Benefit Description

Recipients may qualify to receive payment for tuition and fees, a subsistence allowance, books and supplies. The Veterans Readiness counselor will determine the number of months of the veteran’s Chapter 31 Benefit eligibility. A recipient’s benefit amount is affected by their rate of pursuit (number of credit hours being taken divided by the number of credit hours considered to be full-time).

VA tuition and fee payments are paid directly to Tarleton State University and are applied as a 3rd party payment to the student’s billing account. Students must notify the Veterans Services Office if their VA chapter benefits will exhaust during the semester in which benefits have been requested as this may result a reduced tuition and fee payment from the VA.

The VA will not pay for the following:

  • Tuition and fees which are already being paid by other forms of financial assistance specifically intended to pay tuition and fees (ex. Tuition Assistance, Peace Officer Exemptions, ROTC tuition payments, tuition scholarships, etc.).
  • The portion of Program Fees which consist of charges for travel, food, or lodging. Contact your academic department to inquire about the existence of any such fees.
  • Non-resident tuition. Please contact our office for information regarding how to have non-resident tuition waived.
  • Fees for installment plans, excessive hours, courses repeated three or more times, late registration, course re-instatement, dorms, meal plans, supplies, and student fault fees (ex. parking tickets, library fines, etc.). Visit the Office of Business Services for details about these fees.
  • Courses which are not required for a student’s degree plan.
  • Courses which are repeated for which the student has already earned an acceptable grade (as determined by their degree). This includes courses that are being repeated under terms of academic probation, to raise the student’s GPA for graduation, and to raise the student’s GPA for acceptance into a new program (ex. going from Pre-Nursing to Nursing).
  • Courses from which the student withdraws or drops (the VA may pay part, but not all of the cost of such courses).

Students receiving Chapter 31 must submit a current VA Form 28-1905 upon expiration of an existing VA Form 28-1905.

Eligibility Requirements and Applying for Chapter 31

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) is for veterans who have a service-connected disability. Interested applicants need to meet with a VA counselor to apply for Chapter 31 benefits, or apply online. The basic period of eligibility in which VR&E services may be used is 12 years from the date of separation from active military service or 12 years from the date the veteran was first notified by VA of a service-connected disability rating. Once the VA has determined a veteran’s eligibility, the VA Counselor will send authorization via a VA form 28-1905 to the Veteran Services Office to certify enrollment.

Additional Information

For questions about this program or how to receive your benefits contact the VA at 888-442-4551.