INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS RECEIVING V.A. BENEFITS
Montgomery G.I. Bill (Active Duty) (Chapter 30)
Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31)
VEAP – Veterans Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 32)
Dependents Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)
Montgomery GI Bill - Selective Reserve (Chapter 1606)
REAP – Reserve Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 1607)
All Students:
A.
Are required to check in with the VA Certifying Official in the Office of the Registrar, 214
Enrollment Services Center, to verify their enrollment before the end of the second week of each term.
Failure to do so may result in termination of benefits.
B.
Must notify the VA Certifying Official when they:
1. Add or drop any course. (Especially partial-term courses)
2. Change address. (Student must also notify the VA directly.)
3. Withdraw from or terminate enrollment at the University.
4. Change graduation date.
5. Change major.
6. Receive notice from the VA that eligibility for benefits has expired.
7. Wish to receive benefits during a summer term.
C.
Credit hour requirements:
Status
Full-time
3/4 time
1/2 time
Less than 1/2
Undergraduate
Semester
12
9-11
6-8
1-5
Summer*
6
5
3-4
1-2
Graduate
Semester
9
7-8
5-6
1-4
Summer*
5
4
3
1-2
*Student status is based on a combination of course meeting dates and credits enrolled.
Please Note:
 Courses meeting for only part of a term (i.e., first 11 weeks, first half term, second half term) count for
benefits only for the portion of the semester in which the course is being taught.
 11.5 credits will not be certified as full-time.
 Repeating a course that was taken either at Iowa State or another institution may result in a retroactive
loss of benefits.
Special Considerations:
A.
Students in the following categories must contact the Veterans Clerks for special instructions:
1. Repeating a course in which the previous grade was a D- or better.
2. Enrolled in any zero credit course such as Math 10 or Chem 50.
3. Enrolled in short courses (certification will only be for actual duration of the course).
4. Exceeding 140 semester hours before receiving the bachelor's degree.
5. Concurrently enrolled at two educational institutions.
B.
Veterans enrolled at less than 1/2 time receive subsistence allowance for tuition and fees only.
(over)
C.
A withdrawal from the University or a course drop may result in retroactive loss of benefits. The
reduction in training time reverts back to the beginning date of enrollment for that semester unless VA
finds mitigating circumstances in the case of withdrawals and drops. VA benefit recipients who drop or
withdraw will be responsible for providing any documentation of mitigating circumstances to the VA.
Mitigating circumstances as defined by VA include:
1. Serious illness of veteran or eligible person.
2. Serious illnesses or death in immediate family.
3. Immediate family or financial obligation that requires a change in terms, hours, or place of
employment.
4. Discontinuance of a course by a school.
5. Active military duty.
6. Veteran or eligible person demonstrates good faith pursuit in the course to point of withdrawal and
submits evidence that, through counseling, an attempt was made to remedy the unsatisfactory
work with withdrawal.
7. Other circumstances hindering progress that are out of the student’s control.
D.
Incomplete (I) grades and non-report (N) grades for both undergraduate and graduate students
must be converted to credit grades within one calendar year or benefits for that course will be
terminated which may result in an overpayment liability. Graduate research courses are excluded from
this provision. Undergraduate incomplete grades are converted to F grades after one year or just prior
to graduation, whichever occurs first.
E.
Non-punitive Grades (grades or marks not calculated into the G.P.A.) A NP (Not Pass) grade
received when taking a course under the P-NP option will be considered nonpunitive and may result in
retroactive loss of benefits received for that course.
F.
Tutorial assistance may be available to students enrolled at least half-time. Contact the Veterans
Clerks listed below for additional information.
Contact Information: (Certifying Officials are available 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday)
VA Clerks
214 Enrollment Services Center
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2011
FAX 515 294-1088

Rebecca Foster
515 294-4036
bafoste@iastate.edu
 Judith Willemsen
515 294-0763
judith@iastate.edu
Luke Jensen
515 294-1842
lbjensen@iastate.edu
Resources:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Regional Processing Office
PO Box 66830
St. Louis, MO 63166-6830
St. Louis VA: 1-888-442-4551 (toll free)
(for questions regarding educational benefits)
Des Moines VA: 1-800-827-1000 (toll free)
(for Voc Rehab & general VA questions)
Story County Veterans Affairs (Federal benefits)
www.storycounty.com/
Chapter 30 and 1606 Monthly Enrollment Verifications: verify your monthly enrollment beginning on the
last day of the current month. If your status is full-time, state you are enrolled for 12 credits (do
not give actual number if you exceed 12 credits).
Iowa National Guard members need to apply each year for tuition assistance at
http://www.iowanationalguard.com/Family%20and%20Services/Education/Pages/TuitionAssistance.aspx
Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE)
https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave/index.do
h:groups\certarea\va\vaform\va info sheet_Jan 2008.doc
Revised: Sept. 2014
or
Interactive Voice Response (IVR):
1-877-823-2378