VA Educational Benefits and Military TUITION ASSISTANCE

Step 1

Apply for admission at Bushnell University.

Step 2

If you have never used veteran educational benefits before, submit directly to the VA Form 22-1990 Application for Education Benefits through the VA Education Benefits page. They will process your application with either a denial or a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). Bushnell University requires you to be approved from the VA to use Educational Benefits in order to certify your semester.

If you have used educational benefits from the VA before, reapplication is not necessary unless you are switching between benefit types. Connect with a School Certifying Official to discuss timing and paperwork requirements for changing chapters.

Step 3

For first time Bushnell Students: fill out the Enrollment forms during the admissions process and select the option to use your veteran educational benefits at Bushnell University. You will receive an email from registrar@bushnell.edu with information about using your benefit here, as well as contact information in case you have questions.

For continuing students: download and complete Bushnell University’s Request for Veteran Benefits Form (PDF). Once completed, email a copy in to the School Certifying Official at registrar@bushnell.edu.

That’s it! As soon as we receive your request form and your official registration, we will electronically certify you with the VA for the semester and all following semesters unless otherwise requested.

All School Certifying Officials work in the Office of the Registrar. To most expediently answer your questions, please email registrar@bushnell.edu or call 541-684-7217.

Mary Jo Goosmann, Registrar & School Certifying Official

Brittany Brockbank, Assistant Registrar & School Certifying Official

Chapter 30, Chapter 33, and Chapter 1606 students must verify their enrollment monthly by Interactive Voice Response (IVR) or by Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE). When these students are awarded benefits, the award letter they receive describes IVR and WAVE verification of enrollment.

• IVR allows students to “phone in” their monthly verifications to 1-877-823-2378 (toll-free).
• WAVE allows students to verify their enrollment on the internet at the Education Services website. Click the link to WAVE under Information for Benefit Recipients in the left hand column. Students must be currently enrolled in an approved education program and must have a current benefit award to use WAVE.

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), this school adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs {VA} Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. This school will not:

• Prevent the student’s enrollment;
• Assess a late penalty fee;
• Require student secure alternative or additional funding;
• Deny their access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

• Provide Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility (or its equivalent) or for Chapter 31, VA VR&E’s contract with the school on VA Form 28-1905 by the first day of class.

Request an official transcript from the appropriate agency below and get college credit for your military education and training. Transcripts should be sent through JST to Bushnell University or via mail to:

Bushnell Admissions
828 E. 11th Ave.
Eugene, OR 97401

Order Transcripts

Air Force
Community College of the Air Force
CCAF/DESS
100 South Turner Blvd Gunter Annex AL 36114-3011
1-800-646-1858

Army and National Guard
Joint Service Transcript (JST) Order transcripts online
Email: usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.tagd-jst@mail.mil
1-888-276-9472

Coast Guard
Joint Service Transcript (JST)Order transcripts online
Email: CGI-PF-ed_transcripts@uscg.mil

Marines
Joint Service Transcript (JST) Order transcripts online
Email: jst@doded.mil

Navy
Joint Service Transcript (JST) Order transcripts online
Email: vec@navy.mil
1-877-838-1659

ORDERING A DD-214 MILITARY SERVICE RECORD
Military personnel records can be used for proving military service, or as a valuable tool in genealogical research. Most veterans and their next-of-kin can obtain free copies of their DD Form 214 (Report of Separation) and other military and medical records.

Chapter 1606 of veteran benefits, known as the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR), provides educational assistance to members of the Selected Reserve, including the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard, and Air National Guard. This program offers financial support for approved training programs, allowing reservists to pursue higher education and enhance their skills while serving their country.

Each branch of military service offers Tuition Assistance (TA) to their active servicemembers. To find out more, visit each respective website for application processes and deadlines (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force). To apply their benefit at Bushnell University, approved TA students need to identify their intent to use their benefit with the Office of the Registrar at least 30 days prior to the start of their first term of benefits by filling out the Intent to Use Tuition Assistance form on My.Bushnell. Approved TA students are also encouraged to meet with the office of Financial Aid for assistance understanding this distinct, first payer source of financial aid.

