Important Information

If you qualify for Veteran Benefits, you will need to submit a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility by the first day of August, prior to the semester you start attending. The Certificate of Eligibility is obtained from the VA once you have applied to use your benefits and it has been approved.

Students also need to complete Ithaca College’s Veteran Benefit Request Form (VBRF). See link on Veteran’ Services page. Student must have paid their enrollment deposit and activated their Ithaca College email before they can submit this form.

Once Ithaca College has your Certificate of Eligibility, completed Veteran Benefit Request Form and you are registered for classes, we will be able to submit your first Enrollment Certification to the VA.

For certain benefits, discharged veterans must provide a copy of their Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) in order to apply for education benefits. Copies of the DD Form 214, as well as other military records, can be obtained at the Military Personnel Records Center (MPRC) in St. Louis, a unit of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The NARA website provides instructions for submitting a request for military records.

For certain benefits, discharged veterans must provide a copy of their Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) in order to apply for education benefits. Copies of the DD Form 214, as well as other military records, can be obtained at the Military Personnel Records Center (MPRC) in St. Louis, a unit of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The NARA website provides instructions for submitting a request for military records.

Be sure to have your official Joint Services Transcript (JST) sent to Ithaca College for any military training you have received credit for. Once you have been accepted, we will provide you with a Transfer Credit Evaluation.

First year students – Once we have your Certificate Of Eligibility, Veteran Benefit Request Form and you are registered for classes, we will automatically submit your Enrollment Certification to the VA.

Returning Students – You will be sent an email before each semester begins, to verify you want to use your benefits and to confirm the number of credits you are registered for.

Education benefits can only be disbursed to students who request to be certified each semester and before each winter and/or summer term in which they attend Ithaca College. You are expected to maintain enrollment for the number of credits for which you have been certified; however, if you drop or withdraw from a course or change the credits of a course, be sure to inform the college’s certifying official as soon as possible to reduce the amount of potential overpayment.

Undergraduates who register for and maintain at least 12.0 credits in a semester will receive full- time benefits. Graduate students who register for and maintain at least 9.0 credits in a semester will also receive full-benefits. Benefits will be reduced and an overpayment may occur if you drop below full-time status. It is especially important to report a complete withdrawal from the college. Please notify the college’s certifying official immediately of any change of status to reduce the amount of an overpayment.

Grades of W (Withdrawn) are reported to the VA resulting in an overpayment of benefits. You are responsible for informing the college’s certifying official if a W grade is changed or if a regular grade (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, and F) is later changed to a W.

You may choose to re-register for a course which you already completed successfully; however, the VA will not pay for the course a second time.