Frequently Asked Questions


Tuition and Residency

If you are active duty/veteran/spouse/dependent of the Armed Forces residing in (or planning to live in) Kansas, you may qualify for in-state tuition rates under the Armed Forces Residency Benefit. There are some restrictions, but more information is on the Armed Forces Residency page.

  • Current Active Duty, Reserve or Kansas National Guard members and their spouses/dependents can get in-state rates regardless of where they live under the Armed Forces Residency Benefit.
  • Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill® users (at the 100% rate) attending either the Lawrence or Edwards campuses may be eligible for Yellow Ribbon Program funding. KU Medical Center does not have Yellow Ribbon Program funding.
  • Online students: Most online programs have a flat rate tuition regardless of where you live.

Yes, but if you plan to live in Kansas while attending KU, you will not need Yellow Ribbon. Apply for in-state tuition rates per the Armed Forces Residency Benefit instead. If you are using Post-9/11 GI Bill at 100% and live in Missouri while attending classes at KU, please complete the Yellow Ribbon Application each semester you have benefits.

Yellow Ribbon is only available for Post-9/11 GI Bill users at the 100% rate per the VA.

If an undergraduate student is offered a partial tuition waiver scholarship from the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships (FAS), another academic department, or is granted in-state tuition rates, the FAS scholarship will be adjusted to the appropriate resident based scholarship, per KU policy. Visiting this scholarship page will show equivalent in-state scholarship for KU scholarships.  

In-state tuition per the Armed Forces Residency Benefit must be applied for, according to state law. Also part of the law, a student must have a Kansas address. That’s why students may be admitted as out-of-state for now and are being offered the out-of-state scholarships. KU waits to convert scholarships until after you have been approved for in-state residency. This protects the student and helps ensure they get the maximum benefit based on their individual circumstances. 

VA Benefits

Visit our Using VA Benefits page for more details.

  • Post-9/11 GI Bill users who are military/veterans: obtain a copy of your Statement of Benefits.This is the equivalent of a COE if you have already applied for your benefits and received a COE previously. To log in, you must have either a: premium My HealtheVet account, a DS login account, or a verified ID.me account. At this time, the statement is not available online to spouses/dependents.
  • All other GI Bill/VA benefits users: Click the "Ask a Question" button (login required) on the GI Bill website and submit a query for the VA to mail copy of your COE. Or call the GI Bill hotline at 888-442-4551 to request a copy.
  • If you have never applied for benefits and received a COE before, visit the VA's website to apply.

Submitting your COE

  • Students will upload their COE when they complete the New KU Request for Benefits form. Students will only need to submit a COE the first time they are using a VA benefit.
  • GI Bill users applying for the Armed Forces Residency Benefit will not have to submit a COE if they already completed the New KU Request for Benefit form and uploaded their COE.

The VA will send you a letter each semester regarding the amount of entitlement you used and the amount remaining.

  • Chapter 31 (VR&E): you can check with your VR&E counselor for the details of your benefits.
  • Chapter 33 (Post 9-11) who are military/veterans: check your Post-9/11 GI Bill Statement of Benefits on the VA's website. To log in, you must have either a: premium My HealtheVet account, a DS login account, or a verified ID.me account. At this time, the statement is not available online to spouses/dependents.
  • All other GI Bill users: Use the GI Bill Ask a Question feature or call the GI Bill hotline at 888-442-4551 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT.
  • Minor: Yes, the GI Bill will cover all of the classes for one minor. Students may change minors before they complete all the requirements for the minor, but cannot have more than one minor at a time.
  • Students can also have up to 2 majors AND one minor.
  • Certificate program: Certificate programs are not approved for the GI Bill, unfortunately. The certificate program courses must fulfill some other graduation requirement in order for the VA to approve the courses.

Only classes that fulfill a requirement for your degree program, minor, dual degree, or dual major, can be reported to the VA for the purpose of determining your rate of pursuit. Speak with your advisor to ensure your course fits some sort of graduation requirement (e.g. in your major, KU Core goals, junior/senior hours, etc.).

