Payment and Planning

Payment Process for Your G.I. Bill ® Benefits By Chapter

ALL students have to pay/finalize their bill themselves, first, check the payment process by Chapter before pay/finalizing your bill.

To pay your registration bill, follow the below instructions:

  1. Log into Cyberbear (cyberbear.umt.edu) 
  2. Click "Student Services"
  3. Click "Payment and Account Information"
  4. Click "Pay Your Registration Bill"
  5. Select your applicable term and click "Submit"
  6. Click "Pay Your Registration Bill" even if you don’t owe any money - this is the new "finalize" button
  7. If you do owe money, you can pay online with your bank account information (check routing number and account number), stop by the Cashier's desk in Griz Central OR call them at 406-243-2223 to make a payment.

The VA pays all allowances directly to the student, and the VA pays all allowances in arrears (e.g. for the month of January they pay on February 1st). The VA will pay a pro-rated amount if the student attended fewer days than the total month. (e.g. January 1st - 15th will only receive 15 days of allowance).

All students will have a Rate of Pursuit (ROP), the ROP is what determines if a student is fulltime. Fulltime for Undergraduate students is 12 credit and for graduate students, it is 9 (during a regular term e.g. Fall/Spring)

  • If a class does not fall into the standard term than the ROP will be based on the number of credits the student is in for that given date range.
  • If there are multiple classes, when the dates overlap the ROP will go up, and when they lapse the ROP will go down.
  • The VA has the final say on ROP; however, UM's Military and Veterans Services Office can do an estimate.

Chapter 30 Students are responsible for paying their student bill. Chapter 30 students will receive a monthly stipend from the VA paid directly to the student.

If the student is less than halftime, tuition and fees will have to be reported to the VA, which will affect the amount of the stipend.

Chapter 30 students have to verify their attendance monthly on the WAVE Website or Hotline.

Wave Website

Chapter 30 Payment Rates

Chapter 31 Voc Rehab students bill will be paid by the Voc Rehab Office through a 3rd party billing contract which will put a payment on the students' account; however, the student is still responsible for pay/finalizing their own bill.

Voc Rehab does not pay for optional fees, the student has to opt-out of the optional fees if they do not wish to support the purpose of the fee.

Your Voc Rehab counselor should tell you what you are authorized to purchase, please contact your Voc Rehab counselor for purchases not involving tuition and fees (e.g. books, parking pass, etc.).

The Voc Rehab counselor will also inform the student about their housing allowance or other stipends.

The VETS Office has to have an Authorization on file from the Voc Rehab Office prior to submitting the student's certification to the VA.

 

When using the Post-9/11G.I. Bill ® VA Education benefit as the Veteran or Transfer of Eligibility (TOE), the first thing UM's Military and Veterans Services Office will always need is an updated Certificate Of Eligibility (COE). UM's Military and Veterans Services Office uses the COE to verify entitlement, which will allow us to apply a VA Estimated Credit to the students' account.

The credit will cover mandatory tuition and fees, the VA does not pay for optional fees, the student has to opt-out of the optional fees if they do not wish to support the purpose of the fee.

The student is responsible for pay/finalizing their bill themselves. The credit is what will allow the student to pay/finalize after they have paid any outstanding charges or optional fees.

The book stipend is the first payment the student should receive, which is divided by the number of credits the student is registered for, but will not exceed $1000 a year, and is paid directly to the student.

The VA pays the housing allowance directly to the student, and the VA pays the housing allowance in arrears (e.g. for the month of January they pay on February 1st). The VA will pay a pro-rated amount if the student attended fewer days than the total month. (e.g. January 1st - 15th will only receive 15 days of allowance).

  • If the student is all distance they will only receive half the national average for the housing allowance.
  • The student is responsible for paying for room and board, the VA pays the housing stipend to support the student paying for room and board.

The VETS Office does not request for the VA to send the tuition and fees to the school until after the third week of classes, this is to avoid sending multiple requests to the VA which would cause a delay in payments to ALL students using VA education benefits. After the third week, the request will be submitted and the VA will make the payment directly to the school.

