Saint Martin's is committed to supporting our veterans community. See here for more info on Veterans Assistance at Saint Martin's.
Please note that Saint Martin's does not participate in the State Tuition Waiver program. This means that the Chapter 35 or DEA program does not pay tuition and mandatory fees. The student receives a monthly stipend that is sent directly to them by the VA. This stipend is not the amount of tuition and fees.
To receive VA benefits, you must follow the steps below:
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Apply for admission to Saint Martin's.
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Apply for benefits through the VA. The VA requires up to 30-45 days to process any paperwork submitted. Once eligibility and rate of percentage has been determined, a certificate of eligibility (COE) is mailed to your home address. Note: Dependents approved to utilize benefits must also apply for benefits online through the VA website. You will receive notification of the dependent transfer approval.
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If you are attending classes on our main campus, bring your COE to the Saint Martin's Registrar's Office (Old Main, 245). If you are attending classes at Saint Martin's-JBLM, bring your COE to any of our JBLM offices. Note: If you are a transfer student and have used your benefits at your prior institution, you need to provide a copy of the COE and fill out the request for change of program or place of training (22-5495). COE’s may be obtained through your prior institutions' veterans representative.
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Complete the Saint Martin's request for certification form. Then contact our Veteran's Representative. For Lacey campus, that will be veterans.services@stmartin.edu or 360-438-4356. For Saint Martin's-JBLM, that will be mgarrido@stmartin.edu or 253-584-4149. Your Veteran's Representative is available to answer any question you may have regarding the process of applying, understanding your benefits and certification. Note: The VA Rep is not an academic advisor or an employee of the Department of Veterans Administration. The university cannot override VA policies or determine VA Eligibility, nor does the university control the issuance of VA educational benefits; however, academic decisions may impact your educational benefits, so we will help you with this decision making process. If you have direct questions regarding the processing of your paperwork through the regional office, please contact 1-888-442-4551.
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Meet with your academic advisor. Prior to registration, you will need to meet with your advisor to make sure you are registering for the proper classes, meeting degree requirements and making progress towards graduation.
VA chapters:
Visit here for more VA chapter information.
Chapter 33 - Post 9/11 GI Bill® - Pays tuition and mandatory fees directly to university depending on eligibility
Chapter 30 - Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty - Pays monthly stipend* directly to student
Chapter 31 - Vocational Rehabilitation - Pays tuition, mandatory fees, mandatory books ad supplies directly to university
Chapter 35 - Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) - Pays monthly stipend* directly to student
Chapter 1606 - Montgomery GI Bill® - Selected Reserves (MGIB-SR) - Pays monthly stipend* directly to student
Chapter 1607 - Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) - Pays monthly stipend* directly to student
*Monthly stipend is not equal to the amount of tuition and mandatory fees. Stipend is only for the months enrolled in classes.
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 https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
VA certification policy:
The veteran or dependent must provide a certificate of eligibility prior to being certified. They must first be registered for courses that they are being certified. Saint Martin’s University will not pre-certify for courses in advanced; students must be registered under advisor approval.
Saint Martin’s will not participate in accelerated pay if student is using Chapter 33. The VA pays directly to the school; tuition and fees should not be reported to the VA prior to bills being assessed to ensure accuracy of tuition and fees.
If student is certified prior to proof of entitlement and registration, the student may incur debt to the VA, which will become the student’s full responsibility. The VA certifying official is responsible for reporting tuition and fees directly to the VA and must keep records as accurate as possible so the student is not liable for mistakes by the institution, VA and certifying official.