The VA will not pay for repeat courses unless you received an “F” OR must pass with a certain grade in order to move forward in your program.

When you have completed your Using VA Benefits paperwork forms (above) for the semester, you are placed on deferment, giving you/the VA until the end of the semester to pay your tuition and fees.

If you receive a late fee, it most likely means you have not completed your request for the semester. Contact us to confirm you have completed your paperwork for the semester.

Ch. 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill users: Beginning Jan. 2021, your enrollment is first certified to the VA without tuition and fees. A second certification will occur after the add/drop period with your tuition and fees, as now required by law. This means it will take longer for the VA to pay my tuition/fees, but a deferment is placed on your account.

Contact us by Dec. 1/May 1 if you still have charges on your account.

Students must be enrolled full time in term-long classes to receive full GI Bill benefits, as your benefits are charged by day. This means short-term and non-standard courses can affect your full-time status and, therefore, your benefits (and housing allowance if you're using the Post-9/11 GI Bill). 

For example, undergraduate students must be in 12 credits that all start at the beginning of the semester and end at the end of the semester. If you have 12 credits but one of those courses starts later (e.g. October), you will be part time until that course starts. If you're in 15 credits and one of the 3 credit hour courses starts later, there is no issue since you're in 12 credits for the entire semester. 

Before you enroll in shorter classes, it's a good idea to reach out to someone in the Military-Affiliated Student Center or the VA Certifying Official to learn how the short courses can potentially affect your benefits. You can also see our "Enrollment Status and Training Time" section on this web page for more details.

Withdrawing from a class, especially outside the 100% refund window, can result in you owing KU and/or the VA money.

It is best to speak with someone in the Military-Affiliated Student Center before dropping a class to understand the potential financial implications.

If you need to submit mitigating circumstances, let us know BEFORE you drop the class so that we can inform the VA. If you wish to not let us know you’ll receive a letter from the VA explaining they were notified about your change in hours and asking you to submit any mitigating circumstances that led to  the drop. In response, you’ll need to write the reasons and mail them to your Regional Processing Office or send them using the “Submit a Question” button on our website. VA will notify you by letter if your reasons are accepted and the amount of any final benefit debt. VA also automatically grants mitigating circumstances for up to 6 credits the first time, and only the first time, you reduce or terminate and ask for mitigating circumstances.

Part of it depends on when you submit your KU request for benefits. On average, it takes KU 7-10 business days to send your paperwork to the VA (peak times, i.e. August & January, may take longer). The VA has 30 days from that point to process your paperwork and will email you once it's complete. You should then receive your monthly stipend at the beginning of the next month.

The VA typically pays around the first of every month for the previous month. For example, Sept. 1 you’ll get a check for the days you were in classes in August. Payments are prorated, meaning you will received less based on semester start/end dates (i.e. August, December, January and May). For VA purposes, each month has 30 days so you can calculate prorated amounts by dividing your stipend by 30 and multiplying by number of days school is in session (e.g. if classes being Aug. 20 and BAH is $1494, your BAH for August would be $498). Visit the GI Bill Comparison Tool to see your specific rates.

Visit the GI Bill Comparison Tool for specific information.

If you receive grants/scholarships that are designated solely for tuition, you may want to think twice about using your VA benefits. The VA requires KU to apply those funds toward tuition first and, if you have the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the VA will pay any remaining tuition/fees. Contact us or the VA Certifying Official at the contact info at the bottom of the page. Financial aid awards to be deducted before reporting your tuition to the VA include: Federal or State Tuition Assistance, Hero's Scholarship and any other types of restricted aid designated for tuition and required fees only.

Not all scholarships/grants are designated for tuition, however. Unrestricted financial aid funds like the PELL Grant, student loans, unrestricted scholarships, etc. will be yours to pay other bills on your KU account. Anything left over will be dispersed to you.

Post-9/11 GI Bill users: to receive that money while waiting on the VA to pay your tuition and fees, complete the VA Educational Benefits - Early Release of Funds* form each semester*A link to this form is included in the KU request for VA benefits form you complete each semester.