If the student is waiting for the PELL Grant or student loans, the University will hold the money until the VA makes the payment, and will then refund the money to the student, the refund can be expected once the VA send the tuition and fees to the school (Approx 3-5 weeks after the start of the semester).

If the student has a scholarship that only applies to tuition and fees (e.g. TARA, LAS, Montana Achievement, etc) it will affect the way the credit is added onto the student's account.

  • TARA - These are out-of-state grad students who are charged at the in-state rate. Although they are out-of-state students and Yellow Ribbon, they will not receive need a Yellow Ribbon waiver because there is no out-of-state tuition assessed. No action is needed, the University will bill the mandatory tuition and fees on the student's account.
  • LAS, Montana Achievement, or other tuition and fee-only scholarship - If the student is being paid at the 100% rate, they can rescind these scholarships, as the VA is already paying for all of the mandatory tuition and fees.
    • Contact Financial Aid to discuss rescinding the scholarship, once the decision has been made contact UM's Military and Veterans Services Office to have a VA Estimated Credit manually added to your account.

 

 

 

How to obtain an updated Certificate of Eligibility:

  1. Call the VA hotline at 1-888-GIBILL-1 to request a copy of your most up-to-date Certificate of Eligibility.
  2. Submit a question through RightNow Web
    1. Visit https://gibill.custhelp.com/
    2. Select “Your Account” and log in or sign up.
    3. Click “Ask a Question” and request a copy of your most up-to-date Certificate of Eligibility. For “Product” select “GI Bill and VRAP.” For “Category” select “Post 9/11 GI Bill, Eligibility”
    4. Click “Continue.”
    5. Click “Finish Submitting Question” on the pop-up box

 How to obtain a Post-9/11 GI Bill Statement of Benefits from VA.gov (preferred method):

  1. Visit https://www.va.gov/
  2. Log in or create an account. You can sign in with DS logon (same password as eBenefits account).
  3. Go to the “Manage Your Health and Benefits” tab and select “Check Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits”
  4. Once it takes you to your Educational Enrollment Status and you can see your Entitlement Information print or screenshot this page.
  1. To screenshot your Entitlement Information, hold Ctrl and press PrtScn
  2. Open an email and right-click in the body then paste, ensure the date/time group located on your computer screen is viewable

*Please note: not all students are eligible for a va.gov account. You must be active in the DEERS system to create an account.

How to obtain an Education Benefits Enrollment Status from eBenefits:

  1. Visit www.ebenefits.va.gov
  2. Log in or create an account. You must have a premium account to access your Educational Enrollment Status information.
  3. Go to the “View My Status” tab and select “Check Post 9/11 GI Bill Enrollment Status”
  4. Once it takes you to your Educational Enrollment Status and you can see your Entitlement Information, print this page or take a screenshot.
  1. To screenshot your Entitlement Information, hold Ctrl and press PrtScn
  2. Open an email and right-click in the body then paste, ensure the date/time group located on your computer screen is viewable

*Please note: not all students are eligible for an eBenefits account. You must be active in the DEERS system to create an account.

The Yellow Ribbon program is the same as the Post-9/11G.I. Bill ® for payment processing, with the exception that the student has to be using the Post-9/11G.I. Bill ® to qualify to use Yellow Ribbon.

The Yellow Ribbon program is only for out of state students who did not qualify for the Choice Act. (refer back to Know Your Chapter)

The Yellow Ribbon program is an agreement between the School and the VA, the school pays for half of the difference between in-state and out-of-state, and the VA pays the other half.

Chapter 35 Students are responsible for paying their student bill. Chapter 35 students will receive a monthly stipend from the VA paid directly to the student.

If the student is less than halftime, tuition and fees will have to be reported to the VA, which will affect the amount of the stipend.

Chapter 35 Payment Rates

Chapter 1606 Students are responsible for paying their student bill. Chapter 1606 students will receive a monthly stipend from the VA paid directly to the student.

Students using Chapter 1606 and TA can now use TA and Chapter 1606 for the same class, effective August 1st 2021.

If the student is less than halftime, tuition and fees will have to be reported to the VA, which will affect the amount of the stipend.

