51²Ö¿â

Service Members - Veterans - Dependents Welcome

51²Ö¿â welcomes you and appreciates your service to our nation. Our liberal arts focus emphasizes a well-rounded education, as evidenced by our wide variety of majors, minors, specializations, and elective courses.

51²Ö¿â is proud to assist all military affiliated students who wish to utilize their education benefits.

Our Veteran Affairs’ School Certifying Officials serve as liaisons between the student and Veterans Administration. We are here to assist military affiliated students eligible for benefits under Chapter 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 1607 and 1606 with the following:

  • Explanation of 51²Ö¿â’s policies & procedures related to VA Educational Benefits
  • Completion of Education Benefits VA Forms & 51²Ö¿â VA Required Documentation
  • Please click the button below to schedule a virtual appointment with the 51²Ö¿â School Certifying Official.

  • Students are responsible to submit a VA Certification Request each term after they have registered for the semester/term.

    Note: You do not need to submit this if you do not wish to use VA Education Benefits for the registered semester/term.

    Please use the link below to access:

  • The Student Veterans Center, located in Landon 204, is a realization of 51²Ö¿â’s efforts and collaboration to support our military-affiliated student body.

    We have set up a kiosk computer at the Student Veterans Center to facilitate our services to our military-affiliated students.

    Note:ÌýPlease email the Military/Veterans Services Office atÌýveterans@barry.eduÌýif you have any questions regarding VA Education Benefits at 51²Ö¿â.

  • 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 web site at

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You may apply for the GI Bill® educational benefits online at www.va.gov. Click on the “Apply for education benefits†link to get started. You will need to submit your DD-214 Member 4 Form or Notice of Eligibility –NOBE, DD-2384, (Reservist only) to the VA so they can determine your eligibility of educational benefits. Note: If you are the veteran, scan and save your DD-214 Member 4 Form to a PDF. If you are a reservist, scan and save your NOBE DD-2384 Form. (You will be able to attach a PDF within the online application).

    You may also apply for the GI Bill® educational benefits using VA Form 22-1990 and mailing it with a copy of your DD-214 or DD-2384 directly to the VA Regional Office. Be sure to make a copy of your application to bring with you to Student Veterans Services Office.

  • Please allow the VA Regional Processing Office at least 30 days to process your application. If you are approved for the benefit, you will receive a Certificate of Eligibility from the VA in the mail. For updates on processing times, you can contact the VA directly at 1-888-442-4551.

  • All students who wish to use their VA Education Benefits for his/her courses should first register for classes. AFTER you have registered for classes, use one of the following links to submit your COE, depending on your status as a new or returning student.

  • All adds, drops, and withdrawals MUST be reported to the Student Veteran Services – Benefits office by the veteran immediately after the change is made. Regardless of when you make a change to your schedule, you MUST notify a VA Certifying Official of the change immediately. Depending on when you drop/withdraw from a course, you may owe money back to the VA.

    Post 9/11 GI Bill®

    Depending on when you add/drop/withdraw from the course, you may owe money to the school or to the VA. We encourage you to speak with a VA Certifying Official before you make any schedule changes to see how this will affect your benefits. VA Certifying Officials are located at the Student Veteran Services – Benefits office in Farrell Hall, Suite 102. You can also reach them at veterans@barry.edu

  • You should change your major by contacting the advising office that handles the major you want to change to. Your Academic Advisor will not notify the VA Certifying Officials when you change your major. It is your responsibility. Please see a VA Certifying Official in the Student Veteran Services – Benefits office in Farrell Hall, Suite 102.

  • When initially certifying students using Chapter 33 benefits, our office certifies students’ enrolled semester credit hours without a tuition and fees amount – meaning these certifications will be submitted with a $0 amount. After Add/Drop each term, our office will update certifications to include students’ actual tuition and fees charges. Students will initially receive a letter from the VA that their enrollment has been certified at $0; processing in this way allows the VA to still release housing and book stipends to eligible students.

    Again, this process will not prevent students from receiving housing and/or book stipends for which they are eligible. Payment from the VA will arrive after Add/Drop Day when certifications are updated to include tuition and fees. This typically takes 2-4 weeks after Add/Drop Day. Students will continue to see a balance due on their account while we wait for the VA to send tuition and fee payments to 51²Ö¿â.

  • Yes. Some of these fees include late registration fees, reinstatement fees, any fees associated with room and board or travel costs for a field trip or study abroad program, excessive-hours fees, late graduation application fees, parking permits. Please note this list is not exhaustive. If you have a question about a fee you have been charged and whether or not the VA will pay it, please email veterans@barry.edu

  • If you do not pass or receive the required grade in a course that is necessary for your major, the VA will pay for that course to be retaken. However, if you wish to retake a course that you have successfully passed (say, to improve your overall GPA), the VA will not pay for that course.

  • If you are placed on academic suspension, your status will be reported to the VA. If you cannot register for courses, you cannot receive any VA benefits at 51²Ö¿â until you regain satisfactory academic status.