It depends. If you are a veteran using the Post-9/11 GI Bill and this is the first VA benefit you have used, yes, the VA will pay for the entire semester. If you have combined benefits (e.g., used 36 months of the Montgomery GI Bill and 12 months of the Post-9/11 GI Bill) and will exceed your 48th month during the semester, the VA will only make payments for tuition and BAH up to the last day of that 48th month.

For spouses and dependents, no, the VA will stop payments on the last day of your benefits. For Ch. 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill users, that means your tuition and BAH will be prorated. Similarly, Ch. 35 DEA students may not exceed the limit of their benefits, except under rare circumstances (which must be approved by the VA). Spouses/dependents may combine their Ch. 33 and 35 benefits for a maximum of 81 months of combined eligibility.

You can update your direct deposit information in your VA.gov profile. You'll need your bank's routing number and account number to make the updates.

Chapter 30 and 1606 students can use the WAVE system to update address and financial institution information. Links are on the "Main Menu" available after they log onto WAVE. Students who cannot add their account information through WAVE should call 1-877-838-2778 to begin and change direct deposit. 

To update your KU direct deposit information visit Student Accounts & Receivables. KU login required.

If you are switching your VA benefits program while at KU, you will need to complete a second "New KU Request for Benefits" instead of a "Continued Request" and upload your new Certificate of Eligibility.

The VA determines who is eligible and who will receive benefits. More information at: Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship.

Military Education Benefits

Start with your Education Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within your specific branch prior to enrolling (noting the deadlines below).

Information on how to utilize tuition assistance at KU can found on the military tuition assistance webpage.

Eligibility and administration for the Army's College Loan Repayment Program (LRP) varies by component. Details by component can be found by going to the MyArmyBenefits webpage. Basic details:

  • Soldiers must have been granted LRP eligibility when signing their initial contract
  • Student loans must meet program requirements for repayment, all of which require that a student has completed their FAFSA application
  • Repayment is provided as a minimum amount or percentage of the outstanding principle balance (varies by program)

For more information and eligibility questions, visit the MyArmyBenefits webpage, or reach out to:

  • Army Guard – Visit the Education Office webpage and look for the Student Loan Repayment Manager contact
  • Army Reserve – For technical assistance and general inquiries, contact the RCMS helpdesk at 1-800-339-0473

If they refer you to your education institution, let us know so we can assist you further.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Most KU military-affiliated scholarships open each spring for the next academic year. Check the Scholarships page in early February. The KU book and tutoring scholarships for veterans/Guard/Reservists/ROTC are open year-round.

We keep track of national military-affiliated scholarships on our Scholarships page. Deadlines and criteria vary.

To be considered as an independent student, based on veteran status, the Department of Education uses the following definition:

A veteran is a former member of the Armed Forces of the United States (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) who served on active duty and was discharged under conditions, which were other than dishonorable. There is no minimum number of days a student must have served on active duty to be considered a veteran. However, periods of active duty for training, pursuant to an enlistment in the National Guard or Reserves, do not qualify a student as a veteran. Thus former or current members of the National Guard or Reserves are not considered to be veterans unless they had prior or subsequent service with an active component of the Armed Forces. (Reservists called to active duty by Executive Order qualify as veterans.) Since the DD Form 214 is issued to those leaving the active military as well as to members of the National Guard and Reserves completing their initial active duty for training, possession of this document does not necessarily mean the student is a veteran.

Persons who attended military academies are now considered veterans for financial aid purposes.

Applicants who meet the criteria of the definition should check "yes" to the vet question on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Services for Military-Affiliated Students

Yes, the KU chapter of Student Veterans of America is open to all KU students. Contact them by visiting Rockchalk CentralFacebookInstagram, or Twitter. You can also email them at kusva@ku.edu.

The Kansas Law School Military and Veterans Society is open to all KU students. Their focus is to help veterans interested in attending law school, to help those in law school who are interested in military service after graduation, and to provide camaraderie for all those who appreciate and want to support the military. Contact them by visiting RockChalk Central.

