Veterans

There is one application process for all prospective B-CU students. Admission requirements and applications for all types of B-CU applicants (freshman, transfer, graduate, etc.) may be accessed and submitted online, view B-CU applications. 

Please feel free to contact the B-CU Military Services and Affairs Office or the B-CU Admissions office with any questions regarding your application status, but understand they may not have answers until all documents have been received and reviewed by approving authority.

Any military training you received that may qualify for college credit is evaluated by the B-CU Registrar’s Office, however, military service related credits are ultimately accepted by the academic dean for your chosen degree program, who may then apply some or all of those credits toward your degree requirements. Provide the Admissions Office with your official military transcripts, or Joint Service Transcript (JST), along with a copy of your DD214.

Credit for military training from your JST may be assigned based off of a Level of “L” (Lower Division), “U” (Upper Division), or “G” for Graduate. No credit will be awarded for Level “V” (Vocational).

All military service members receive their discharge papers (DD214) upon release from active duty service. Most veterans and their next-of-kin can obtain a copy of their DD214 through the National Archives Veterans’ Records Service.

Currently, only active-duty military members or *National Guardsmen/Reservists serving on orders for over 180 days may receive a discounted rate of $250.00 a credit hour for undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

National Guardsmen/Reservists only receive this discount during their over 180-day orders. Once the orders have ended the National Guardsmen/Reservists return to the normal allotted tuition rate. The university will need a copy of the orders to be sent to the VA Certifying Official Tanya Crump-Dickens dickenst@cookman.edu | 386-481-2514

Details regarding the different Veteran Affairs educational-benefit chapters may be found on the Education and Training section of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs web page. Please be advised that the Comparison Tool/Payment Rates are only guidelines and that your actual educational benefits can only be verified by the VA.

For more information regarding Florida specific benefits, including those for Purple Heart recipients and children and dependents of POW and MIA military members, please visit the Florida Department of Veteran Affairs web page, or call (850) 245-0407.

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, sometimes referred to as the Chapter 31 program, provides services to eligible Servicemembers and Veterans with service-connected disabilities to help them prepare for, obtain, and maintain suitable employment or achieve independence in daily living.

To begin utilizing VA educational benefits, ensure you have applied for your VA educational benefits and once you have applied remember to save the confirmation number after you have applied, as it may assist if there is a delay in receiving your Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) from the VA.

For general information on VA Education programs.

All students receiving VA educational benefits must submit their Certificate of Eligibility to the B-CU Certifying Official. Ensure you provide that certificate and a copy of your B-CU course schedule to the B-CU VA certifying official in a timely manner.

***The VA Certifying official will not process the VA educational benefits until the last day of the add/drop period***

You may also access the Certificate of Eligibility online through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs customer help page.

All students receiving VA educational benefits, Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GIBill®), Chapter 30 (Montgomery GIBill®), Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehab), Chapter 35 (Spouse/Dependent), Chapter 1606 (Reserve/Guard), Chapter 1607 (REAP), will need to submit a VA Certification Request Form every semester.

For your first semester at B-CU we will need the following:

1. DD214 (military members not dependents)
2. Certification letter explaining your benefits
3. B-CU course schedule (will have to provide this every semester)

You may access your remaining education benefits on the VA eBenefits webpage. Or call the VA Educational Services hotline at 888-442-4551

Log in to your existing account or register for an account, go to eBenefits, click Manage Benefits, then Education.

VA educational benefits will only pay for those courses required for your chosen major. For this reason, it is highly recommended that all students meet with an advisor in order to ensure registration in courses that are relevant to the degree program.

Most VA educational benefit programs cover the cost of remedial or deficiency courses, but only if a placement test indicates that you need to take that type of course, or if the course is required as a prerequisite for another course in your major.

Notify the VA Certifying Official Tanya Crump-Dickens, via email at dickenst@cookman.edu to avoid any potential overpayment issues.

The initial request for the educational benefit can take several weeks for the VA to process. Once you have established that you will be using your VA educational benefits with B-CU, the VA Certification Request is typically a much faster turnaround. You can ensure the quickest delivery of your educational benefits by submitting all required materials as early as possible. Please refer to the B-CU Academic Calendar for the University schedule, deadlines, and holidays.

The textbook stipend is paid as soon as your VA educational benefits request is processed. It is recommended that students buy their required texts as soon as possible, and think of the textbook stipend as a reimbursement. It is also important to understand that the current textbook stipend for full-time students is $1,000 for the entire year, this may not cover the costs of all your textbooks over the year.

The Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and all other monthly stipends are paid in arrears at the end of each month during a semester. Partial months are paid at a prorated rate to be determined by the VA based on how many actual days of classes you have attended. For example, the BAH you receive in the Month of January will be for December classes and will be minus whatever amount the VA deducts for the days after the end of the fall semester.

Students should meet with their academic advisor and confirm the dates with the B-CU academic calendar before registering for classes. It is important to maintain a degree flight plan and stay focused so you do not run out of benefits before accomplishing your degree

The credit hours required for full-time status depends on the program, speak with your academic advisor for more information.

The VA calculates your benefit amount based on the following formula:

Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GIBill®) All other VA educational benefits (or Chapters) 11 credit hours = 90% of all educational benefits 12 credit hours or more = Fulltime

10 credit hours = 80% 9 to 11 credit hours = Three-quarter time

9 credit hours = 80% 6 to 8 credit hours = Half-time

8 credit hours = 70% 4 and 5 credit hours = Less than half, more than one quarter

7 credit hours = 60% 1 to 3 credit hours = Quarter-time

If you receive Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GIBill®) educational benefits, and you are not registered for at least 51% of fulltime status or a minimum of 6.12 credit hours, you will not be eligible to receive the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). Also, at least one credit hour each semester must physically take place on campus.

If you receive VA educational benefits other than Chapter 33 and take less than half of the full-time credit hours, you will only have tuition and fees paid for by the VA according to the above formula.

You do not have to pay the VA back if you do not pass a course. VA education benefits will pay for you to repeat the course if it is required for your degree program.

If you drop a class before the deadline date, you are assigned a “W” mark, which will not affect your GPA and which the VA treats as having no effect on your transcript. If you drop a class which then changes your attendance status from fulltime, the VA will require you to repay any money you received for attendance in that class unless you have extenuating circumstances. If you feel you have a legitimate reason for dropping the class or withdrawing from a class, you can petition the VA and ask that you be allowed to maintain your rate of pay up to the last date of class attendance.