The Office of Financial Aid at Ave Maria University proudly serves as the School Certifying Official for VA Educational benefits. We are ready to assist active service duty members, veterans, and their eligible dependents and spouses in obtaining their educational benefits by providing guidance and enrollment certifications. The Principals of Excellence are guidelines provided to educational institutions receiving federal funding. Ave Maria University will: 

• Designate a point of contact for academic and financial advisement. 
• Provide a personalized and standardized form detailing the total cost of educational programs. 
• Provide transparency regarding other forms of federal financial aid and eligibility. 
• End fraudulent and aggressive recruiting techniques and misrepresentation of benefits. 
• Obtain approval of the institution’s accreditation agency for new course or program offering prior to enrolling students in such courses. 
•  Have a policy in place that allows service members and reservists to be re-admitted if they must withdraw due to service requirements. 
• Align institutional refund policies with those under Title IV. 
• Provide educational plans for all beneficiaries. 

 How to request enrollment certification to the VA: 

• Apply for your benefit: You must apply for your VA education benefit to receive a VA issued Certificate of Eligibility (COE). The COE will be addressed to the student and the student will receive the COE via mail.  

• Send us your Certificate of Eligibility (COE): If you are using VA Educational benefits for the first time, email your COE to Amufinancialaid@avemaria.edu.  

• Register for your classes: Immediately, following registration, submit the VA Educational Benefits Certification Request form. Required each term to receive benefit payments.

• After the Office of Financial Aid submits enrollment: You will receive a VA confirmation email, stipends are generated, and your award letter is mailed from the VA to your permanent address. 

• For Post 9/11 and CH 31 VR&E students: An anticipated VA tuition and fee payment will post to your bill. This is an estimate until we receive actual payment from the VA, and it is subject to change. 

• Student’s using Post 9/11, Chapter 30 (MGIB – AD), and Chapter 1606 (MGIB – SR): Must verify enrollment monthly with the VA. 
• CH 33 Post 9/11 Verification 
• CH 30 & CH 1606 Verification 

• You will receive monthly stipends: Via direct deposit from the VA on the first day of the following month after the term has started. For questions concerning stipends, refer to your mailed VA award letter or contact the GI Bill® Hotline at 1-888-442-4551. 

Types of VA Educational Benefits accepted at Ave Maria University 

• Chapter 30/1606: Montgomery GI Bill®- Active Duty and Reservist 

The Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) program offers up to 36 months of education and training benefits. If you are a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard, you may be eligible for this benefit. If you are using these benefits for the first time complete the online application. 

• Click the following link to view current benefit rates: Benefit Payments 
• Remember to verify your attendance each month by visiting here or by calling the VA’s toll-free Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone line at 1-877-823-2378. 
• You will receive your benefit payment the first day of the following month. Please be aware that partial months of attendance are pro-rated. If you turn in your Request for Certification after the deadline set by the VA Coordinator, it could cause your monthly stipend to not come on time. 
• These types of benefits are sent directly to the student and will not be paid to Ave Maria University. 

How to Apply? 

Montgomery GI Bill®- Active Duty and Reservist  

• Chapter 31- Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation for a service-related disability 

Eligibility for Chapter 31, Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation, is determined by the Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation counselor. Once Chapter 31 benefits have been approved, the school will be sent an authorization form to complete. The student Bursar’s Office will be notified for billing purposes. 

How to apply? 

Apply for Veteran Readiness and Employment with VA Form 28-1900 

• Chapter 33- Post 911 GI Bill®- Veterans Educational Assistance Act 

For individuals who served on active duty on or after 09/10/01 and have an honorable discharge. Service members and their dependents may be eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill®. Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill® students may be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program.   

Tuition and fees payment: 

Private School Tuition & Fee Cap– Since August 1, 2012, the VA has placed a tuition and fees cap on all private universities known as the “VA cap payment.” The cap does not include housing stipends or books and supplies stipends. The VA will directly send payment of the certified amount to the office of the Bursar for Undergraduate students who meet eligibility requirements. Tuition and mandatory fees not covered by the Cap may be covered through the Yellow Ribbon Program. 

• VA will only pay mandatory university fees and courses applicable to a degree program. Mandatory Fees include Enrollment Fee, Orientation Fee, Laboratory Fees, Athletic Fee, Technology Fee, Student Life Fee. 
• Any tuition and/or fee specific award(s) must be deducted from the amount certified to the VA, such as the Florida Effective Access to Student Education Grant (EASE). 

Housing Stipends: 

• The VA also provides a Monthly Housing Stipend for every month the student is enrolled. The payment will be sent directly to the student’s account by direct deposit on the first of each month if the student verifies his/her enrollment at the end of each month.  
• Enrollment must be verified monthly. Visit the GI Bill® Enrollment Verification for more information regarding the Enrollment Verification Process. 
• Students will receive a monthly stipend payment if they are not active duty or an active-duty spouse. The monthly stipend can be viewed using the GI Bill® Comparison Tool. 
• Online students must be enrolled more than Half time to receive the housing stipend. 

Books and Supplies Stipend: 

• The books and supplies stipend is paid directly to the student. It pays $41.67 per credit hour, up to $1,000 per academic year. Note that this is based on 100% eligibility. If eligibility is below 100%, the stipend will be pro-rated. 

