Veteran/Dependent Student

Your go-to resource for navigating and using your VA Education Benefits.

I Am A…

Welcome to UNC’s VA Education Benefit Certification Office! 

We’re glad you’re here! Our office is your go-to resource for navigating and using your VA Education benefits! 

We certify enrollment for all VA Education Benefit chapters and are here to help make the process as smooth as possible. 

We are located in the Registrar’s Office at Bear Central on the 2nd Floor of the Campus Commons. You can reach us by visiting the office, emailing va.sco@unco.edu, or calling (970) 351-4862 option 2, then option 5. 

Please note that SCOs do not determine eligibility for VA funding. VA is solely responsible for determining eligibility. 

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 https://benefits.va.gov/gibill®. 

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Apply for your VA Education Benefits. 
  2. Apply to UNC and get admitted. 
  3. Submit a Veteran Certification Request (VCR) for the semester you plan to attend. 

Need help along the way?

Your UNC School Certifying Officials (SCO) are eager to help! You can reach out to them anytime by visiting the Registrar’s Office at Bear Central on the 2nd Floor of the Campus Commons, emailing va.sco@unco.edu, or calling (970) 351-2759 option 2, then option 5. 

Complete this checklist if you are using the following benefits:

If you are using Tuition Assistance, please visit the Tuition Assistance page for additional information. 

How to Use Your VA Education Benefits

Step 1

Apply for your VA Education Benefits with the VA.

How to Apply

Step 2

Apply to UNC and be admitted.

The VA requires that all prior credit be evaluated, and service members must submit their military transcripts. Submit your Joint Service Transcript (JST) (for all branches except Air Force) and/or Air University – Community College of the Air Force transcript (Air Force only) transcripts to be evaluated. 

Ensure your academic program is approved for VA Education Benefits by searching for us using the GI Bill®  Comparison Tool or reach out to an SCO.  

Apply to UNC

Step 3

Submit Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

You could be eligible for federal grants, scholarships, and loans. Grants are given to students from the federal government based on financial need and do not need to be paid back. Scholarships are funds that students compete for and do not need to be repaid. Loans are funds that students can borrow but must be repaid. 

The FAFSA should be filled out annually, ideally in October when it opens, and will use your tax return information from two years ago. 

Submit the FAFSA

Step 4

Submit a Veteran Certification Request form (VCR) 

The VA requires students to officially request to use their benefits every semester. At UNC, that request form is called a VCR. 

Here’s what you need to know: 

  1. Submit your VCR before the semester begins to allow time for processing. 
  2. You must complete a VCR every semester you want to use your benefits. Without the form, our SCO is prohibited from processing your benefits. 

If you have any issues or questions about your VCR, let us know!

SCO CONTACT INFO: 
Visit us at the Registrar’s Office in Bear Central, 2nd Floor of Campus Commons. 
Email us at va.sco@unco.edu. 
Call us at (970) 351-4862, option 2, then option 5. 

Veteran Certification Request

Step 5

Register for courses!

Using your benefits at UNC gets you Priority Registration! Be sure to register for classes as early as you can. 

Keep an eye on your credit hours 

Your housing allowance and/or stipends are dependent on your enrollment rate. Registering for full-time credit hours will get you the maximum payment rate. 

If you enroll less than full-time, your payment rate will be lower. 

Only take courses required for graduation 

The VA will not cover courses that are not part of your degree program. If you enroll in courses that do not count towards your degree program, you will be responsible for the cost of those courses. 

Your SCO will evaluate your registration once they receive a VCR for you and let you know if they find any problems!

Benefit Information

Please visit va.gov to find out if you are eligible! 

Benefits Include: 

  • Some or all of Tuition and Fees for required courses paid directly from VA to UNC. 
  • Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) paid directly from VA to the student for each month of enrollment. 
  • A Book stipend paid directly from VA to the student each semester. 
  • Yellow Ribbon program (for non-residents who qualify) 

Please visit va.gov to find out if you are eligible! 

Benefits Include: 

  • A monthly stipend paid directly from VA to the student each month while the student is enrolled. 
  • Payment rate is dependent on enrollment rate of required courses (full-time, ¾ time, ½ time, etc.) 

This benefit is exclusively for service members and Veterans with service-connected disabilities. Please visit va.gov to find out if you are eligible! 

Benefits Include: 

  • Tuition and Fees for required courses paid directly from VR&E to UNC. 
  • A monthly stipend paid directly from VR&E to the student each month while the student is enrolled. 

Please visit va.gov to find out if you are eligible! 

Benefits Include: 

  • A monthly stipend paid directly from VA to the student each month while the student is enrolled. 
  • Payment rate is dependent on enrollment rate of required courses (full-time, ¾ time, ½ time, etc.) 

Please visit va.gov to find out if you are eligible! 

Benefits Include: 

  • A monthly stipend paid directly from VA to the student each month while the student is enrolled. 
  • Payment rate is dependent on enrollment rate of required courses (full-time, ¾ time, ½ time, etc.) 

IMPORTANT: To utilize Federal Tuition Assistance (TA), the service member must receive approval from their Education Services Officer (ESO) within their military branch. 

Tuition Assistance is a benefit paid to service members by their respective branches. Each of the six United States military branches – Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force – has their own criteria, service obligations, and applications for Tuition Assistance. For your convenience, we have included links below for information regarding each service’s tuition assistance program.

UNC partners with Colorado State University to offer our students the opportunity to participate in Army ROTC or Air Force ROTC. For more information, please visit their respective webpages.