The Yellow Ribbon Program, under veteran benefits in Chapter 33, is a partnership between schools and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, designed to cover tuition and education-related expenses that exceed the standard Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. This initiative ensures veterans can access higher education without financial burden, fostering their academic pursuits and future success.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION REGIONAL OFFICE
P O BOX 888
MUSKOGEE, OK 74402-8888

Muskogee Education Benefits Newsletter is available at the VA website.

Call: 1-888-442-4551 or 1-888-GI BILL® 1 (Muskogee Regional Office) for information regarding eligibility for benefits and/or for any information regarding processing of VA paperwork and/or payment problems.

Chapter 30 – Under Chapter 30 of veteran benefits, eligible individuals can access educational assistance through the Montgomery GI Bill®, providing financial support for education and training programs. This chapter outlines the criteria and benefits available to veterans, offering crucial support in their pursuit of academic and vocational goals.

Chapter 31 – If you have a service-connected disability that limits your ability to work or prevents you from working, Veteran Readiness and Employment (formerly called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment) can help. This program—also known as Chapter 31 or VR&E—helps you explore employment options and address education or training needs. In some cases, your family members may also qualify for certain benefits.

Chapter 32 veteran benefits, also known as the Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP), offers a flexible savings plan for military personnel, allowing them to contribute to their education fund with government matching. Eligible veterans can use these funds for various educational pursuits, empowering them to invest in their future and achieve their academic goals.

Chapter 33 of veteran benefits, covers the Post-9/11 GI Bill® which provides comprehensive educational assistance to eligible veterans, including tuition and fees, housing allowance, and a stipend for books and supplies. This chapter outlines the generous provisions of the program, ensuring veterans have the necessary resources to pursue higher education and achieve their career objectives.

Tutorial Assistance Program

The Tutorial Assistance Program under veteran benefits provides financial support to eligible veterans, helping them cover the costs of tutoring services necessary for their academic success. This program ensures veterans receive the additional educational assistance they need, fostering a supportive learning environment and aiding them in their pursuit of academic excellence.

Chapter 35 of veteran benefits, also known as the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program, offers educational assistance to the spouses and children of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition or have died in service. This program provides valuable financial support, enabling eligible family members to access education and training opportunities, empowering them to build a brighter future.

Chapter 1606 of veteran benefits, known as the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR), provides educational assistance to members of the Selected Reserve, including the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard, and Air National Guard. This program offers financial support for approved training programs, allowing reservists to pursue higher education and enhance their skills while serving their country.

Each branch of military service offers Tuition Assistance to their active servicemembers. Active servicemembers should connect with their branch to see what is financially available to them and what timelines benefits are available. They can also reach out to a School Certifying Official to find out how Tuition Assistance works at Bushnell.

The Yellow Ribbon Program, under veteran benefits in Chapter 33, is a partnership between schools and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, designed to cover tuition and education-related expenses that exceed the standard Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. This initiative ensures veterans can access higher education without financial burden, fostering their academic pursuits and future success.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION REGIONAL OFFICE
P O BOX 888
MUSKOGEE, OK 74402-8888

Muskogee Education Benefits Newsletter is available at the VA website.

Call: 1-888-442-4551 or 1-888-GI BILL® 1 (Muskogee Regional Office) for information regarding eligibility for benefits and/or for any information regarding processing of VA paperwork and/or payment problems.

Only credits that apply toward completion of the student’s degree can be certified for VA purposes. If 12 credits are certified, all 12 must apply. If a student enrolls in 12 credits, but only nine satisfy a degree requirement, then the student is certified for nine credits.

There are two exceptions to the rule about course applicability:

• The last semester before graduation, all credit taken can be certified if one or more of the credits satisfy a graduation requirement.
• If the university allows substitutions for program requirements, we will allow course substitutions if they are approved by the university and documented in the student’s file.

Courses that are failed or for which the grade does not meet the minimum requirements for graduation may be certified for VA purposes if they are repeated. Courses that are successfully completed may not be certified for VA purposes if they are repeated.

If students must take additional courses in order to raise their GPA to graduate, the courses must be courses that have not already been successfully completed by the student.

Advance Pay may be paid if:

• The student requests advance pay, and
• There is more than 30 days between terms and interval pay won’t be paid, and
• The student is enrolled at least half-time.

