The School Certifying Official handbook has been updated with the following new information:

• REMOTE Act and Flat Rate tuition and fees: this impacted section 1010 of The Isakson Roe Act regarding the 2 certification requirement for schools
• Updates to Yellow Ribbon: Service members and their spouses can get Yellow Ribbon effective 8/1/22
• Added Guidance for Reporting Vacation Periods

Applying for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits just got easier! If you know a Veteran or service member applying for the first time, please remind them to complete all four steps in creating their ID.me account to experience an enhanced user experience. To verify their identity, they will need to either upload a picture of their license or state ID, upload a picture of their passport/passport card, or answer questions about their credit history. The enhanced application experience will provide pre-populated fields, the potential to receive an instant benefits decision, and more.

It’s been more than a year since Post-9/11 GI Bill® students began verifying their course enrollments — time flies! With the start of a new school year, please remind your students about the importance of verifying their monthly enrollment in order to continue receiving their Monthly Housing Allowance without interruption. If your students need more information on the verification process, please encourage them to review the Enrollment Verification webpage which includes FAQs, infographics, and videos on the verification process. We will continue to provide updates on the enrollment verification process, as needed.

On August 24, 2022, the President announced the student loan relief plan. This announcement does not impact GI Bill benefits. For many Veterans, service members, and their families, this new plan may mean relief from the burden of student loans. If your students have questions about the new student loan relief plan please refer them to the White House Fact Sheet. They can also read the official Department of Education announcement.

The Yellow Ribbon Program can help eligible GI Bill students pay for tuition for a degree or training program at a college or other institution of higher learning. The program can help to cover the costs of out-of-state, private, and graduate programs. If you have students who may qualify, please have them visit us online to learn more.

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, and provides them with up to 9 months or $30,000 in benefits. 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, they’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

If you have students studying in a field related to medicine or healthcare, VA offers scholarships to students willing to work in a VA healthcare facility serving our nation’s Veterans.  They cover many degrees and certifications and can help your students extend their benefits to reach the end of their education. Find more information about the different programs on our website.

Your students rely on you to help them understand all the uses for their GI Bill^® benefits. One benefit they sometimes miss is the test benefit. Students can use part of their entitlement to cover the cost, up to $2,000, of certain approved entrance exams for graduate school as well as tests they need to take to become a licensed or certified professional. 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 explanatory postcard.

Our partners in the U.S. Department of State administer the Fulbright U.S. Student Program that offers to expand perspectives through academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue.

On August 4, 2022, the program presented on the Fulbright Alumni Ambassador Panel – Military and Veterans. The presentation explored the basics of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and provided unique perspectives from staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE), Fulbright Program Advisers, and Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors that can help service members and Veterans expand their careers. If you or your students are interested in learning more, you can watch and share the presentation.

The GI Bill Comparison Tool plays a pivotal role in helping Veterans and service members transition out of service and decide how to use their education benefits. In our VA News blog, we follow the journey of one Veteran who utilized the tool and its new features to make a successful career change. Head over to the blog to learn more about Keara’s story and the new side-by-side comparison and map features added to the GI Bill Comparison Tool, and share the good news with your students, staff, family, and friends!