Getting Started
Transitioning from military service is difficult enough without having to get up to speed on the bureaucracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as your educational institution. The following is quick and dirty advice to ensure you smoothly transition from warrior to student veterans.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the key to nearly all financial aid. It is an annual application that determines all Federal government student financial aid (think pell grants and student loans) and a large portion of state government financial aid. FAFSA is completed each spring, once you have filed your tax return, for the following academic school year. While you can complete your FAFSA at any point throughout the calendar year, to be eligible for Indiana state government financial aid you must submit your FASFA no later than March 10th. If you file your FASFA after March 10th you will be eligible for Federal aid but generally will not be eligible for state aid. The FAFSA asks questions pertaining to your income (and possibly family income for younger students). Based upon your tax return information it returns an EFC (expected family contribution) amount. The lower your EFC, the more aid you are eligible for. FAFSA can be completed by going to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
Evaluate Your Eligibility & Benefits
Veterans may be eligible for more than one educational benefit program depending upon their military service. Review newgibill.org and our Federal Benefits page for all your potential benefits. You can only use one federal benefit at a time. This means that if you are eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill (Ch30) AND Post 9/11 GI Bill (Ch33), you can not use them for the same semester. Also, note that their is a maximum limit of 36 months for any one education benefit and max 48 months if you are eligible for more than one benefit. If you have a service connected disability of 20% or greater is it generally recommended that you exhaust your GI Bill benefits before using Ch 31 Voc Rehab as Voc Rehab is able to extend your eligibility. If you need assistance determining the best program for you, contact your school’s VA Certifying Official.
VONAPP
Apply for veterans educational benefit(s) using the Veterans Online Application (VONAPP). Use VONAPP to apply for educational benefits, disability & compensation, and Ch31 Vocational Rehabilition benefits. Be sure to apply for any and all benefits as early as possible to account for likely delays in processing your claim. Click here to go to VONAPP
Apply to School(s)
Obviously apply to your preferred school(s) as early as possible.
Military Transcripts
See the Military Transcript page under Resources
