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Post-9/11 GI Bill® - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Post-9/11 GI Bill®: Offers higher education and training benefits to veterans, service members, and their families who served after Sept. 10, 2001. Service members and veterans can access this education benefit based on their time in service. Qualifying dependents can receive the benefit via a Transfer of Entitlement.

To use education benefits, students need to declare use in GIBenefits by following these steps each semester:

  1. Register for the term in which the declaration is taking place.
  2. Complete Servicemember/Dependent Information in GIBenefits.
  3. Upload the Certificate of Eligibility via the Upload Document tab.
  4. In the Declare Benefits tab, select the term to declare benefit use, and select YES for the decision.
Temple's two-Step Certification Process

To ensure timely payment of monthly allowances, Temple certifies credit hours prior to the beginning of the term. This step prompts the VA to initiate those payments to students as soon as the term begins.

Because students may change their schedule through the drop/add period, Temple begins certifying the tuition and fee charges to the VA after the drop/add period ends. This is to ensure no overpayments are made in the event a student drops a course. Please note the VA only sends tuition & fees to Temple University. Any meal plan or residence hall charges are financially up to the student to pay prior to the billing deadline.

If a student's time status decreases (from full to part time, for example), the student is responsible for returning excess housing payments to the VA. Temple's automated accounting system may apply payment plan and late fees to a student's account if payment is not received from the VA before such charges are applied to all students with balances due. When the VA funds arrive, and if they cover 100% of the charges, those fees will be removed from the student's account.

If the student's VA benefit is not 100%, the student is responsible for making timely payment of their portion of the bill. If the VA payment does not bring the account balance to zero, the payment plan and late fees will remain.

Yellow Ribbon

Temple University is a participating institution in the Yellow Ribbon Program. This program offsets the charges out-of-state tuition charges for Post 9/11 GI Bill® students at 100% benefits. The institution can contribute up to 50% of the difference in expenses (in-state and out-of-state) and the VA will match the same amount as the institution.  

  • Undergraduate Yellow Ribbon funding is unlimited. Graduate Yellow Ribbon funding is on an annual basis based on each college. Please contact the MVSC to inquire about YR funding for graduate school.
  • Students who are eligible for the In-State Tuition Rate (see below) will NOT be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
In-State Tuition Rate Eligibility

Out-of-state students who are GI Bill® beneficiaries under Chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, and Sections 1606 and 1607 who reside in Pennsylvania are eligible for in-state tuition rate. Students do not have to be using their educational benefits.

  • Military personnel, their spouses, and dependent children who are assigned to an active duty station in Pennsylvania and who reside in Pennsylvania.
  • Civilian personnel, their spouses, and dependent children employed at a Department of Defense facility who are transferred by the Department of Defense and who reside in Pennsylvania.

To get the review process started for receiving an in-state tuition rate, please upload proof of residency to GIBenefits. If students receive an in-state tuition rate per VA Education Benefits, Temple University may review and adjust their financial aid package based on the in-state tuition rate.

STEM Extension Scholarship

The Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship allows eligible Veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill® or dependents using the Fry Scholarship to get added benefits. This scholarship provides up to 9 months (or $30,000) of benefits for training in high-demand fields. Find out if you’re eligible and how to apply. 

Rate of Pursuit

Monthly entitlements are charged based on the rate of pursuit. The (ROP) is calculated by dividing the number of credit hours enrolled, by the number of enrolled credit hours considered to be full-time. Please know that while Temple University may classify you as full-time, the VA may not. Please review this fact sheet as well as the VA Comparison Tool. 

The housing allowance is paid if the student’s rate of pursuit is more than 50%. The rate of pursuit determines whether a student receives or doesn’t receive the housing allowance. If pursuit is more than 50% the student receives the housing allowance. If the rate of pursuit is 50% or less, then the student doesn’t receive the housing allowance. A monthly housing allowance is paid directly to the student at the beginning of each month, for the previous month. The housing allowance is prorated by the student’s length of service percentage. Active-duty personnel receiving Chapter 33 benefits are not eligible for the housing allowance.

There is also a difference between online & in-person housing allowances.

Please verify rates here.

Withdrawal and Punitive Grades

Generally, the VA cannot pay for:

  • Courses you do not attend.
  • Courses from which you withdraw.
  • Courses you complete but receive a grade that will not count towards graduation.

When your school submits changes to your enrollment information, VA must create debts for the amounts paid that are no longer due. VA will create the debt against you and/or your school for these benefits. You may also owe money to your school when you drop classes or withdraw from school. You must promptly notify your school's veteran certifying official and VA when there is any change in your enrollment. This will help minimize your debt. Visit this page to help manage debt. 

VA Approved Programs

CHECK YOUR PROGRAM'S ELIGIBILITY TO RECEIVE VA EDUCATION BENEFITS

The Department of Veterans Affairs has set up lists of programs they have approved for each university, which you can access through their WEAMS Institution Search tool. By using WEAMS (Web Enabled Approval Management System), you'll get information about your academic program's eligibility for VA benefits.

This is an important step: If your program is not listed, VA benefits can't be used to cover costs.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at benefits.va.gov/gibill.