Chapter 1606 students have to verify their attendance monthly on the WAVE Website or Hotline.

Wave Website

Chapter 1606 Payment Rates

Contact UM's Military and Veterans Services Office if you feel you qualify for VEAP.

All Students using a VA Education Benefit

ALL students have to pay/finalize their bill themselves, first, check the payment process by Chapter before pay/finalizing your bill.

To pay your registration bill, follow the below instructions:

  1. Log into Cyberbear (cyberbear.umt.edu) 
  2. Click "Student Services"
  3. Click "Payment and Account Information"
  4. Click "Pay Your Registration Bill"
  5. Select your applicable term and click "Submit"
  6. Click "Pay Your Registration Bill" even if you don’t owe any money - this is the new "finalize" button
  7. If you do owe money, you can pay online with your bank account information (check routing number and account number), stop by the Cashier's desk in Griz Central OR call them at 406-243-2223 to make a payment.

The VA pays all allowances directly to the student, and the VA pays all allowances in arrears (e.g. for the month of January they pay on February 1st). The VA will pay a pro-rated amount if the student attended fewer days than the total month. (e.g. January 1st - 15th will only receive 15 days of allowance).

All students will have a Rate of Pursuit (ROP), the ROP is what determines if a student is fulltime. Fulltime for Undergraduate students is 12 credit and for graduate students, it is 9 (during a regular term e.g. Fall/Spring)

  • If a class does not fall into the standard term than the ROP will be based on the number of credits the student is in for that given date range.
  • If there are multiple classes, when the dates overlap the ROP will go up, and when they lapse the ROP will go down.
  • The VA has the final say on ROP; however, UM's Military and Veterans Services Office can do an estimate.

Chapter 30 Students are responsible for paying their student bill. Chapter 30 students will receive a monthly stipend from the VA paid directly to the student.

If the student is less than halftime, tuition and fees will have to be reported to the VA, which will affect the amount of the stipend.

Chapter 30 students have to verify their attendance monthly on the WAVE Website or Hotline.

Wave Website

Chapter 30 Payment Rates

Chapter 31 Voc Rehab students bill will be paid by the Voc Rehab Office through a 3rd party billing contract which will put a payment on the students' account; however, the student is still responsible for pay/finalizing their own bill.

Voc Rehab does not pay for optional fees, the student has to opt-out of the optional fees if they do not wish to support the purpose of the fee.

Your Voc Rehab counselor should tell you what you are authorized to purchase, please contact your Voc Rehab counselor for purchases not involving tuition and fees (e.g. books, parking pass, etc.).

The Voc Rehab counselor will also inform the student about their housing allowance or other stipends.

The VETS Office has to have an Authorization on file from the Voc Rehab Office prior to submitting the student's certification to the VA.

 

When using the Post-9/11G.I. Bill ® VA Education benefit as the Veteran or Transfer of Eligibility (TOE), the first thing UM's Military and Veterans Services Office will always need is an updated Certificate Of Eligibility (COE). UM's Military and Veterans Services Office uses the COE to verify entitlement, which will allow us to apply a VA Estimated Credit to the students' account.

The credit will cover mandatory tuition and fees, the VA does not pay for optional fees, the student has to opt-out of the optional fees if they do not wish to support the purpose of the fee.

The student is responsible for pay/finalizing their bill themselves. The credit is what will allow the student to pay/finalize after they have paid any outstanding charges or optional fees.

The book stipend is the first payment the student should receive, which is divided by the number of credits the student is registered for, but will not exceed $1000 a year, and is paid directly to the student.

The VA pays the housing allowance directly to the student, and the VA pays the housing allowance in arrears (e.g. for the month of January they pay on February 1st). The VA will pay a pro-rated amount if the student attended fewer days than the total month. (e.g. January 1st - 15th will only receive 15 days of allowance).

  • If the student is all distance they will only receive half the national average for the housing allowance.
  • The student is responsible for paying for room and board, the VA pays the housing stipend to support the student paying for room and board.

