Financial Aid

What types of GI Bill Programs can be used at PSC?

PSC’s Office of Veterans Affairs coordinates processing for the following:

• The Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) for those who enlisted after July 1, 1985
• The Selected Reserve Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 1606), part of the GI Bill effective July 1, 1985
• The Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Chapter 31) for disabled veterans approved by the US Department of Veterans Affairs for study at PSC
• The Dependents Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 35) for children of deceased or disabled veterans

Do the State’s Illinois Veterans Grant (IVG), Illinois National Guard Grant (ING), or Missing in Action/Prisoners of War (MIA/POW) cover books or lab fees?

The state’s programs listed above pays tuition and fees for either undergraduate or graduate study at all Illinois public colleges and universities. Unfortunately, state grants are not available for books or lab fees.

I am not sure which GI Bill program I am eligible for. Where can I find more information about my eligibility?

If you’re not sure what your benefits are, contact the US Department of Veterans Affairs office in St. Louis at (888) 442-4551; follow the menu instructions and you will be connected with a counselor. You also can request information from www.gibill.va.gov.

I’ve never used my benefit before. Do I need to apply to use it? What form does the US Department of Veterans Affairs require?

Depending on the benefit that you are eligible for, the US Department of Veterans Affairs requires that students fill out one of the forms listed below to initiate the application process. You can complete these application forms electronically at www.gibill.va.gov, or you may obtain paper forms.
The application forms are:

• VA 22-1990 Application for Veterans Education Benefits
• VA 22-5490 Application for Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance

What documents are required the required military documents required to apply for veterans benefits?

• Member-4 copy of their DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) for each period of service
• DD-2384, Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE) from the Education Officer at their unit (National Guard and Reservist Only)
• Marriage certificate, birth certificate, adoption decree, guardianship papers, and/or proof of the applicant’s physical, mental, or developmental disability. Verification of the federal 100 percent service connected disability rating or, if the veteran is deceased, verification from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs that the veteran’s death is service connected, or verification that the veteran has been determined by Congress to be an MIA/POW.

What form does PSC require to start up my veterans educational benefits form?

Once you have completed your veterans required educational benefit application forms, you should contact our office at (708) 709-3562 to make arrangements to complete the certification process. You will need to bring your:

• VA Application or Request of Place/Training
• A copy of your member 4 section of their DD Form 214
• A DD Form 2384, Selected Reserve Educational Assistance Program, and Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE) for those who are Select Reservist.
• All previous transcripts with a PSC Evaluation Form.
• A copy of your current class schedule

What is monthly certification? Do I need to do this while I am enrolled?

If you are currently receiving veterans benefits at PSC you must:

• Submit your final class schedule to the veterans affairs advisor at PSC.
• Submit a Rights and Responsibility form with your class schedule. 
• You also must tell the US Department of Veterans Affairs each month that you are enrolled to certify your enrollment. You can do this by using the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) from www.gibill.va.gov/wave or by calling the toll-free Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone line at (877) 823-2378.

Do I need to enroll full-time?

You do not have to be enrolled full-time. However, your training time/enrollment (i.e. full-time, half-time, etc.) does affect the amount the US Department of Veterans Affairs pays. If attendance is less than a month or less than full-time, payments are reduced proportionately. Different payment rates can be found on the US Department of Veterans Affairs Web site at www.gibill.va.gov or by calling their toll free number at (888) 442-4551.

How is my monthly payment determined?

Your monthly payment is determined by your enrollment level and your monthly eligibility. You can see current payment rates at the US Department of Veterans Affairs Web site, by following the path to “Payment Rates” under the Education Benefit section of the Web site at www.gibill.va.gov or you can call the US Department of Veterans Affairs office in St. Louis toll-free at (888) 442-4551.

Can my GI Bill be applied directly to my tuition?

Currently only veterans who receive benefits under the Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Chapter 31) or Post 9/11 can have GI Bill payments made to their tution. PSC invoices the US Department of Veterans Affairs the cost of your tuition and fees. The payment is received by the school and applied to your tuition account. Please note: Under Post 9/11, some students may not qualify for 100% tution payment. Please make payment arrangents accordingly.

If you are eligible to receive benefits under Montgomery GI BILL (Chapter 30), DEA (Chapter 35), Select Reserve GI Bill (Chapter 1606), REAP (Chapter 1607), or VEAP (Chapter 32) payment cannot be applied directly to your tuition account. Benefits are paid directly to the student to be used toward educational costs.

Can I receive federal financial aid to assist with other educational expenses?

Most state and federal veteran educational programs can be used in conjunction with federal student financial aid to cover your cost of attendance. Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step in determining your eligibility for additional grants, loans, and work-study.

I heard about the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, effective August 1, 2009. Where can I find more information?

The New GI Bill: The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008/Post 09/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) is effective August 1, 2009. This program provides comprehensive educational benefits to veterans who served after September 11, 2001. Some of its features include:

• Amount of tuition and fees charged, not to exceed the most expensive in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution of higher education (paid to school)
• Monthly housing allowance equal to the basic allowance for housing
• Yearly books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per year
• Please note that many details about this program and its implementation are not yet available.

How do I contact the US Department of Veterans Affairs?

You can find more information at www.gibill.va.gov. The US Department of Veterans Affairs has a preliminary PDF fact sheet available for printing, and has more information in their Education Benefit FAQ. Additional information is available at education.military.com/money-for-school/gi-bill/new-gi-bill-overview. You also can call the toll-free number (888) 442-4551

How do I contact PSC’s Veterans Affairs Department?

You can contact us at (708) 709-3562 or e-mail.

Can active-duty or reserve military students removed from school due to deployment overseas return without penalty?

If a student is called to active duty, they must provide a copy of their deployment documents to the Enrollment Services Office.  The student completes withdrawal forms and is dropped without penalty for tuition and fees for the semester. Next, the student meets with the Veteran Affairs Coordinator to review educational benefits documents.  When the student returns, they are reinstated to the same financial and academic standing that was current at the time of their deployment.