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Important Things to Remember

  • Except under certain circumstances, you cannot receive VA Educational Benefits with a Post-Baccalaureate student type.  
  • VA Educational Benefits are applicable to courses that are required for your degree program.  If a requirement is already satisfied, according to the program standards, then it is no longer required for the completion of your degree program. 
    • If a course is approved by the Department as a substitution for a required course, then I must receive written verification from the academic advisor, professional in the department, update in degree works and such like.
  • Changes to your enrollment, schedule, attendance, charges, waivers, financial aid awards (HOPE), degree programs, majors/minors, and such like can affect VA Educational Benefits.  Please be mindful of the requirements for your benefit type.    
  • If the student has extenuating circumstances, causing them to withdraw, please submit a letter explaining the extenuating circumstance(s) and attach supporting documentation to veteransaffairs@clayton.edu.  Please submit prior to withdrawal from course(s). 
  • Sometimes overpayments may result in the student owing additional funds to the Department of Veterans Affairs and/or the University.  Please be mindful of the final charges and the amounts paid on your behalf to determine if overpayments will exist.  
    • Effective January 5, 2021, if Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill® recipients have a change that results in an overpayment for tuition and fees, then VA will collect the tuition and fee debt from the school.  Please understand that the school will require that you pay any outstanding balances.  Sometimes these notices of overpayments may not be sent until a substantial amount of time later.  Unfortunately, payment arrangements for tuition and fee debt may not be applicable.
  • There is no break pay available between terms/semesters.  Benefits for the courses only apply when classes are in session.  Please be mindful when taking ½ session courses, eCore courses, or any other courses with different beginning and ending dates.   
  • When VA Educational Benefits are exhausted during the semester, the amount of benefits may be affected.  Please notify the VA Certifying Official when your benefits are exhausted. 
  • If VA does not pay benefits or the expected amount, it is the student's responsibility to pay any outstanding balances.  Prior to registration, negative balances for previous terms should be paid in full. 
  • For terms beginning prior to August 15, 2019, Hybrid and online courses are considered distance courses according to VA regulations.  For terms beginning after August 15, 2019, Hybrid courses are considered on-campus; online courses are still considered distance  
  • Full time, as it relates to VA Educational Benefits, is as follows
    • Undergraduate Degree Programs: 12 credits or more
    • Graduate Degree Programs: 9 credits or more
    • Short-sessions and Summer courses may differ, in regards to full time, as it relates to VA Educational Benefits.
      Please be mindful that according to the university standard/financial aid standard of full time is still 12 credit hours for undergraduate programs and 9 credit hours for graduate programs.
  • If you do not officially withdraw from a course, but you stop attending classes/stop submitting assignments, then your VA Educational Benefits can be affected.  This may result in you owing money to VA and/or the University.   
  • Clayton State University does not impose penalty to Chapter 33: Post 911 GI Bill® recipients nor Chapter 31: VR&E recipients due to the delayed disbursement of funds from the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Clayton State University allows eligible students to attend scheduled courses and receive on-campus services, provided that the student has submitted a copy of the approval for entitlement to education assistance under Chapter 33 (Certificate of Eligibility/Statement of Benefits) and/or the VR&E Counselor has provided an approval (to include the current term).  The approvals should be submitted to Clayton State University's Office of Financial Aid/Veterans Affairs prior to the fee payment deadline.  While it is our standard procedure to protect Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill® recipients with a Certificate of Eligibility on file through the fee payment deadline, please understand that students with negative balances from previous semesters risk being dropped from courses. 
  • Because Monthly Housing Allowance is given directly to the student, the on-campus housing costs are the student's responsibility.  Payment/payment arrangements must be made prior to move in. 
  • VA Tutorial Assistance: If you are using VA Educational assistance and you’re struggling with the coursework, VA may help you pay for a tutor. Find out how it works by selecting the VA Tutorial Assistance link

Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill® Recipients, please view the updates below:

  • New Process Effective January 5, 2021: In adherence to Section 1019 of regulation changes, If you have a change, which resulted in an overpayment for tuition and fees, then VA will collect the debt from the school.  Please understand that the school will require that you pay any outstanding balances.  VA will copy you onto the correspondence that is sent to the school (via mail).
    • Please understand that sometimes these notices of overpayments may not be sent until a substantial amount of time later.  It is the student's responsibility to pay all outstanding balances.  Unfortunately, payment arrangements for previous tuition and fee debt may not be applicable. 
    • It is our standard procedure to protect Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill® recipients (with a Certificate Of Eligibility on file) from being dropped through the fee payment deadline.  Please understand that students with negative balances from previous semesters risk being dropped from courses. 
  • New Process Beginning Fall 2021: Two Certification Requirement -For the Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, initial enrollment certifications can be submitted prior to the No Show deadline with a $0 Tuition and fee charges.  Then, within 30 days after the school's drop/add period, we will amend the enrollment certification to include Tuition & Fee charges.  This will typically occur after the No Show reinstatements are completed.
    • Please understand how this change may affect Chapter 31: Post 9/11 GI Bill® recipients: Tuition and Fees are sent to the school later; therefore, the outstanding balance may be on the student's account longer.  Please understand that this may delay when the student receives the financial aid refund, if applicable. 
  • New Process Beginning Spring 2022:
    • Students using Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits are required to verify enrollment each month. Failure to verify for two consecutive months will impact their Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) and/or kicker payments. 
    • The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are encouraging students to sign up for text message verification. This will provide students a simple and convenient verification option and ensure they receive MHA and/or kicker payments uninterrupted.  After December 17, 2021, all impacted students with a US mobile phone number on file will receive an opt-in text as their next enrollment period approaches. Note: Students who do not have a US mobile phone number on file with VA will not be able to use text verification. They will be automatically enrolled into email verification.