Educational Benefits: Who is Eligible?
You may be eligible to receive one or more educational benefits from the United States Veterans Administration if you fall within the following definition:
A veteran is a former member of the Armed Forces of the United States (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard) who served on active duty and was discharged under conditions that were other than dishonorable. There is no minimum number of days a student must have served on active duty to be considered a Veteran. However, periods of active duty for training, pursuant to an enlistment in The National Guard or Reserves, does not qualify a student as a Veteran. Former or current members of the National Guard or Reserves are not considered to be Veterans unless they had prior or subsequent service with an active component of the Armed Forces.
Those veterans eligible for educational benefits should make an appointment with a counselor as soon as possible to begin their paperwork. Dependents eligible for VA benefits under a parent's file also should arrange an appointment at their earliest convenience.
Learn more on the Military & Veteran Students page of the Undergraduate Admissions website.
Description of Different Chapter Benefits
Chapter 30: G.I. Bill®
This program is for a veteran who enlisted on or after July 1, 1985, through the present, and who participated in the new educational program.
Chapter 32: Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)
This program is for a person who enlisted after December 31, 1976, and who contributed to the Veterans Educational Assistance program.
Chapter 33: Post-9/11 GI Bill®***
This is a new GI Bill® for individuals who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. Provisions include tuition and fees, basic housing allowance, and a stipend for books and supplies. Veterans eligible for Chapters 30, 1606 or 1607 may elect Chapter 33.
Chapter 35: Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program Benefits
This program is for dependents who are applying for survivors' and dependents' benefits for the first time. In order to qualify, their parents or spouse must have received a 100% disability rating due to a service-connected injury, or their parents or spouse must have died while on active duty or as a result of a service-related condition.
Chapter 1606: Reserve G.I. Bill®
This program is for Reservists who signed at least a six-year contract on or after July 1, 1985, and who have served at least 180 days of active service.
Change of Information
Any Veteran student who has changed information pertinent to his/her receipt of benefits (e.g. address change, telephone number change, or a change in course load), should notify the Penn State Brandywine Student Aid Office in the Main Building, Suite 105 immediately.
Deferred Tuition
Veteran students in degree status are granted the privilege of deferring tuition during their first term. Deferments can be obtained from the Bursars office located in Suite 105 Main building. Please remember that tuition deferment is a privilege, and tuition must be paid by the next semester registration deadline in order to register for that semester. Timely payment will help to ensure that this privilege exists for all future first-semester Veteran students.
Military Credits
If you are designated as a degree-seeking student, you may be eligible to receive physical education credits or health credits for your time in the military. It is necessary to have served for more than one year on active duty and to have obtained an Honorable Discharge.
(GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.)