The VETS Office does not request for the VA to send the tuition and fees to the school until after the third week of classes, this is to avoid sending multiple requests to the VA which would cause a delay in payments to ALL students using VA education benefits. After the third week, the request will be submitted and the VA will make the payment directly to the school.

If the student is waiting for the PELL Grant or student loans, the University will hold the money until the VA makes the payment, and will then refund the money to the student, the refund can be expected once the VA send the tuition and fees to the school (Approx 3-5 weeks after the start of the semester).

If the student has a scholarship that only applies to tuition and fees (e.g. TARA, LAS, Montana Achievement, etc) it will affect the way the credit is added onto the student's account.

  • TARA - These are out-of-state grad students who are charged at the in-state rate. Although they are out-of-state students and Yellow Ribbon, they will not receive need a Yellow Ribbon waiver because there is no out-of-state tuition assessed. No action is needed, the University will bill the mandatory tuition and fees on the student's account.
  • LAS, Montana Achievement, or other tuition and fee-only scholarship - If the student is being paid at the 100% rate, they can rescind these scholarships, as the VA is already paying for all of the mandatory tuition and fees.
    • Contact Financial Aid to discuss rescinding the scholarship, once the decision has been made contact UM's Military and Veterans Services Office to have a VA Estimated Credit manually added to your account.

 

 

 

How to obtain an updated Certificate of Eligibility:

  1. Call the VA hotline at 1-888-GIBILL-1 to request a copy of your most up-to-date Certificate of Eligibility.
  2. Submit a question through RightNow Web
    1. Visit https://gibill.custhelp.com/
    2. Select “Your Account” and log in or sign up.
    3. Click “Ask a Question” and request a copy of your most up-to-date Certificate of Eligibility. For “Product” select “GI Bill and VRAP.” For “Category” select “Post 9/11 GI Bill, Eligibility”
    4. Click “Continue.”
    5. Click “Finish Submitting Question” on the pop-up box

 How to obtain a Post-9/11 GI Bill Statement of Benefits from VA.gov (preferred method):

  1. Visit https://www.va.gov/
  2. Log in or create an account. You can sign in with DS logon (same password as eBenefits account).
  3. Go to the “Manage Your Health and Benefits” tab and select “Check Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits”
  4. Once it takes you to your Educational Enrollment Status and you can see your Entitlement Information print or screenshot this page.
  1. To screenshot your Entitlement Information, hold Ctrl and press PrtScn
  2. Open an email and right-click in the body then paste, ensure the date/time group located on your computer screen is viewable

*Please note: not all students are eligible for a va.gov account. You must be active in the DEERS system to create an account.

How to obtain an Education Benefits Enrollment Status from eBenefits:

  1. Visit www.ebenefits.va.gov
  2. Log in or create an account. You must have a premium account to access your Educational Enrollment Status information.
  3. Go to the “View My Status” tab and select “Check Post 9/11 GI Bill Enrollment Status”
  4. Once it takes you to your Educational Enrollment Status and you can see your Entitlement Information, print this page or take a screenshot.
  1. To screenshot your Entitlement Information, hold Ctrl and press PrtScn
  2. Open an email and right-click in the body then paste, ensure the date/time group located on your computer screen is viewable

*Please note: not all students are eligible for an eBenefits account. You must be active in the DEERS system to create an account.

The Yellow Ribbon program is the same as the Post-9/11G.I. Bill ® for payment processing, with the exception that the student has to be using the Post-9/11G.I. Bill ® to qualify to use Yellow Ribbon.

The Yellow Ribbon program is only for out of state students who did not qualify for the Choice Act. (refer back to Know Your Chapter)

The Yellow Ribbon program is an agreement between the School and the VA, the school pays for half of the difference between in-state and out-of-state, and the VA pays the other half.

Chapter 35 Students are responsible for paying their student bill. Chapter 35 students will receive a monthly stipend from the VA paid directly to the student.

If the student is less than halftime, tuition and fees will have to be reported to the VA, which will affect the amount of the stipend.

Chapter 35 Payment Rates

Chapter 1606 Students are responsible for paying their student bill. Chapter 1606 students will receive a monthly stipend from the VA paid directly to the student.