How to apply 

Apply for Educational Benefits 

• Chapter 35- Survivors/Dependents Educational Assistance 
• For dependents of a veteran who is 100% disabled or who has died from a service-related injury or illness. For eligibility questions, visit https://www.va.gov/education/survivor-dependent-benefits/dependents-education-assistance/. 

• The VA will directly deposit the monthly stipend on the first day of the month. The VA does not issue payment to the university for tuition and fees. For partial months of attendance payments are pro-rated. 

How to apply 

Complete the online application for eligible dependents.  

Yellow Ribbon Program 

Ave Maria University participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. It can help you pay for higher private school tuition and fees that the Post-9/11 GI Bill® does not cover.  

We are a private school. For private schools, the VA sets a yearly maximum tuition and fee amount, often referred to as the “VA cap payment,” which is paid toward applicable tuition and fees each year. Once the yearly cap payment is exhausted, Yellow Ribbon payments begin. Under the Yellow Ribbon Program, AMU (Ave Maria University) will match the VA’s 50% Yellow Ribbon contribution, resulting in $0 balance for applicable tuition and fees. Students are responsible to pay room, meals, and parking. 

Who is eligible? 

To be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program (YR): 

• You must be an undergraduate student. 
• You must be approved by the VA to receive Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits at the 100% level. For questions concerning your eligibility percentage visit, https://www.va.gov/resources/how-we-determine-your-percentage-of-post-911-gi-bill-benefits/. 
• You cannot be active duty or an active-duty spouse using transferred benefit. 
• You must remain in good academic standing with Ave Maria University. Ave Maria University is not required to continue making Yellow Ribbon contributions if a student is not making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). 

How to apply for Yellow Ribbon? 

There is no separate Yellow Ribbon application. Once you reach your annual cap, which typically happens during the Spring or Summer terms, the School Certifying Official will certify your enrollment requesting the Yellow Ribbon benefit.  

Tuition Assistance 

The Department of Defense (DoD) Tuition Assistance (TA) program provides financial assistance to service members for voluntary off-duty education programs in support of professional and personal self-development goals. TA is available for courses offered in the classroom or by distance learning and part of an approved academic degree or certificate program.  

Active-duty service members can receive TA at a rate of $250 per credit cap with an annual ceiling of $4,500. TA policies and procedures are specific to each branch. 

Eligible service members must receive approval from an Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within the military service prior to enrolling. 

To apply for and use TA for your branch of service click on your branch’s link below and follow the steps provided. 

Voluntary education websites: 

• ARMY TA 
• USMC TA 
• Navy TA 
• Air Force TA 
• Coast Guard TA 

 Statement of Responsibilities for use of VA Educational Benefits   

(This document is on our website now. Please replace it with this one as some minor changes were made.) 

It is imperative to understand that The Ave Maria University’s School Certifying Official (SCO) is not a representative of the military or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Similarly, Academic Advisors are not VA Certifying Officials. 

 In order to obtain/retain Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Educational Benefits I agree to:  

1. Submit the Veteran Enrollment Certification Request form every semester electronically to the Office of Financial Aid.
2. Inform the SCO of any changes in academic status such as: add/drop of classes, completely withdrawing from classes, change of program/major, academic dismissal, or concurrent enrollment at another institution. 
3. Register for classes required for completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree-seeking program, minor.
4. Make satisfactory progress towards the completion of my declared undergraduate or graduate degree seeking program, minor, or subject certificate. Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.
5. Authorize the SCO to release information from my student record to the Veterans Administration. 

 Understand the following:  

1. Receiving an “F” grade due to non-attendance may result in an overpayment with the VA. I must adhere to Ave Maria University’s Attendance Policy. 
2. The VA does not pay for repeated courses if I have already received a passing grade for that course, unless my degree plan requires a higher grade than I received. 
3. I must have a declared degree, minor. 
4. Receipt of a non-punitive grade will be reported to the VA, and it could affect my benefits, which I may have to repay to Ave Maria University. (Example grades: “W,” “F,” “I”). 
5. Academic dismissal or probation will be reported to the VA if benefits were received for the course, and I may have to repay benefits received. 
6. The VA will not pay for classes that do not pertain to my declared degree, minor, or subject certificate. 
7. Any changes made to my schedule after I have been certified could result in having to reimburse the VA for benefits already received. 

It is important to understand that each chapter has its own requirements that must be fulfilled to continue receiving benefits through the VA.  

• Chapter 31 and 33 students: I understand the GI Bill® payments for tuition and fees do not take effect until after the semester begins. Although my benefit will appear as “anticipated aid” on my bill my payment will remain as estimated until actual payment is received. I understand I am responsible for all outstanding balances that are placed on my account. I also understand it is my responsibility to be aware of all payment deadlines.
• Chapters 30, 35, and 1606: I understand that I must make a payment for my tuition and fees or enroll in a payment plan prior to payment deadlines. I understand that I must verify enrollment on the last day of every month of the semester by calling 1(877) 823-2378 or through the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) online at https:www.gibill.va.gov/wave. Non-compliance may result in termination of my benefits.