Every GI Bill payment for a term begins with one person on campus who tells the VA what you are taking. Veterans and family members using VA education benefits deal with this office more than any other, so here is what it does, what to bring, and how to keep a dropped class from turning into a debt.
What the certifying official does
The school certifying official, usually called the SCO, works in the registrar's office, the veterans office or the financial aid office, depending on the school. Each term the SCO sends the VA your enrollment, your credits, the dates of your classes and, for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the tuition and fees charged. The VA uses that report to work out what to pay.
Your benefit itself is set by the VA, which also decides your claim. When a payment looks wrong, the SCO can tell you what was reported, and the VA can tell you how it was calculated from that report.
What to hand over at the start
Expect the SCO to ask for your Certificate of Eligibility or Statement of Benefits, the form the school uses to request certification each term, and your degree plan. Some schools also ask for a DD-214 or, for family members, proof that months were transferred. Many schools want the request renewed every term, so a summer class may need its own form.
Only classes that count toward your declared program can be certified. An elective outside the plan, or a repeat of a class you already passed, may go unpaid, so ask the SCO to look over a schedule before you register if anything in it is unusual.
Tell the SCO the same day you make a change so the report goes in quickly and the debt stays small.
Changes, debts and the monthly check-in
When you drop, withdraw, stop attending or move from in-person to online, the SCO has to report it. The VA then recalculates, and money already paid for the part you left can become a debt, sometimes billed to you and sometimes to the school. Tell the SCO the same day you make a change so the report goes in quickly and the debt stays small.
If the change came from something outside your control, such as illness, a family emergency or orders, the VA may accept mitigating circumstances. Write down what happened and keep the paperwork that shows it. Students on several VA programs also confirm their enrollment each month on va.gov to keep housing payments moving, and the SCO can tell you whether that step applies to your benefit.
Steps to take
- Find the SCO's office and hours
- Turn in this term's certification request
- Send your degree plan to the SCO
- Report any dropped class the same day
Who decides
Your school certifying official, and the VA for payment questions
The VA pays from what the SCO reports, so the SCO should hear about every change to your classes first.