Students using Chapter 1606 and TA can now use TA and Chapter 1606 for the same class, effective August 1st 2021.

If the student is less than halftime, tuition and fees will have to be reported to the VA, which will affect the amount of the stipend.

Chapter 1606 students have to verify their attendance monthly on the WAVE Website or Hotline.

Wave Website

Chapter 1606 Payment Rates

Contact UM's Military and Veterans Services Office if you feel you qualify for VEAP.

Changes to Registration

If a student is already fulltime, the University does not charge extra tuition above fulltime, but if a class is not approved for VA education benefits the student will be responsible for the fees associated with the class.

For more information on the University's policy and procedure refer to the Registrar's Website

Refer to the important dates and deadlines calendar per semester to verify the significant dates.

You can only submit one Notification of Intent per semester if you have already submitted yours and are making changes to your registration contact the VETS Office

Email: vetsoffice@mso.umt.edu

Adding a class will not impact your VA Education benefits.

If you are less than fulltime when adding the class after submitting your Notification of Intent please contact the VETS Office to let us know so we can adjust your certification right away.

Email: vetsoffice@mso.umt.edu

If you are dropping a class and you will still remain fulltime, you may incur a debt with the VA if it is after the scheduled adjustment period, the debt will consist of the fee associated with the class if there is one.

If you are dropping a class before the first day of class, or during the scheduled adjustment period, there will be no debt for the class; however, if you receive a refund for a dropped class a debt may occur.

If you are dropping a class after the scheduled adjustment period and dropping below fulltime, expect to incur a debt with the VA, we will report your Last Day of Attendance to the VA which will start the debt process.

  • This debt will also include housing allowance and book stipend for the time period a student was paid.

If a class that is required for the student major is taught using a traditional grading method, and a student changes that class to a credit/no credit option the VETS Office will no longer be able to approve that class and will have to report it to the VA. A debt will occur and we will report the date of the change, this will include housing allowance which may be paid from the date of change forward.

If a class's grading method for all students is credit/no credit the class can be approved for benefits.

If a student is going to do a full withdrawal prior to the start of the semester or during the scheduled adjustment period and has already submitted the Notification of Intent contact the VETS Office to make sure we submit the termination to the VA. Any payments for the semester will be owed back to the VA with a full withdrawal.

If a student is going to do a full withdrawal after the scheduled adjustment period the student will incur a debt for the housing allowance and tuition and fees based on the last date of attendance.

If a student has submitted a Notification of Intent and decides they do not want to use benefits for that semester, make the declaration in an email and send it to the VETS office as soon as possible so the certification can be terminated, it is possible for a debt to incur in this scenario.

Email: vetsoffice@mso.umt.edu

All Students

If a student is already fulltime, the University does not charge extra tuition above fulltime, but if a class is not approved for VA education benefits the student will be responsible for the fees associated with the class.

For more information on the University's policy and procedure refer to the Registrar's Website

Refer to the important dates and deadlines calendar per semester to verify the significant dates.

You can only submit one Notification of Intent per semester if you have already submitted yours and are making changes to your registration contact the VETS Office

Email: vetsoffice@mso.umt.edu

Adding a class will not impact your VA Education benefits.

If you are less than fulltime when adding the class after submitting your Notification of Intent please contact the VETS Office to let us know so we can adjust your certification right away.

Email: vetsoffice@mso.umt.edu

If you are dropping a class and you will still remain fulltime, you may incur a debt with the VA if it is after the scheduled adjustment period, the debt will consist of the fee associated with the class if there is one.

If you are dropping a class before the first day of class, or during the scheduled adjustment period, there will be no debt for the class; however, if you receive a refund for a dropped class a debt may occur.

If you are dropping a class after the scheduled adjustment period and dropping below fulltime, expect to incur a debt with the VA, we will report your Last Day of Attendance to the VA which will start the debt process.

  • This debt will also include housing allowance and book stipend for the time period a student was paid.

