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Greetings,
With the end of the federal government shutdown, we want to share several important updates for you and the students you support.
ECC and SCO Hotline Operations
The ECC and SCO Hotline have resumed operations and are available to assist with questions. Call us at 888-GIBILL-1 (888-442-4551), or 001-918-781-5678 if calling from overseas, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.
If a student has a debt due to enrollment changes, they can submit a message through Ask VA or call the Debt Management Center at 1-800-827-0648.
Progress on Claims and Student Support
VA Education Service continues to make steady progress in restoring timely service for students, especially for those using Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) benefits. We recognize the past several weeks have been difficult, and we appreciate your patience.
We are working as quickly as possible to process all pending claims and remain on track for full recovery by mid-December.
Students can check the status of their payments and complete common self-service actions such as updating direct deposit information or changing contact details using their My Education Benefits page.
We encourage you to submit enrollment certifications as soon as possible. Enrollment Manager allows certifications up to 180 days before the term begins for Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) enrollment certifications and up to 120 days for non- 33 (Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty [Chapter 30], Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve [Chapter 1606], or Chapter 35).
Email and Text Notifications for Attendance Verification
VA now offers email and text messaging for students using Chapter 30, 33 or 1606 benefits. These messages are used for the required monthly verification of attendance.
We encourage students to ensure their contact information is up to date in their VA.gov profile and to opt in to text or email notifications to ensure their payments are released without delay.
For Chapter 35 students only, enrollment verification is temporarily waived as explained below.
Automatic Verification for Chapter 35 Students
Chapter 35 students whose fall 2025 terms have been processed will be automatically verified for November. They do not need to submit verification of attendance at this time.
We will share more information once Chapter 35 beneficiaries will be required to resume verifying their enrollment.
Thank you for your continued partnership and for the dedicated support you provide to Veterans and their families.
Respectfully,
Education Service
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