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