If a class that is required for the student major is taught using a traditional grading method, and a student changes that class to a credit/no credit option the VETS Office will no longer be able to approve that class and will have to report it to the VA. A debt will occur and we will report the date of the change, this will include housing allowance which may be paid from the date of change forward.

If a class's grading method for all students is credit/no credit the class can be approved for benefits.

If a student is going to do a full withdrawal prior to the start of the semester or during the scheduled adjustment period and has already submitted the Notification of Intent contact the VETS Office to make sure we submit the termination to the VA. Any payments for the semester will be owed back to the VA with a full withdrawal.

If a student is going to do a full withdrawal after the scheduled adjustment period the student will incur a debt for the housing allowance and tuition and fees based on the last date of attendance.

If a student has submitted a Notification of Intent and decides they do not want to use benefits for that semester, make the declaration in an email and send it to the VETS office as soon as possible so the certification can be terminated, it is possible for a debt to incur in this scenario.

Email: vetsoffice@mso.umt.edu

The University of Montana is a participant in the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 signed into law on December 31, 2018, by the President of the United States. This provision was effective August 1, 2019, for any students who are considered "a covered individual" using Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill or Chapter 31: Vocational Readiness and Employment Program benefits at a public, private for-profit or not for profit institution regarding unpaid tuition and fees.

 

The policy states that the university will NOT:

  1. Assess late penalty fees/charges due to delayed disbursements from the Department of Veterans Affairs under Chapter 31 or Chapter 33.
  2. Prevent students from enrolling in classes
  3. Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding to cover the applicable tuition and fee expenses with the only exception being if there is a difference in the amount of the student's financial obligation to the university and the amount that the student is eligible to receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the student may be required to make an additional payment to make up the difference.
  4. Deny the student access to any school resources to include (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) which are available to other paid students. 

 The school WILL require that each student provides the following:

  1. An official Department of Veterans Affairs "Certificate of Eligibility" or "Statement of Benefits" from the VA via VA.gov, eBenefits, or a VAF 28-1905.
  2. Complete a certification request to be certified for benefits, and Provide additional information required to ensure proper certification of benefits.

With all contingencies met the Department of Veterans Affairs will provide the university with payment either ending on the earlier of the dates following: 

  • The date in which the payment from the VA is made to the institution.
  • 90 days after the date that the institution has certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the "Certificate of Eligibility"

Important Dates and Deadlines

Use the link below to access the Registrar's Calendar, please note there are links to other payment information at the bottom of the Registrar's Calendar and remember all students are responsible for pay/finalizing their bills regardless of who will be providing the funding.

Registrar's Calendar

Priority Registration

Students using VA education benefits are eligible for priority registration after their first semester. Please visit the Registrar's website to find the current priority registration dates and priority information.

Housing and Dining

UM has many housing options available to UM students. Visit the UM Housing website for more information. 

Campus Dining offers a variety of meal plans. Visit the Campus Dining website for more information. 

Study Away Using VA Benefits

Students can use Chapter 33 VA Education Benefits (for other Chapters, contact UM's Military and Veterans Services Office for more information) at an approved location either at another school in the United States or another country. When using VA Education benefits at another campus (host campus) there are a few questions that need to be answered. Please review the answers for each program (Study Abroad, National Student Exchange and other options) below.

For further assistance or specific questions about any options to study away. please contact UM's Military and Veterans Services Office and we will be happy to assist.

Study Abroad is for students who want to study in a foreign country. For more information and to apply for a study abroad program please visit UM's page for study abroad.

Answers to the questions for the Study Abroad program while using VA Benefits:

Q1. Who is receiving the tuition and fees for the classes?

     A1. The only time the tuition and fees will be paid to the University of Montana is if the Study Abroad trip is instructor-led and billed through the University of Montana.

     A2. The VA will not pay for a Study Abroad program that is sponsored by a 3rd party unless the 3rd party is approved for VA Educations benefits.

     A3. If the student is seeking to attend school overseas outside of the Study Abroad program please review the "Other Options" section.

 Q2. Where is the student degree-seeking?

     A1. When the student is participating in a UM instructor-led program then the student should be degree-seeking at the University of Montana.

Q3. What will the VA pay for and what is the student's fiscal responsibility?

