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GI Bill® Program

Programs & Application Process

To receive GI Bill® Benefits at Finlandia University, students will need to first apply for the benefits with the Department of Veterans Affairs. This can be done online at the Department of Veterans Affairs VONAPP website. If you would prefer to fill out the paper 22-1990 Application for Benefits form, please contact our office to have a form mailed to you. You will also need to submit a copy of your DD-214 form to our office and may be required to submit one with your application for benefits.

Once you register for classes for the semester and have completed the Veterans Benefits Guidelines (must be done before initial certification) and Request for Certification (and returned the forms to the Financial Aid Office), we will then pass your file on to have your attendance certified with the VA-Once program. Students are still required to certify their attendance monthly with the VA for certain programs. This can be done using the WAVE program.

Guidelines, Information, & Responsibilities regarding the GI Bill® Benefits:

  • Please be aware the VA processing time for an application can be 8-12 weeks and, depending on the time of your application, may not be ready for the beginning of the semester.
  • Should a student have an outstanding debt with the VA, this could unknowingly have an effect on the amount of funding received. If you have an outstanding debt with the Department of Veterans Affairs, it is our recommendation that you contact them to find out how this may play out in relation to your enrollment certification being processed at Finlandia.
  • We encourage all current students to sign up for their next semester classes as soon as they are eligible to do so. Once you have done this and submitted a Request for Certification, this will allow us to certify the classes online ahead of time and give the VA some extra time to process the certification ahead of that upcoming semester.
  • Students should also be aware that it is their responsibility to contact the the Registrar’s Office and specify with her that you are a Veteran receiving VA Education Benefits who has changed their status whenever they have any change in their status at the University. If the change in status is not reflected with the VA before payment, this may result in an overpayment to the student in monthly payments and require the VA to request some/all of that money to be sent back to them.
  • Please be aware that end-of-semester grades are evaluated by the Registrar’s Office for the Department of Veterans Affairs. If benefits were received and punitive (F) grades were assigned, this will be reported to the VA and they will determine whether or not money will need to be paid back to them by the student.

HELPFUL GI Bill® Website links

Montgomery GI Bill® Information
Reserve Educational Assistance Program
Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program
Additional VA Programs

We hope this information has been helpful to you and encourage you to let us know if you need assistance with anything.  You can also call the Veterans Administration Regional Office in St. Louis for more information on these programs and eligibility at 1-888-442-4551.

Post-9/11 Program Information & Instructions

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) is a benefit that was put into effect to be used beginning on August 1, 2009, with training dates that began on or after that date. For determining eligibility for this benefit, active duty service must have been performed after September 10, 2001. To be eligible, a service member or veteran must have served at least 90 aggregate days on active duty.  Individuals who were honorably discharged for a service-connected disability who served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001, may also be able to establish eligibility.

Please note that if you choose to enroll in the Post-9/11 program instead of a different chapter program from the VA, this is a choice that CANNOT be reversed. We encourage you to contact the Veterans Administration Offices and/or visit the GI Bill® website to know the difference in programs and what might work best for you.  

THE PROGRAM’S MAXIMUM BASIC BENEFIT WILL:

  • The maximum amount the VA will cover under the Post-9/11 Program for private universities, such as Finlandia, will be capped at $25162.14 annually.
  • Provide a monthly housing allowance based on the following:
    • If students used their Post-9/11 benefits prior to January 1, 2018, they will receive the Post-9/11 MHA payment based on the military’s Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents.  Rates will be adjusted every calendar year (January 1) based on changes to housing costs across the country.  Your MAH is based on the zip code for Finlandia University (49930). MHA rate changes are effective August (the beginning of the academic year).
    • Effective January 1, 2018, the Post-9/11 GI Bil®l MHA rate will be the same as the Department of Defense’s E-5 with dependents Basic Allowance Housing (BAH) rate.  Students will receive this rate if they first used their Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits on or after January 1,  2018.  If they student started using their Post-9/11 GI Bill® before January 1, 2018, they will continue to receive payments based on the slightly higher VA rate in the bullet above.
    • Housing allowance will be prorated to the student’s rate of pursuit, rounded to the nearest tenth. Example: A student training at a rate of pursuit of 75% would receive 80% of the BAH (Basic Housing Allowance) rate.  Another example, a student enrolled at 10 credits at a school where 12 credits is considered full-time will be at .83, which will also be figured at 80%.
    • For a student enrolled solely in distance learning, they will be considered for monthly housing at one-half the national average for BAH for an E5 with dependents.
  • Provide a yearly books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per year.

