Inside this Month's Issue:

• Section 1 - Announcements: Updated 2023-2024 GI Bill® & Yellow Ribbon payment rates, health insurance fee waiver, and monthly enrollment verification FAQs
• Section 2 – Knowledge Article of the Month: “Fall 2023 FAQs” 
• Section 3 – Calendar 
• Section 4 –Welcome Back from the AU Veterans Services Team!

Make sure to read News You Can Use Volumes 1 through 20 for other important announcements! 

1. It is time submit your Request for Certification! 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 impact your benefit payment rate. Click here for more information about our certification process!  

2. Remember to waive your health insurance fee! If you are already covered under a health insurance plan and are attending American University as a full-time student, you can login to the Academic Health Plans student portal to waive American University’s mandatory health insurance fee. The deadline to submit a waiver for the 2023-2024 academic year is September 11, 2023. Visit here to obtain proof of insurance under Tricare in order to submit a Health Insurance Waiver. 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. 

3. 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. Please be advised that certifications will not be processed until after the add/drop deadline. This is to account for any changes in enrollment that could impact your VA benefits eligibility. It also means that you should expect to receive your first payment around the 6th and 8th week of the semester. The VA payment will either be sent to you directly or to your student account, 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. 

4. 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 

5. 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. You can also verify your enrollment through your VA.GOV profile. 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! Please remember: the monthly enrollment verification is not the same as the Request for Certification. The Request for Certification is a document internal to American University Veterans Services and the Monthly Enrollment Verification is a Veterans Benefits Administration requirement. Please do not send an email to our office that says “yes” or “no” after the VA texts you to verify your enrollment. You need to respond directly to the VA through text if you opted into the text option.  

6. Veterans Services Support Network: The Department of Student Affairs initiated the Veterans Services Support Network (VSSN) to provide AU's military connected student population (Veterans, current Service-members, and dependents) with the necessary resources and support to achieve their educational goals. Network members will be the principal contacts for these students in their respective departments and will collaborate with one another to ensure that military connected students’ needs are being met and that problems are addressed quickly and effectively. The University recognizes the unique service and sacrifice of our military-connected community and is committed to working together to best SERVE these students through continued initiatives including the Veterans Services Support Network. Learn more about VSSN’s mission here! 

7. Military-Connected Student Organizations: The American University Military-Connected Club is an official chapter of Student Veterans of America (SVA), a 501(c)(3) coalition of student-veteran groups on college campuses across the globe. SVA’s parent chapter is located in Washington, DC. If you are looking for camaraderie, support, advocacy, and a deeper connection with other military-connected students, the AUMCC is perfect for you! You can join AUMCC here. 

 

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Q: I've completed the request for certification, but the VA has not paid tuition yet, why? 

A: We certify your enrollment without tuition and fees prior to the add/drop deadline. This starts your Monthly Housing Allowance and book stipend. After the add/drop deadline, final certifications with tuition and fees are sent in. 

Q: It's after the add/drop deadline, the VA has still not paid, why? 

A: Payments are not "instant" after the deadline. Please allow 3-6 weeks. Late payments are not uncommon. AU will not penalize you for this 

Q: I've called the VA education and training helpline, and they said the funds have been paid. Why is it not showing up in my account? 

A: There are a few days between the time the money is wired, cleared, and posted to your account; the payments may be in "pending" until the money posts to your account. 

Q: I'm a Graduate student enrolled in a program with modular classes; why hasn't the VA paid for all classes? 

A: The VA will not pay until your classes begin. If you have a class in August, then one that starts in October, your classes will not be paid until they begin. 

Q: What is the GI Bill® cap for the 2023- 2024 Academic Year? 

A: $27,120.05 is the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) payment rates for the 2022 Academic Year (August 1, 2023 - July 31, 2024) 

Q: I have a block on my account and cannot register for class because the VA has not paid. What now? 

A: If the VA has not yet paid by the day before your registration opens, please e-mail veterans@american.edu 

Q: I'm using VA benefits and enrolled at AU, but the VA has not yet paid tuition or Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA), why? 

A: You likely have not completed the request for certification. 

Q: What are the new Yellow Ribbon rates for the 2023-2024 Academic Year? 

A: The new Yellow Ribbon rates can be found on our website here and differ depending on your academic program (e.g., undergraduate or graduate) 

Q: Can I use my GI Bill® and Yellow Ribbon? 

A: Yes. But only if you are using Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits at the 100% benefit rate and only after your GI Bill® cap is exhausted for that semester.  

Q: Which is paid first, the GI Bill® or Yellow Ribbon? 

A: The GI Bill® pays first. Once that is exhausted, our office will request Yellow Ribbon funds to be paid from the VA and from the University. You will receive your YR payment in two separate increments on your student bill.  

 

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Don’t miss these important deadlines and upcoming events and very important SAVE THE DATE!

August 22-23 and 31, 2023, 8AM-4PM: American University Resource Fair and the Veterans Lounge Open House. The Veteran's Lounge provides a space for the AU military community to gather for camaraderie and mutual support toward achieving academic objectives. RSVP to the event here! 

August 25, 2023: Washington College of Law Fall classes begin 

August 28, 2023: Fall classes begin for Main Campus 

September 4, 2023: Labor Day, no classes and university offices closed. The Veterans Services office will also be closed this day!  

September 11, 2023: Alexandria, VA National Cemetery Day of Service. Event details here! 

September 11, 2023: Last day to submit Health Insurance Waiver for 2023-2024 Annual charge 

September 11, 2023: Last day to drop a fall course for a 100% without a “W” recorded. Also last day to add a fall course, internship, independent reading, or research project. Any class dropped after this date will be subject to paying a prorated tuition amount for the time you attended that class.  

September 28, 2023: DC Veterans Monthly RoundTable. Registration is free! 

Save the Date for the American University Veterans Day Ceremony! 

Date: Friday, November 10, 2023 

Time and location to be determined! 

 

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The Veterans Services team has been busy this summer! We had the opportunity to travel to some great conferences and network with some outstanding peer institutions and partner organizations. We are excited to use the knowledge and insights we've learned to continusly improve the student experience for our military-connected students. Looking forward to a great Fall semester!

-The Veterans Services Team

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