We are located on the 3rd floor of Summerfield Hall, Room 345, and you can find our hours on this webpage.

We provide a space where all military-affiliated students – Active Duty, National Guardsmen, Reservists, veterans, spouses, dependents, and ROTC cadets – can get help with VA/TA benefits, relax, and study.

Amenities include:

  • A lounge with WIFI, computers with CAC readers, and cable TV
  • Printing
  • A break room with coffee/tea, microwave, fridge
  • Meeting/conference rooms for study groups
  • VA VetSuccess on Campus career and Veterans Readiness & Employment counselor
  • Kansas Commission on Veteran Affairs rep who can assist with VA paperwork
  • KU Student Veterans of America headquarters
  • On campus: Learn more about KU Tutoring.

  • Off campus (free): Tutor.com for DoD service members, civilian personnel, ROTC students and all dependent family members, is a program that provides on-demand, online tutoring and homework help at no cost. Live tutors available 24/7.
  • GI Bill users: The VA may cover tutoring in limited circumstances. Contact us for the process.
  • Ch. 31 VR&E users: Speak with your VR&E counselor for options.

You can sign up for the email newsletter and/or follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter for the latest news and information.

Yes. Click on their names to contact them directly.

Our VA VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC), Angela Brazil, can provide the following to military/veterans and spouses/dependents eligible for the GI Bill®:

  • Personalized career counseling to maximize your GI Bill benefits
  • Connection to other VA benefits, e.g. VA health care & mental health services
  • Veterans Readiness & Employment (VR&E) information

Clint Olson from the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs is located in Lawrence and works with KU students regularly via phone/video (currently due to COVID-19, he is not coming to campus). He provides services such as:

  • Filing VA disability compensation claims/appeals
  • Requesting a copy of DD-214
  • Providing information about benefits for veterans offered by the state of Kansas

Visit our School Enrollment Verification Letters page for the process.

The Military-Affiliated Student Center has multiple computers with CAC readers. Visit our Current MASC Hours & Amenities page for more info.

First, we highly recommend reaching out to the Military-Affiliated Student Center via our contact form so we can address your concerns. The MASC is comprised of military-affiliated staff, so we really understand what it means to be using benefits and can help address your concerns. You can also stop by our center in 345 Summerfield and ask for April or Drew. (Using the contact form, though, will ensure we can set up a time to meet when we are here and it is convenient for you.)

Any formal complaints registered through the DoD Postsecondary Education Complaint System are reviewed by the Office of the University Registrar and Military-Affiliated Student Center in coordination with the Office of the General Counsel and other parties as determined by the nature of the complaint.

Activation/Mobilization

Please visit our Activation/Mobilization page for detailed information.

Yes. This can help ensure a smoother return to KU if you take a semester off. Visit our Activation/Mobilization page for the process.

We recommend you wait to do this process until you have orders. If you do not have orders, it is wise to proceed as though you are not going on active military duty since deployments/activations may change.

Contact the VA Certifying Official or the Military-Affiliated Student Center when you are ready to return to KU. They will assist you with the readmission process in any way they can.

Visit with your advisor to discuss plans for your return, i.e. retaking courses or what courses you will need to enroll in upon your return.

Military-Affiliated Contacts for KU Students not on the Lawrence Campus

John Hanysz
Veteran Services Coordinator
Dykes Library
veterans@kumc.edu
913-588-7055

You can also visit their Military and Veterans Affairs page.

Lisa Browning
Veteran Services Coordinator
Regents Center, Rm. 210F
lbrownin@ku.edu
913-897-8615

Lisa Browning
Veteran Services Coordinator
lbrownin@ku.edu
913-897-8615

You can also visit the Leavenworth page.

Other Information

  • Parents who want to be able to chat with KU directly regarding their student's account will need to have their student delegate access to a parent. 
  • Reach out to the VA directly - You can log in and contact the VA. 

‘‘GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). For more information, see the GI Bill Trademark terms of use."