WHAT THESE BENEFITS TRANSLATE TO FOR A STUDENT AT FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY

  • Finlandia University’s tuition and fees may surpass the $25162.14 cap set for private universities. As a result, we have signed up for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
    • A student that is certified as 100% eligible for the Post-9/11 Program would receive, at full-time enrollment status, up to $25162.14 towards tuition and fees.  We are working under/with the Yellow Ribbon Program to help students who are 100% eligible under the Post-9/11 Program to have their tuition and fees met for the Fall and Spring semesters.  For some students, this may mean that there is some Post-9/11, Yellow Ribbon coverage to cover some of the summer semester charges, should you choose to utilize them for that particular semester.
      • The Yellow Ribbon program extends the opportunity for institutions to participate in this program to make additional funds available for your education program without an additional charge to your GI Bill® entitlement. Find out if you are eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program. We encourage you to contact our office with any questions.
        • Finlandia University’s participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program goes over the $25162.14 cap by the following amounts:
          • College of Health Sciences – $694   / College of Arts & Sciences – $444 / Art & Design – $804 / Business – $444
  • Post-9/11 recipients who are NOT eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program will receive an adjusted amount of funding that is figured by the VA in accordance with the new regulations and the private university funding cap.
    • Students that are needing additional funding to help cover the remainder of the tuition amount that may not be covered by the VA are encouraged to apply for Federal Student Aid by filing a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form.  This can be done at www.fafsa.gov.  You may also contact the Office of Financial Aid at Finlandia for assistance with this process. This form may make you eligible for federal grants (Pell, SEOG) and/or federal student loans (Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized).
  • The monthly basic housing allowance for a person that is certified at 100% will be figured at the 19/20 rates set by the federal government.
    • Housing allowance will be prorated to the student’s rate of pursuit, rounded to the nearest tenth. Example: A student training at a rate of pursuit of 75% would receive 80% of the BAH (Basic Housing Allowance) rate.
    • Please note:  Students MUST be at MORE than six credits in order to receive any form of housing allowance for the Post-9/11 program.
  • The Post-9/11 Program will figure their amount of coverage by doing the following: “The actual net cost for in-state tuition and fees assessed by the institution for the program of education after the application of any waiver of, or reduction in, tuition and fees; and any scholarship, or other Federal, State, institutional, or employer-based aid or assistance (excluding loans and Title IV funds) that is provided directly to the institution and specifically designated for the sole purpose of defreaying tuition and fees.” (GI Bill® Website)
  • While books are not covered by the tuition and fee money, Veterans can talk with the Office of Student Accounts about setting up a charge account with the school for their books until the funding is received. If your book charges go beyond the amount paid to you by the VA, you can speak with the Office of Student Accounts about payment plan options or apply for Federal Student Aid to help cover this.
  • Should a student have an outstanding debt with the VA, this could unknowingly have an effect on the amount of funding received by the student and/or institution. If you have an outstanding debt with the Department of Veterans Affairs, it is our recommendation that you contact them to find out how this may play out in relation to your enrollment certification being processed at Finlandia.

Process of Applying and Certifying & Your Responsibilities

  • Veterans can apply for benefits online at the Veterans Affairs VONAPP website. If you would prefer to do the paper form, you can contact our office to have a paper 22-1990 Application for Benefits form sent to you.  You will also need to have a copy of your DD-214 form ready to be submitted at this time.
    • This application process can take anywhere from 8-12 weeks to complete. We encourage you to apply for this as early as possible to prevent too lengthy of a delay.
  • Once the Veterans Affairs Office has processed your application, they will send you a letter in the mail notifying you of your eligibility level.  Included in this letter is a section called the “Certificate of Eligibility”.  You will want to present this letter to the Registrar’s Office at Finlandia University as soon as you receive it.
  • This certificate will tell you the level of Post-9/11 benefit eligibility you are able to receive.  Once we receive a copy of this form, along with your signed Veterans Education Benefit Guidelines and Request for Certification Form, we will certify your enrollment online through the VA-Once program. Once they have processed the information, 3-10 weeks after this time, we will receive a payment for the amount of tuition and fees they have agreed to pay. For example, a 70% eligibility level would receive a prorated amount towards the tuition and fees being charged for the semester.  Sometime after this point, you will begin receiving your monthly housing allowance payments from the VA.
  • Due to the length of time that can occur from the point of application to the point of receiving benefits for your charges and you to receive your monthly housing allowance, Finlandia University is willing to work with veterans regarding a balance that may not be paid at the beginning of the semester. This is something that can be discussed with each person as they come through the Admissions process at the University.
  • Please remember that if your status changes at any point during the semester, you will need to notify the Registrar’s Office and specify with that you are a Veteran receiving VA Education Benefits who has changed their status. A change in status may affect the amount of aid the VA chooses to pay and any extra money that is paid by the VA for a status change that is not corrected in their system prior to the start of the semester may require money to be paid back to them. If funds were already disbursed for the veteran or if the semester has already begun, it could mean that funds will be owed BY THE STUDENT back to the VA.
    • Please be aware that end-of-semester grades are evaluated by the Registrar’s Office for the Department of Veterans Affairs. If benefits were received and punitive (F) grades were assigned, this will be reported to the VA and they will determine whether or not money will need to be paid back to them by the student.

Filing for Federal Student Aid

We encourage all Veterans to apply for Federal Student Aid to assist with your education costs. This can be done online by filing a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form at www.fafsa.gov. You may also stop by or contact the Office of Financial Aid for assistance with this process.

We hope this information has been helpful to you and encourage you to contact our office with any questions. For additional information regarding the Post-9/11 Program, we encourage you to visit the website. The Veterans Administration Regional Office in St. Louis can be reached by phone at 1-888-442-4551.

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.

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