     A1. Please review the VA Fact Sheet for more information on what the VA will pay based on different scenarios. 

Q4. Is the program at the host campus approved?

     A1. For a list of approved schools and programs visit the Public WEAMS website. Search by Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) and then by state or country. This will list schools that are approved and within that school, you can view programs that are approved and it will list the points of contact (School Certifying Official (SCO)) at that location.

Q5. Will the classes the student is taking transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements at the home campus.

     A1. The student's program advisor will need to verify the classes the student takes will transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements. The advisor will want to work with the admissions transcript evaluators to verify and may need to provide certification to the home campus SCO who may need to send a parent letter to the host campus SCO to verify.

National Student Exchange (NSE) is for students who want to study at an approved location within the United States. For more information and to apply to the NSE program please visit UM's NSE page.

Answers to the questions for the NSE program while using VA Benefits:

Q1. Who is receiving the tuition and fees for the classes?

     A1. When using VA Benefits with the NSE program the student can only select to pay at the host school option ("pay away"), the student cannot use the home payment option while using VA benefits.

 Q2. Where is the student degree-seeking?

     A1. When the student is participating in the NSE program the student should be degree-seeking at UM; however, if the student is going to transfer to another school and be degree-seeking at that location they will need to transfer their benefits and this is not part of the NSE program.

Q3. What will the VA pay for and what is the student's fiscal responsibility?

     A1. The VA will pay the standard tuition and fees as charged by the host school which is the location that will verify the student's classes to the VA for their benefits, please contact the host location School Certifying Official (SCO) for more information on that location's standard tuition and fees.

Q4. Is the program at the host campus approved?

     A1. For a list of approved schools and programs visit the Public WEAMS website. Search by Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) and then by state. This will list schools that are approved and within that school, you can view programs that are approved and it will list the points of contact (SCO) at that location.

Q5. Will the classes the student is taking transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements at the home campus.

     A1. The student's program advisor will need to verify the classes the student takes will transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements. The advisor will want to work with the admissions transcript evaluators to verify and may need to provide certification to the home campus SCO who may need to send a parent letter to the host campus SCO to verify.

Students do not have to be participating in the Study Abroad or National Exchange Program to take classes at another location; however, the application process with the other school will be the student's responsibility. Students can take classes at UM and another location at the same time in this instance and would be a guest student at the other location for the classes which are approved for VA Education benefits.

Answers to the questions for using VA Benefits at another location:

Q1. Who is receiving the tuition and fees for the classes?

     A1. When using VA Benefits while taking classes at another location, that location will receive the tuition and fees for approved classes.

 Q2. Where is the student degree-seeking?

     A1. When the student is taking classes at another location the student should be degree-seeking at UM; however, if the student is going to transfer to another school and be degree-seeking at that location they will need to transfer their benefits.

Q3. What will the VA pay for and what is the student's fiscal responsibility?

     A1. The VA will pay the standard tuition and fees as charged by the host school which is the location that will verify the student's classes to the VA for their benefits, please contact the host location School Certifying Official (SCO) for more information on that location's standard tuition and fees.

Q4. Is the program at the host campus approved?

     A1. For a list of approved schools and programs visit the Public WEAMS website. Search by Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) and then by state. This will list schools that are approved and within that school, you can view programs that are approved and it will list the points of contact (SCO) at that location.

Q5. Will the classes the student is taking transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements at the home campus.

     A1. The student's program advisor will need to verify the classes the student takes will transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements. The advisor will want to work with the admissions transcript evaluators to verify and may need to provide certification to the home campus SCO who may need to send a parent letter to the host campus SCO to verify.

Study Abroad

Study Abroad is for students who want to study in a foreign country. For more information and to apply for a study abroad program please visit UM's page for study abroad.

Answers to the questions for the Study Abroad program while using VA Benefits:

Q1. Who is receiving the tuition and fees for the classes?

     A1. The only time the tuition and fees will be paid to the University of Montana is if the Study Abroad trip is instructor-led and billed through the University of Montana.