  • You must report ANY changes to your enrollment to our office, this includes drops, adds, withdrawals, and switching courses. You can do so by submitting an email to veterans@barry.edu. If you drop any or all of your courses after the last day to withdraw without a “W,†you will likely have to repay all benefits received for the course(s) to the VA. Please review the Academic Calendar for these dates. For further information please contact the VA – 888-GIBILL-1.

  • All students are responsible to submit a 51²Ö¿â: each term after registered for classes. Failure to submit this request may result in delays in certification which could impact funds disbursement.

  • You may contact the Department of Veterans Affairs (888-GIBILL-1). If you are using Chapter 33 (Post 9/11), you may also use the eBenefits website.

  • Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs to fill out the appropriate paperwork, 888-GIBILL-1 (888-442-4551). Only Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits are eligible for transfer and the veteran must have been a member of the Armed Forces on Aug. 1, 2009. Typically, the veteran must also have transferred the benefits while on active duty. There are additional requirements to qualify, so make sure to ask the VA about their policies.

  • Enrollment verification is a requirement for Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) students to verify every month that you are still enrolled in the same courses or training that your school certified to VA. It’s not about verifying that you are attending classes, but whether your certified enrollment has changed.

  • Enrollment verification is a requirement for Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) students to verify every month that you are still enrolled in the same courses or training that your school certified to VA. It’s not about verifying that you are attending classes, but whether your certified enrollment has changed.

  • Students now have the option to verify enrollment via text message, email, or online at VA.gov. VA strongly recommends using text, email or online verification. However, if these options are unavailable to you, you may call the Education Call Center (ECC) at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888- 442-4551) to verify enrollment. Please be advised that calling the ECC may result in long wait times. For more information, visit this VA website:

  • If you fail to submit enrollment verification for two consecutive months, your MHA/kicker payments will be held until you verify your enrollment. For example, if your term starts on January 1, 2022, and you fail to verify your enrollment for January and February, your March 2022 payments will be placed on hold.

Veteran Information

Educational benefits are available to qualified veterans and dependents accepted into degree seeking and certificate programs approved by the Florida State Approving Agency for Veterans’ Training. Determination of eligibility for educational benefits will be made by the VA.

It is the responsibility of the student to become familiar with the procedures and regulations concerning satisfactory standards of progress in order to insure proper and prompt payment of benefits due.

  • Military, Veterans, and Dependents who plan to utilize their VA educational benefits should contact one of the referencedÌýÌýfor student specific guidance in applying VA Education Benefits at 51²Ö¿â.

  • Important Reminder for Current Students

    Students are responsible to submit a VA Certification Request each term after they have registered for the semester/term. You do not need to submit this if you do not wish to use VA Education Benefits for the registered semester/term.

    Please use the link below to access the VA CERTIFICATION REQUEST:

    Certification Procedures & Timeline:

    51²Ö¿â follows the Dual Certification Process each semester/term for eligible chapters.

    The Dual Certification process means 51²Ö¿â reports your credit/clock hours to the Department of Veterans Affairs with zero tuition and fees known as Enrollment Certification.

    This allows the school to certify an enrollment in a timely manner while ensuring the student receives housing allowance, books and supplies stipend and; it allows for more precise report from the schools when they certify tuition and fees to prevent overpayments to the school.

    • **Tuition and Fees Certifications begin to be processed after the semester/term add/drop period. Processing time for tuition and fees reporting takes 7-10 business days after add/drop period.

    Note: The processing times stated above is 51²Ö¿â processing times.

    *Enrollment Certifications are processed for all students eligible and using VA Education Benefits at 51²Ö¿â once you have submitted the required documentation at this institution.

    **Tuition and Fees Certifications are processed only for students using and eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill® and Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) once you have submitted the required documentation at this institution.

  • Due to the changes with the Post 9/11 GI Bill® that went into effect in August 2011, the Veterans Administration requires schools to deduct institutional aid and grants that are designated solely for tuition and fees when certifying your enrollment for the semester.

    Financial aid awards to be deducted before reporting your tuition and fees to the VA include the following:

    Please note if the any of the following are awarded to your student account/balance after tuition and fees have been reported to the VA, the School Certifying Official is required to report a certification adjustment to resubmit the correct tuition and fees.

    • Barry Scholarships
    • Presidential Scholarship
    • Trustee Award
    • Dean’s Award
    • Red, Black, and Silver
    • Achievement Award
    • 51²Ö¿â Award
    • Effective Access to Student Education Grant (EASE), formerly known as Florida Resident Access Grant (FRAG)
    • Any award/discount requiring the submission of theÌý
    • Any other types of institutional aid designated for tuition and fees

    If you have any questions about any of the deductible aid stated above, you may contact a VA School Certifying Official for further information via email atÌýveterans@barry.edu

    Title IV Financial aid funds are not deducted from tuition reported to the VA and include the following:

    • Barry Access Grant
    • PELL Grant
    • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
    • Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG)
    • Work Study
    • Stafford, Perkins and Parent PLUS Loans

    THE VA DOES NOT COVER ANY FEES RELATED TO PRIOR LEARNING CREDIT. THIS INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO:

    • National Testing Programs (CLEP, COMPASS, DSST)
    • Portfolio Review/assessment
    • Challenge exams/test out Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
    • Correspondence Courses
    • Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG)
    • Corporate TrainingWork Study
    • Advanced Individual Training (AIT) or Occupational Specialties from DD 214 or Joint Services Transcript
    • Stafford, Perkins and Parent PLUS Loans

    VA PENDING PAYMENT COMPLIANCE

    In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), 51²Ö¿â adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA.

