Benefit Description
Recipients may qualify to receive payment of tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, and a book stipend. Recipients can receive up to 36 months of benefits. Recipients who combine this benefit with one or more other Chapter Benefits can receive up to 48 months of total benefits. 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).
Monthly Housing Payments
Monthly Housing Payments are sent directly from the VA to the student (not to the school) via direct deposit. Benefits are paid in arrears (after the training period). For example, a student receives payment for August at the beginning of September. Payment amounts vary annually and are on the Department of Defense (DoD) Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rate for E-5’s with dependents. The amount of this benefit varies from 50% to 100% depending on the length of active duty service. Recipients must have a rate of pursuit of more than 50% to receive the monthly housing allowance. Students enrolled in only distance learning or online courses are only eligible for a monthly housing allowance equal to 50% of the national average of all Basic Allowances for Housing. Payments are prorated for any partial months of attendance (ex. August & December). Payment amounts do not include enrollment break periods (ex. Winter & Summer break).
Book Stipends
Book Stipends are sent directly from the VA to the student (not to the school) via direct deposit. Payment amounts are equal to $41.67 per credit hour up to 24 hours in a single academic year ($1,000 maximum). A lump sum payment is made each semester. These stipends are prorated based upon the percentage of benefit awarded.
Eligibility Requirements
Veterans and Active Duty Service Members
Veterans and active duty service members must have served on active duty since September 11, 2001, and served a minimum of 90 aggregate days (excluding entry level and skill training) or served a period of at least 30 days or received a service connected disability rating.
Transfer of Entitlement
The Transferability Fact Sheet includes all of the eligibility requirements associated with transferring this benefit from a Service Member to their dependent(s).
Fry Scholarship
The Post 9/11 GI Bill®: Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship FAQ includes additional information regarding this benefit.
Additional Information
For questions about this program or how to receive your benefits contact the VA at 888-442-4551.
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.