Advance pay requests should be submitted 30-to-120 days before the begin date. The check will be sent to the school, payable to the student. A separate Certification of Delivery (VA Form 22-1999V) will be sent to the school. Schools must handle advance pay checks securely and give the advance pay check to the student when he or she registers (or not more than 30 days before the beginning of school if registration is earlier).

An advance will pay the first and second month. The first month may be a partial month, with payment pro rated for the number of days attended that month. For example, advance pay for a student enrolled 9/28/24 through 6/1/24 would pay 9/28/24 through 10/31/24. Since VA normally pays after a month is completed, the student wouldn’t receive another check until December, when payment for November is made.

A student may take courses at more than one school that apply to his or her degree. The school that will grant the degree is the student’s “parent” school. All other schools are “secondary” schools.

VA can pay benefits for courses taken at secondary schools. If the student is enrolled at the secondary school, VA will pay for the credit taken at the secondary. If the student is enrolled at the parent and the secondary school at the same time (“concurrent”), VA will pay for the combined credit, taking overlapping enrollment dates into account.

A standard semester is 14-16 weeks in length with courses beginning the first week and ending the last week.

• 12 or more credits is full-time
• 9-11 credits is 3/4-time
• 6-8 credits is 1/2-time
• 4-5 credits is less than 1/2-time
• 1-3 credits is 1/4-time or less

To learn more about the program offerings please visit our undergraduate programs page.

The Online Undergraduate Program doesn’t follow a standard semester format. BA Accounting, BA Business Administration, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, and BA Psychology are the programs offered through the Online Undergraduate Program.

Non-standard semester training time isn’t measured like standard semester training time. Students considering enrolling in a non-standard undergraduate program should meet with a School Certifying Official to better understand how financial disbursements occur in the non-standard terms.

To learn more about the program offerings please visit our online undergraduate programs page.

Graduate programs don’t follow a standard semester format. Courses are taken sequentially, and the programs usually are completed within five to seven semesters, depending on the program.

Non-standard semester training time isn’t measured like standard semester training time. Students considering enrolling in a non-standard undergraduate program should meet with a School Certifying Official to better understand how financial disbursements occur in the non-standard terms.

To learn more about the program offerings please visit our graduate programs page.

Only credits that apply toward completion of the student’s degree can be certified for VA purposes. If 12 credits are certified, all 12 must apply. If a student enrolls in 12 credits, but only nine satisfy a degree requirement, then the student is certified for nine credits.

There are two exceptions to the rule about course applicability:

• The last semester before graduation, all credit taken can be certified if one or more of the credits satisfy a graduation requirement.
• If the university allows substitutions for program requirements, we will allow course substitutions if they are approved by the university and documented in the student’s file.

Courses that are failed or for which the grade does not meet the minimum requirements for graduation may be certified for VA purposes if they are repeated. Courses that are successfully completed may not be certified for VA purposes if they are repeated.

If students must take additional courses in order to raise their GPA to graduate, the courses must be courses that have not already been successfully completed by the student.

Advance Pay may be paid if:

• The student requests advance pay, and
• There is more than 30 days between terms and interval pay won’t be paid, and
• The student is enrolled at least half-time.

Advance pay requests should be submitted 30-to-120 days before the begin date. The check will be sent to the school, payable to the student. A separate Certification of Delivery (VA Form 22-1999V) will be sent to the school. Schools must handle advance pay checks securely and give the advance pay check to the student when he or she registers (or not more than 30 days before the beginning of school if registration is earlier).

An advance will pay the first and second month. The first month may be a partial month, with payment pro rated for the number of days attended that month. For example, advance pay for a student enrolled 9/28/24 through 6/1/24 would pay 9/28/24 through 10/31/24. Since VA normally pays after a month is completed, the student wouldn’t receive another check until December, when payment for November is made.

A student may take courses at more than one school that apply to his or her degree. The school that will grant the degree is the student’s “parent” school. All other schools are “secondary” schools.

VA can pay benefits for courses taken at secondary schools. If the student is enrolled at the secondary school, VA will pay for the credit taken at the secondary. If the student is enrolled at the parent and the secondary school at the same time (“concurrent”), VA will pay for the combined credit, taking overlapping enrollment dates into account.