    51²Ö¿â will not:

    • Prevent the student's enrollment on pending VA funds;
    • Assess a late penalty fee to the student on pending VA funds;
    • Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
    • Deny the student 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.

    To qualify for the provision, such students are required to:

    • Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) at the time of registration. Final deadline by the first day of class;
    • Provide additional Information and/or documentation needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other Institutional policies.

    REMINDER:ÌýStudents are responsible for any portion of their account balance not covered by VA educational benefits. Please follow the 51²Ö¿âÌý.

  • The VA has approved our academic programs and certificates for full-time VA enrollment as
    follows:

    • ÌýBachelor’s degrees and post-Baccalaureate certificates: 12 credits
    • ÌýMaster’s degrees and post-Master certificates: 9 credits
    • ÌýDoctoral, Ed.D., Ed.S., and PhD degrees: 6 credits


    Please note: For all programs, the number of credits listed are approved by the
    VA as full-time enrollment for standard 15-19 week semesters. If you are
    enrolled at less than the number of credits indicated above for the duration of
    the standard 15-19 semester, VA full-time enrollment status will not be
    attainable, which in turn will affect the amount of monthly housing allowance (MHA) you are eligible to receive.

    Example:

    • PhD student registered for 2 courses in a Spring semester:
    • One course is a 3 credit 7-week course from 1/9/23 to 2/26/23
    • Second course is a 3 credit 15-week course from 1/9/23 to 5/9/23
    • In this scenario, the student is enrolled full time from 1/9/23 to 2/26/23, the student is enrolled half time from 2/27/23 through 5/9/23.


    To discuss specific circumstances regarding enrollment certification and/or full-time
    enrollment, you are welcome to direct any questions to us either by emailing us at
    veterans@barry.edu or by scheduling a booking with a VA School Certifying Official at


    Additionally, monthly housing allowance and stipend payment questions should be directed to
    the VA Education Call Center at 888-442-4551.

  • Student Veteran Services Disclaimer Statement for Chapter 31 and 33 Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA)

    Student veterans that are eligible for the Chapter 33 and Chapter 31 Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA):

    • To qualify for the in-resident rate of the monthly housing allowance, student veterans must attend at least one standard, in-person class during the term. Verification of attendance will be required through a designated attendance form, signed by the professor.

VA Educational Programs

  • PROUD TO PARTICIPATE IN THE YELLOW RIBBON PROGRAM

    °Õ³ó±ðÌýÌýcan help you pay for higher out-of-state, private school, or graduate school tuition that the Post-9/11 GI Bill® doesn’t cover. The institution can contribute up to 50% of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution. Dependents who have received transferred benefits are also eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program if requirements are met.

    TRANSFER POST-9/11 GI BILL® BENEFITS

    Find out if you can transfer any of your unused Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits to your spouse or dependent children.

    Note: The Department of Defense (DoD) decides whether you can transfer GI Bill® benefits to your family. For more information on eligibility, please use this linkÌý

    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 web site at

VA Forms

  • Use this form to apply for educational assistance under the following benefit programs:

    • Post- 9/11 GI Bill® chapter 33 of title 38, U.S. Code
    • Montgomery GI Bill® (MGIB) chapter 30 of title 38, U.S. Code
    • Montgomery GI Bill® - Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) chapter 1606 of title 10, U.S. Code
    • Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) chapter 32 of title 38, U.S. Code, or section 901 or section 903 of Public Law 96-342
  • Use this form to apply for educational assistance if your sponsor hasÌýÌýbenefits once the DoD approves the Transfer of Entitlement (TOE).

  • If you are a dependent (spouse or child) and this is your first time using the Fry Scholarship or DEA (Chapter 35) educational benefits.

  • Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility:

    Chapter 31 Application & Books/Supplies Procedures:

  • The Building Your Future with the GI Bill® series assist GI Bill® students in navigating their education pathways, using benefits and finding employment:

    Postcard Series:

    Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E-CH31):

    Veteran Programs & Services:

Military/Veteran Benefit Contact Information:

  • GI Bill® (Chapters 30, 33, 1606, Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31), Chapter 35)

    Norman Ford
    Email:Ìýveterans@barry.edu

  • Rose Cieslar
    Email:Ìýrcieslar@barry.edu
    Phone: 305-899-3584

    Note: Please submit your branch of service approval documentation to the email above.

  • Amy Carlisle
    Email:Ìýacarlisle@barry.edu
    Phone: 305-899-3947

  • If you wish to complete a FAFSA or request information on loans, scholarships, and grants, please visit our Financial Aid website at /en/financial-aid.

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