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Veterans Assistance

supporting veterans at fhu

At Freed-Hardeman University, we strive to provide services that are veteran friendly! If you have any questions that are not answered below, please contact the Registrar’s Office at 731-989-6456 for further information.

How do I determine if I am eligible for Educational Benefits through the VA?

The best way to determine your eligibility is to apply for your benefits online at the VA ebenefits site. You may also visit the nearest VA regional office, visit benefits.va.gov/gibill/, or call toll-free at 1-888-442-4551 (1-888-GIBILL-1) for more information about educational benefits.

How do I claim my VA benefits?

If you are a veteran looking to use your VA educational benefits, you should first go online and apply for those benefits. If you are transferring your benefits to a dependent, you should first contact the VA to complete the transfer, and then have the dependent go online and apply for their transferred benefits.

Once the application is complete, the VA will issue the recipient a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE). This will detail how many months the recipient is eligible for and at what pay rate. The CoE should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

If the veteran is no longer on active duty, a copy of Copy-4 of their DD-214 paperwork should be submitted along with the Certificate of Eligibility. This paperwork is used to build the student’s VA file in the Registrar’s Office.

What are the different Chapters of Benefits?

(All descriptions taken from benefits.va.gov)

Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty – For active duty members who enroll and pay $100 per month for 12 months and are then entitled to receive a monthly education benefit once they have completed a minimum service obligation.

Chapter 31: Vocational Rehabilitation – Veterans are eligible if they

  • Have received, or will receive, a discharge that is other than dishonorable,
  • Have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10% from VA,
  • Apply for Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment services

Chapter 32: Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) – VEAP is available if you elected to make contributions from your military pay to participate in this education benefit program. The government matches your contributions on a 2-for-1 basis.

Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill® – If you have at least 90 days of aggregate active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001, and are still on active duty, or if you are an honorably discharged Veteran or were discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days, you may be eligible for this VA-administered program. Chapter 33 students are also eligible for a monthly housing stipend and a book stipend.

Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill® – Yellow Ribbon Program – The Yellow Ribbon Program applies for all individuals who are receiving benefits under Ch. 33 and are at a 100% pay rate. If you meet those qualifications and your Comprehensive Charge is higher than the VA private tuition limit, the VA will cover half of your unmet Comprehensive Charge and FHU will cover the other half. This does not apply to Room and Board costs.

Chapter 35: Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) – There are two main GI Bill® programs offering education assistance to survivors and dependents of Veterans:

Chapter 1606: Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve – For Reservists with a six-year obligation in the Selected Reserve who are actively drilling.

Chapter 1607: Reserve Educational Assistance Program – REAP provides educational assistance to members of the Reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency declared by the president or Congress.

When are benefits certified?

Each semester, the student will be asked to complete a worksheet for the Registrar’s Office verifying their major, indicating the number of hours to certify, and informing the student of their VA rights and responsibilities. These worksheets will be collected and enrollment will be certified with the VA immediately following our Add/Drop date. Enrollment will not be certified without a completed worksheet.

Can I use other Financial Aid options along with my VA benefits?

Yes. You can still receive additional financial aid to supplement your VA benefits. For VA purposes, tuition and fees must be reported after first subtracting out any scholarships or institutional aid specifically designated for tuition and fees. If the aid can be applied to any part of the student’s account (books, room, board, etc.), it does not have to be subtracted from the amount reported to the VA.

Does the money go directly to my FHU student account?
  • Ch. 33 students – your tuition/fee money is sent directly to the school by the VA. Book and housing stipends will be deposited to the personal account you provide to the VA.
  • Ch. 31 students – your Voc. Rehab. counselor will send paperwork to FHU verifying your costs. Upon verification, your payments will be sent directly to FHU.
  • All other students – your payments will be sent to the personal account your provide to the VA. It is then your responsibility to pay your student account balance at FHU.

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