     A2. The VA will not pay for a Study Abroad program that is sponsored by a 3rd party unless the 3rd party is approved for VA Educations benefits.

     A3. If the student is seeking to attend school overseas outside of the Study Abroad program please review the "Other Options" section.

 Q2. Where is the student degree-seeking?

     A1. When the student is participating in a UM instructor-led program then the student should be degree-seeking at the University of Montana.

Q3. What will the VA pay for and what is the student's fiscal responsibility?

     A1. Please review the VA Fact Sheet for more information on what the VA will pay based on different scenarios. 

Q4. Is the program at the host campus approved?

     A1. For a list of approved schools and programs visit the Public WEAMS website. Search by Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) and then by state or country. This will list schools that are approved and within that school, you can view programs that are approved and it will list the points of contact (School Certifying Official (SCO)) at that location.

Q5. Will the classes the student is taking transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements at the home campus.

     A1. The student's program advisor will need to verify the classes the student takes will transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements. The advisor will want to work with the admissions transcript evaluators to verify and may need to provide certification to the home campus SCO who may need to send a parent letter to the host campus SCO to verify.

National Student Exchange (NSE) is for students who want to study at an approved location within the United States. For more information and to apply to the NSE program please visit UM's NSE page.

Answers to the questions for the NSE program while using VA Benefits:

Q1. Who is receiving the tuition and fees for the classes?

     A1. When using VA Benefits with the NSE program the student can only select to pay at the host school option ("pay away"), the student cannot use the home payment option while using VA benefits.

 Q2. Where is the student degree-seeking?

     A1. When the student is participating in the NSE program the student should be degree-seeking at UM; however, if the student is going to transfer to another school and be degree-seeking at that location they will need to transfer their benefits and this is not part of the NSE program.

Q3. What will the VA pay for and what is the student's fiscal responsibility?

     A1. The VA will pay the standard tuition and fees as charged by the host school which is the location that will verify the student's classes to the VA for their benefits, please contact the host location School Certifying Official (SCO) for more information on that location's standard tuition and fees.

Q4. Is the program at the host campus approved?

     A1. For a list of approved schools and programs visit the Public WEAMS website. Search by Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) and then by state. This will list schools that are approved and within that school, you can view programs that are approved and it will list the points of contact (SCO) at that location.

Q5. Will the classes the student is taking transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements at the home campus.

     A1. The student's program advisor will need to verify the classes the student takes will transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements. The advisor will want to work with the admissions transcript evaluators to verify and may need to provide certification to the home campus SCO who may need to send a parent letter to the host campus SCO to verify.

Students do not have to be participating in the Study Abroad or National Exchange Program to take classes at another location; however, the application process with the other school will be the student's responsibility. Students can take classes at UM and another location at the same time in this instance and would be a guest student at the other location for the classes which are approved for VA Education benefits.

Answers to the questions for using VA Benefits at another location:

Q1. Who is receiving the tuition and fees for the classes?

     A1. When using VA Benefits while taking classes at another location, that location will receive the tuition and fees for approved classes.

 Q2. Where is the student degree-seeking?

     A1. When the student is taking classes at another location the student should be degree-seeking at UM; however, if the student is going to transfer to another school and be degree-seeking at that location they will need to transfer their benefits.

Q3. What will the VA pay for and what is the student's fiscal responsibility?

     A1. The VA will pay the standard tuition and fees as charged by the host school which is the location that will verify the student's classes to the VA for their benefits, please contact the host location School Certifying Official (SCO) for more information on that location's standard tuition and fees.

Q4. Is the program at the host campus approved?

     A1. For a list of approved schools and programs visit the Public WEAMS website. Search by Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) and then by state. This will list schools that are approved and within that school, you can view programs that are approved and it will list the points of contact (SCO) at that location.

Q5. Will the classes the student is taking transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements at the home campus.

     A1. The student's program advisor will need to verify the classes the student takes will transfer back and apply toward the student's graduation requirements. The advisor will want to work with the admissions transcript evaluators to verify and may need to provide certification to the home campus SCO who may need to send a parent letter to the host campus SCO to verify.

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