Veterans Benefits

Veterans, enlisted military personnel, and dependents of veterans may qualify for financial aid from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Part of DigiPen’s Office of Financial Aid’s mission is to serve the needs of individuals eligible for Veterans Affairs (VA) educational benefits. Financial Aid Advisors are available to assist veterans, veterans’ dependents, and others eligible for Veterans Benefits in addressing problems or answering questions regarding benefits, certification, or other matters relating to VA benefits.

• For more information, see the Veterans Affairs Benefits Handbook.

Eligibility

Eligibility for the various VA educational benefits programs is determined, in part, by the veteran’s date of enlistment. In all cases, the Department of Veterans Affairs makes the final determination of eligibility. See the individual program descriptions on the GI Bill® website for full eligibility criteria and application instructions. The GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government website at benefits.va.gov/gibill/.

Applying for Veterans Benefits

To apply for Veterans Benefits, contact VA Education Call Center at 888-442-4551, message Ask VA (AVA), or apply for benefits online. The VA will determine if a veteran or veteran’s dependent is eligible for benefits and provide a Certificate of Eligibility once the process is complete.

Those in need additional assistance should call the VA toll-free at 1-888-GI-BILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) or visit www.vba.va.gov/VBA/.

Veterans Programs at DigiPen

The following VA educational assistance benefits are available at DigiPen:

• The Yellow Ribbon Program
• Montgomery GI Bill® for Active Duty and Veterans (Chapter 30)
• Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31)
• Veterans Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 32)
• Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33)
• Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 35)
• Montgomery GI Bill® for National Guard & Selected Reserves (Chapter 1606)
• Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math Scholarship (STEM)

Contact the VA School Certifying Official by email at veteranbenefits@digipen.edu with any further questions.

Priority Registration

Students receiving Veterans Benefits will have priority registration each semester (five days prior to the start of normal registration).

Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon Program supplements the tuition coverage for veterans or dependents of veterans that qualify for Chapter 33 at the 100% benefit level.

The number of students who can enroll in the Yellow Ribbon Program annually are limited. DigiPen has 70 undergraduate and 5 graduate spots available and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis per VA regulations.

Chapter 33 benefits will typically cover full time tuition for fall and part of spring semesters for undergraduate and graduate students. Yellow Ribbon can provide up to another $10,000 per academic year with the DigiPen match: $5,000 from VA and $5,000 from DigiPen.

Chapter 33 Plus Yellow Ribbon Example for 2022-23:

*Amount paid is always at the discretion of the VA and is updated yearly.

**Assumes 16+ credits, 12 of which are resident (in-person) credits, and student does not have any DigiPen scholarships.

For the most current Yellow Ribbon information, please go online to the VA’s education and training website. If you would like to meet with a DigiPen Financial Aid Advisor, please schedule a virtual appointment.

Certifying Veterans Benefits

The Office of Financial Aid is responsible for certifying veteran enrollment to the regional Veteran Affairs office each semester. Therefore, veterans must complete their registration on time, complete the VA Benefits Certification Request Form each semester, then email their completed form to veteranbenefits@digipen.edu.

To be certified, the Office of Financial Aid will need to receive the following documents:

• Post 9/11 GI Bill® - Chapter 33/Yellow Ribbon/STEM Scholarship:

  1. Certificate of Eligibility
  2. DD 214-Member 4
  3. DigiPen VA Benefit Certification Request Form

• Vocational Rehabilitation - Chapter 31:

  1. Certificate of Eligibility
  2. DD 214-Member 4
  3. DigiPen VA Benefit Certification Request Form

• Survivors and Dependents (DEA) - Chapter 35:

  1. Certificate of Eligibility
  2. DigiPen VA Benefit Certification Request Form

• Montgomery GI Bill® - Chapter 30:

  1. Certificate of Eligibility
  2. DD 214-Member (unless still active duty)
  3. DigiPen VA Benefit Certification Request Form

• Montgomery GI Bill® - Chapter 1606:

  1. Certificate of Eligibility
  2. Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE)
  3. DigiPen VA Benefit Certification Request Form

• Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) - Chapter 32:

  1. Certificate of Eligibility
  2. DD-214
  3. DigiPen VA Benefit Certification Request Form

After all documents are received and the student has registered for courses, the Office of Financial Aid will certify them for their VA Benefits.

If any changes are made to one’s course schedule, such as adding or dropping courses, they should notify the VA School Certifying Official at veteranbenefits@digipen.edu. Any changes must be reported to the VA and may result in a debt to DigiPen.

Please note that veterans may use their VA Benefits for summer courses. However, they will not be certified for benefits unless they complete the DigiPen VA Benefit Certification Request Form for the summer term. We recommend talking with a Financial Aid Advisor regarding summer benefits before making any decisions regarding summer certification.