Inside this Month's Issue

Section 1 - Announcements: Spring 2024 registration readiness, account balances, and monthly enrollment verification FAQs

Section 2 – Knowledge Article of the Month: “Why Hasn’t the VA Paid Yet?”

Section 3 – Calendar: Check out these upcoming events and important dates!

Section 4 – AU Veterans Spotlight: Meet Joshua McDaniel! A Navy Veteran and newest member of the Veterans Services Work-study team!

 

Make sure to read News You Can Use Volumes 1 through 21 for other important announcements

 

1. Don’t forget to submit your Request for Certification for Fall 2023 and Term 4! 

 

Did you already submit your Request for Certification to the American University Veterans Services Office? If so, then you are on track to receive your VA education benefits in a timely manner! Please be advised that final certifications for Post 9/11 GI Bill® recipients will not be processed until after the add/drop deadline. This is to account for any changes in enrollment that could directly impact your benefit payment rate. Click here for more information about our certification process!  

1. The Health Insurance Waiver deadline has passed!

The deadline to submit a waiver for the 2023-2024 academic year was September 11, 2023. The health insurance fee is your responsibility to reconcile. If you are receiving Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill® Benefits, you can also request to use your education benefits to cover the cost of the health insurance fee. Please note, this amount will be deducted from your GI Bill®/Yellow Ribbon cap. Please email veterans@american.edu if you would like to include your health insurance charge in the tuition and fees amount requested from the VA. 

1. Are you seeing an amount due on your student account?
   1. Don’t Panic! If you submitted your Request for Certification for Chapter 33 (Post-9/11) or Chapter 31 (VR&E) benefits, your VA education benefits are pending approval and will be dispersed in a timely manner. The add/drop deadline has passed (September 11,2023), so Phase 2 of certifications is currently underway! This means that you should expect to receive your first payment in early/mid October. Also, if you are receiving MHA, you should be expecting your first MHA payment on October 1. The VA payment will either be sent to you directly or to your student account in Eagle Service, depending on VA education benefit type. For more information on VA education benefits, check out these helpful FAQs about different types of Veterans education benefits.
   2. If you are a Chapter 1606, Chapter 30, or Chapter 35 beneficiary, you need to reconcile your student bill as soon as possible. Late fees will be charged to your account if payments are not made on time. There is still time to set up a payment plan through the Student Accounts office. The deadline to set up a 3-month payment plan is September 15, 2023. 
   3. ATTENTION: If you have a balance from a class that starts later in the semester, the VA will not send a payment until after the add/drop deadline for that course.
2. Did you miss the Veterans’ Lounge?

The Veterans’ Lounge is designated for all military-connected students. For access, please email veterans@american.edu from your AU email. Access to the Veterans’ Lounge is typically granted in 2-3 business days.

1. Still not sure how monthly enrollment verification works?

If you have not received an opt-in text message from the VA to verify your enrollment at the end of each month, please contact the GI Bill ® hotline at: 888-442-4551 to verify that your cell phone information is on file and to opt-in to the text message monthly verification option before this requirement goes into effect at the end of January 2022.Those who fail to verify their enrollment for two consecutive months will have their Monthly Housing Allowance and kicker payments put on hold. If you want to learn more, you can read the Veterans Affairs’ blog post about these changes or you can read News You Can Use Volume 6!

 

Back to Top

Wondering why the VA still hasn’t paid? Review the following scenarios to learn more about how VA benefit payments are dispersed and why your payment might be delayed.  

 

Scenario 1: You have completed the request for certification process but are not being paid by the VA. 

The VA office certifies enrollment without tuition and fees before the add drop deadline. This will start the monthly housing allowance. Once the add drop deadline is reached the final certifications with tuition and fees are sent. 

 

Scenario 2: It is after the add drop deadline and the VA still hasn’t paid 

Payments from the VA are not automatic or instant after the add drop deadline. Allow for 3-6 weeks, late payments are not uncommon either, AU will not penalize for this.  

 

Scenario 3: You checked with the VA, and they have said the funds have been paid, but the payment is not showing up on the account. 

It takes a few days for the money to be wired and posted to your account. It might be pending until it posts.

  

Scenario 4: The VA hasn’t paid for all of my classes. Why?

The VA will not pay until 2-4 weeks after the add/drop deadline for your course start date has passed. You can view a schedule of the add/drop deadline on the 2023-2024 academic calendar. For courses that fall outside of the traditional academic calendar schedule, such as skills institute courses, please refer to this link to calculate add/drop dates.

 

Scenario 5: My tuition is $28,808.50. Why didn’t the VA pay my tuition in full? 

The GI Bill® cap for 2023-2024 is $27,120.05 for the Post 9/11 GI Bill® Chapter 33 benefits at a 100% eligibility rating. If you have an eligibility rating that is less than 100% (50%-90%), then you will only be receiving a percentage of the GI Bill® cap. You can review those payment rates here  

 

Scenario 6: There is a block on your account and cannot register for class because the VA hasn’t paid. 

If the VA hasn’t paid by the day of registration, please reach out to us @ Veterans@american.edu. 

 

Scenario 7: I’m using my VA benefits and enrolled at AU, but the VA has not paid tuition or the Monthly Housing Allowance. 

You have most likely not completed the request for certification. 

CH 1606, CH 30, and CH 35 beneficiaries 

For Chapter 1606, Chapter 30, and Chapter 35 recipients, your funds will not show on your account. The reason for this is because the funds are paid directly to you and not to the university.  

 

Back to Top

October 2, 2023: Schedule of Classes for Spring and Winter Intersession published; Last day to withdraw from a Fall A course or change a grade option for term programs and online programs in SOC, SPA, CAS, and OGPS

October 7-9, 2023: AU Family Weekend! 

October 13, 2023: Fall Break; no classes, university offices open

October 13-16, 2023: WCL Fall Break - Administrative offices open; no classes

October 22, 2023: Online Programs in SOC, SPA, CAS, and OGPS - Fall A classes end.

October 23, 2023: Online Programs in SOC, SPA, CAS, and OGPS; Fall B classes begin and Payment due for Fall B classes.

October 24, 2023: On-Campus Programs; Last day to apply for fall graduation and registration for Spring 2023 begins!

October 29, 2023: Last day to drop a Fall B course for a 100% refund and without a “W” recorded for online programs in SOC, SPA, CAS, and OGPS

October 23, 2023: On-Campus Programs - Spring priority registration for graduate students begins; Last day to apply for fall graduation; and Winter Intersession registration begins

October 26, 2023: On-Campus Programs - Spring priority registration for undergraduate students begins

 

Back to Top

Joshua McDaniel is an undergraduate student in the School of International Service and is a new addition to the VA work-study team. Joshua grew up in a military family and decided to enlist in the United States Navy after graduating high school in 2017. He spent four years in the Navy and was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland as a signals intelligence analyst. After being honorably discharged in 2021, Joshua enrolled at American University and will be graduating in 2024.

"Joshua has been a great addition to the VA Work Study Administrative team quickly learning the VA Education benefits process and offering ideas and insights to make the student experience for our VA beneficiaries even better. We are glad to have Josh on the team!" Alicia Marsh-Associate Director, Veterans Services 

Return to top