Veteran's Benefits

Wilson welcomes veterans and dependent family members, Guard, Reservists and active duty personnel as students.

Wilson welcomes veterans and dependent family members, Guard, Reservists and active duty personnel as students. 

The Financial Aid Office staff processes VA and Department of Defense education benefits.  Wilson College has been approved as a Yellow Ribbon institution by the VA.  This means that if a student with 100% eligibility for Chapter 33 VA benefits exhausts their yearly benefit, Wilson College and the VA will equally cover any remaining tuition and fee charges so that the student does not incur any out of pocket expense for these costs.  Student's with less than 100% eligibility are not eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Benefit.

  • Apply online for GI Bill® and other VA education benefits
  • Submit copy of eligibility letter to the Financial Aid Office
  • Complete the Wilson College VA certification form each semester you want benefits processed
  • Also complete the FAFSA since you may be eligible for additional aid
  • Students who submit the eligibility letter and certification form by the start of the semester and whose benefits cover tuition and fees, will not incur late fees

Tuition and Fees

The VA will pay Wilson College directly for Chapter 33 eligible students regardless of enrollment status and percentage of eligibility.  The VA requires that Wilson College reduce the amount of requested payment by any tuition-based scholarship regardless of the source.  Following are examples of tuition-based scholarship assistance:

  • Wilson College Merit Scholarships
  • Wilson College Affiliation Scholarships
  • Any outside scholarship is specifically designated to assist with the payment of tuition and fees.

The Chapter 33 eligible student is not required to pre-pay any portion of their tuition and fee charges that the VA will cover with education benefits payment.

Chapter 31 eligible students must provide documentation from their counselors regarding their eligibility for this assistance.  Students who are Chapter 31 eligible normally are eligible to receive benefits to cover 100% of all costs incurred during each semester minus any eligibility for tuition-based scholarships as indicated above. 

Chapter 31 eligible students must complete an Enrollment Certification Request Form each semester, provide copies of all text book receipts and must notify the Financial Aid Office of any changes in their enrollment.  Students may apply for other types of financial aid assistance by completing a FAFSA.  Chapter 31 eligible students are not required to pre-pay any portion of their charges that will be covered with VA education benefits.

Books

Chapter 33 VA Benefits for books are paid directly to the student.  Chapter 33 recipients who charge books to their student accounts using the E-Campus Bookstore option are responsible for payment of these charges to Wilson College.  Chapter 33 recipients can apply for federal and state financial aid to assist with these expenses by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Housing Benefits

Chapter 33 recipients who live in campus housing and have a required meal plan are responsible for payment of these charges to Wilson College.  Chapter 33 recipients can apply for federal and state financial aid to assist with these expenses by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Chapter 33 VA Benefits for housing (if the student qualifies) are paid directly to the student.  In order to receive a housing payment, the student  must have a rate of pursuit of greater than 50%.  This can very per semester depending upon the number of course credits that the veteran is enrolled in and the length of the term. Courses are valued at 1.0 to 3.0 credits.  Courses with labs or studio fees, language courses and a limited number of other courses that require higher contact hours will be reported to the VA with a credit value of 4.0 credits.   

The VA uses a rate of pursuit calculation to determine if you qualify for a housing allowance. Below is an excerpt from the VA customer service website (housing allowance rate) that provides information on determining rate of pursuit.

Undergraduate

“For undergraduate enrollments, 12 semester or quarter hours are generally required for full-time training. The school submits the term dates and credit hours of the enrollment to VA and we calculate the rate of pursuit.  For example, if 12 credits is considered full-time, a course load of 6 credits yields a rate of pursuit of 50% (6 ÷ 12 = .50), whereas a course load of 7 credits yields a rate of pursuit of 58% (7 ÷ 12 = .58). In this scenario, a Veteran would need to enroll for at least 7 credits (such as two 3-credit classes and a 1-credit lab) in order to receive the housing allowance benefits.

Some schools offer classes in terms that are shorter than a standard length semester or quarter. This is especially true for online classes and summer enrollments, but some schools offer accelerated terms at brick-and-mortar campuses year round. In these cases, VA calculates weighted "equivalent credit hours" so that fewer credits are required for full-time (and more than half-time) training.”

As always, the VA has the final say in your eligibility for a housing allowance.  You may need to review your schedule to see if your enrollment is such that if you will not qualify for housing, you  may want to consider adding additional coursework prior to the end of the semester's add/drop period.

Other VA Programs 

Students who are eligible for education benefits through VA Chapters 30, 35, 1606 and 1607 will receive payment directly from the VA.  Students in these programs are responsible for making payment to Wilson College up front and can apply for other types of assistance by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  Students in these programs are required to complete a VA Enrollment Certification Request each semester that they wish to have their benefits certified and must notify the Financial Aid Office of any changes in their enrollment.

Helpful links for Veteran's  programs include:

 

Helpful links for Survivor's programs include:

Each semester, any student who is eligible for any type of VA education benefit should complete a VA Enrollment Certification Request Form and submit it to the Financial Aid Office in order for VA benefits to be processed.  Please remember that if your enrollment changes during the course of the semester, you must notify the Financial Aid Office so that we can provide updated enrollment information to the VA.