On June 1, 2022, COVID-19 legislation permitting students to receive the Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) at the resident (in person) rate, while taking approved courses converted to online training due to COVID-19 ended. 

If your institution is operating in an unapproved modality, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you must return to the approved modality before COVID-19 provisions were effective. Returning to your approved modality should have occurred on or before June 2, 2022. 

Note: Corrections will need to be made to all certifications previously submitted for terms: 

1. Spanning June 1, 2022, and 
2. Included converted courses taken online.

Guidance on correcting these certifications in VA-ONCE is included in the COVID-19 FAQs.

For more information, review the COVID-19 frequently asked questions.  

You can help students studying for STEM degrees by letting them know about the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship. This scholarship is for Veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill^® and Fry Scholars, allowing them to extend their benefits by up to 9 months or $30,000. They must:

1. Be enrolled in a qualifying STEM program, 
2. Have completed a certain amount of time on their degree,
3. Have 6 months or less of their benefits left (if they apply too soon, you’ll be denied).

Students often don’t know about benefit supplements like this, so your help sharing the word can make a real difference! If they need more information, or want to apply, you can share our webpage on the benefit or our explanatory postcard.

Regardless of where your students are in their education journey, VA has a useful resource that can help them make decisions about what to do next. It’s a three-part guide, “Building Your Future with the GI Bill^®”:

• Part One: A Guide to Choosing Your Education Pathway
• Part Two: A Guide to Understanding Your Benefits
• Part Three: A Guide to Furthering Your Career

Please share with students as you think will be helpful.

Any student who is eligible for the GI Bill^® is also eligible for Personalized Career Planning and Guidance, a free benefit that provides:

• Career counseling to help students decide which civilian or military jobs they want
• Educational counseling to help them find a training program or field of study
• Academic and adjustment counseling to help students address issues or barriers that get in the way of their success
• Resume support and goal planning

Students can use this benefit more than once.  Please share this information with students and any relevant academic advising offices as you see fit. If they need more information, or want to apply, you can share our webpage on the benefit or our fact sheet.

If you have students enrolled in courses or training during the summer, please remind them to verify their enrollment to continue receiving their Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) and/or kicker payments. Depending on their opt-in method, students will receive a text or email from VA asking them if they are still enrolled in their courses during the summer. If they are not opted into text or email verification, students can call the Education Call Center at 1-888-442-4551 domestically or 001-918-781-5678 internationally to verify. If students are interested in learning more, please encourage them to visit the Enrollment Verification webpage.

As part of the Digital GI Bill (DGIB) modernization, VA is simplifying and modernizing the GI Bill education benefits experience. With the latest enhancements to the GI Bill Comparison Tool, students can now compare schools' side-by-side, search by location using a map feature, and even search on the go with a mobile-friendly design. Check out our video on how one Veteran, Keara Harvey, utilized the GI Bill Comparison Tool to transition out of the military, choose a school, and start a new career. VA is not only improving the GI Bill experience for students but is in the process of developing a streamlined platform to support School Certifying Officials, based on your feedback. Stay tuned for more modernization updates!

Beginning August 1, 2022, section 1009 of the Isakson and Roe legislation will go into effect. Section 1009 provides clarity on who is eligible to receive Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) payments while attending school on active duty. Students who are pursuing a program of education while on active duty, and have served at least 30 days, will no longer qualify to receive GI Bill MHA payments, as they will receive a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from the Department of Defense. Affected students can find more information on the Isakson and Roe webpage.

Effective June 15, 2022, section 1018, establishing 38 U.S.C. § 3679(f), requires educational institutions to provide students with certain financial information and other requirements. Schools must comply with the requirements to qualify for GI Bill funds. This applies to educational institutions beginning August 1, 2022. VA previously sent an email about the section and what education institutions must do to comply. You can read that message to learn more about what this means for your school.

Didn’t get a chance to attend the 2022 GI Bill Summit? We’ve got you covered! You can watch the recording of the event on YouTube and check out additional answers to GI Bill questions, answered directly by Veterans Benefits Administration Education Service leadership, on the RallyPoint page. From monthly housing allowance to expiration and extension of benefits, we covered many topics that matter to students when it comes to education benefits. We encourage you to share the video with your network so other SCOs, GI Bill students, friends, and families are in the know too!

As we continue to modernize the GI Bill experience, we look forward to directly connecting with you and the GI Bill students you support to hear feedback that will drive system updates!