Veteran Student Guide
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, as well as state and local government, offers a number of educational assistance programs for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and their dependents. Based on the time and length of service, as well as current status, veterans can be eligible for one or more of these programs.
Please note: All students, regardless of what benefits they believe they may be eligible for, should complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year.
How to receive benefits at University of Bridgeport as a new student
Apply for your benefits with the VA. If you have used your VA educational benefits elsewhere prior to University of Bridgeport, please also complete a Request for Change of Program or Place of Training, VA Form 22-1995.
For all Chapters excluding Ch. 31 (VR&E): Provide your VA certificate of eligibility for benefits to University of Bridgeport’s VA Certifying Official and to your school’s financial aid office. (See contact information below.)
Complete a Veterans Request for Certification form to receive benefits at University of Bridgeport.
If you are receiving benefits under Ch. 33 (the Post-9/11 GI Bill®), you do not need to take any additional action to be certified. Tuition and fees payments will be sent directly to University of Bridgeport on your behalf; all other stipends and payments (e.g. housing, books stipend) will be sent to you.
If you are receiving benefits under Ch.30 or Ch.1606, you must verify your enrollment each month with the VA via the Web Automated Veteran’s Enrollment (WAVE) system. Benefits will be sent directly to you (whether via paper check or direct deposit), and you are responsible for transferring any of these payments to University of Bridgeport.
If you are receiving benefits under Ch. 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E), provide your VA Form 28-1905 to University of Bridgeport’s VA Certifying Official and to your school’s financial aid office. (See contact information below.) As part of the program, the VA covers the cost of necessary tuition, books, fees, and supplies. Given this, the VR&E Program will allow the purchase of all required textbooks and related items.
Optional or suggested/recommended items are not automatically allowable purchases. VR&E does not pay for classes or supplies that are not required for the Veterans approved a program unless the VR&E Counselor has provided prior approval on a VA Form28-1905. The Veteran will be responsible for paying the school for any items that do not meet the aforementioned guidelines.
How to receive benefits as a continuing student
Each term, in which you would like to receive VA benefits at University of Bridgeport, you must submit a Veterans Request for Certification form.
Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship for students training in high demand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. The Rogers STEM Scholarship application is now available at va.gov.
Recipients will receive up to nine months of additional Post-9/11 GI Bill® entitlement or a maximum of $30,000. Eligible Post-9/11 GI Bill® students must have either exhausted their entitlement or will exhaust their entitlement within 180 days. Eligibility for the scholarship has two paths:
- A student enrolled in a STEM program leading to an undergraduate degree who has completed 60 credit hours of their program and requires at least 120 semester (or 180 quarter) credit hours to graduate.
- A student who has earned a STEM undergraduate degree and has enrolled in a teaching certification program.
For additional information, please visit the Rogers STEM Scholarship website or contact VA’s Education Call Center by phone at 1‑888‑442‑4551.
Resources
The following websites are excellent resources for Veteran’s to review some of their benefits:
Career resources
Education resources
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official US government Web site at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Contact information
The Veterans Certification of Benefits Request Form is available here