Veteran's Financial Aid

Many options exist for military and veteran students and their families to fund their higher education. To make things easier Medaille has created a checklist of things to help guide you through the step to make your education affordable. As always if you have any questions we are available to assist you. Contact us at (716) 880-2256 or at finaid@medaille.edu

Veteran’s Benefits Check List

Application for GI Bill^® benefits
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
TAP (Undergraduate Students Only)
Apply for Veterans Tuition Awards & Other State Grants
Apply for Military & Veteran Scholarships
Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant
Employer Reimbursement Policy
The Veteran Education Tuition Scholarship
Certificate of Eligibility/NOBE/Kicker Contract/buy up
Financial Aid Award Letter
Attendance

Check List Instructions:

1. Application for GI Bill^® benefits

To fill out an application for GI Bill^® benefits, simply go to www.gibill.va.gov . From this website, click the link titled Education Benefits; it is located on the left-hand side of the page. Next, select How to Apply for Benefits. Here you will be given directions on how to complete the online application or request a hard copy of the application be mail to you. Once you have been accepted into a Chapter, please send your Certificate of Eligibility to the Financial Aid Office via finaid@medaille.edu or Medaille College, 18 Agassiz Circle, Buffalo NY 14214

2. FAFSA Application (What am I applying for?)

To complete the FAFSA on the Web: First-time users need to apply for a U.S. Department of Education personal identification number (PIN) at www.pin.ed.gov .

Once you have your PIN go to www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete the FAFSA. A helpful tool to use when completing the FAFSA online is the FAFSA on the web worksheet. You can print one at the FAFSA website.

Through completing the FAFSA application, you are applying to see if you qualify for the Pell Grant (undergraduate students only) which does not have to be repaid, and student loans (undergraduate and graduate students).

Undergraduate students please note if you are not interested in receiving loans, but would like to see if you are eligible for the Pell Grant, you are still required to complete the FAFSA but will not be packaged for loans if you are not interested in this aspect of financial aid. If you are an undergraduate student, your veterans benefits will not be certified until the application for FAFSA and TAP have been completed. Please contact the Financial Aid Office with questions regarding the FAFSA process.

3. TAP (undergraduate students only)

Upon completion of the FAFSA (prior to exiting the site), if you listed NY as your state of residency, you will find a link to the TAP website. Clicking this link will populate your application form using information from your FAFSA. If you do not choose this option, you may fill out your application at anytime by going to www.hesc.ny.gov

Undergraduate TAP code: 0505

If you are an undergraduate student, this application must also be completed before your veteran benefits can be certified

4.) FINANCIAL AID OFFERED FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES

After you have completed the FAFSA & TAP, you may be eligible to apply for a Veteran Tuition Award (VTA) or other Veteran aid offered through NYS Programs. There is a section on the HESC website that lists all awards available to veterans and their families. You can do this by following the steps below.

(Complete after you apply for the FAFSA & TAP)

Go to https://www.hesc.ny.gov
Click on the “Military Corner” Tab
Click “NYS Programs”
Review the awards listed under “Financial Aid for Veterans and their Families”
Click on award you would like to apply for
Follow directions indicated by HESC

*There is a section on the HESC website (see the link above) that lists all awards available to anyone who is eligible. This can be found by clicking on the “Military Corner” tab and then clicking on “Apply for Tap” and then clicking “Apply for Grants/Scholarships/Awards.” Review the list given on the site.

*Please note Veterans who are receiving tuition payments through Chapter 33 at the 100% level or Chapter 31 are considered duplicative of any VTA (Veteran Tuition Award) and or TAP award. For more information please see the HESC website.

*ALSO If tuition is 100% covered through a combination of chapter benefits, scholarships & grants, then your Veteran Tuition Amount and TAP amounts will be null and void.

If you have questions, please contact the Scholarship Unit at 1-888-NYSHESC (1-888-697-4372). Additional Information is available at NYS Division of Veterans' Affairs.

5.) Military & Veteran Scholarships

To review additional military & veteran scholarships that you may be eligible for, please visit the link listed below to take you to the military section on the Fast Web Website, which is the leading scholarship service on the web. Please note this website also has other scholarships that you are free to apply to as well. http://www.fastweb.com/scholarships-directory/military-and-veteran-scholarships/

6. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant

To qualify for this grant you must meet the following criteria:

Must NOT be eligible for the Pell Grant
Must be an undergraduate student
Must be under 24 years old OR have been enrolled in college (at least half time) at the time of their parent/ guardian’s death due to service
Parent/guardian must have passed away due to armed forces service after 9/11/01 in Iraq or Afghanistan
Must meet all Title IV student eligibility requirements.
The awarded amount is the same as the maximum in Pell (pendant upon enrollment status and Cost Of Attendance)
To apply, please complete the FAFSA and contact the Financial Aid Office

If you would like to see if you qualify, and to discuss what additional documentation is required, please contact the Financial Aid Office at (716) 880-2610 or via email at finaid@medaille.edu

7. Employer Reimbursement:

If you are receiving employer tuition reimbursement, then please provide the Financial Aid Office with a copy of the policy that states the amount that will be covered by the employer. You can find this information on your company’s website or through their Human Resources Department.

9. The Veteran Education Tuition Scholarship (VETS)

Medaille College is now offering up to $10,000 offered towards tuition only for veteran students who attend Medaille College. For more information on the Scholarship, eligibility requirements and how to apply go to: www.medaille.edu/veterans.

10. Certificate of Eligibility/NOBE/kicker contract/buy up

After filling out your application for GI Bill^® benefits, you should receive a Certificate of Eligibility. Once you receive this Certificate, please send a copy to the Financial Aid Office, along with your NOBE, kicker contract, and buy up if any of these items are applicable. The Financial Aid Office also needs a copy of your DD-214. Please note your veteran chapter benefits will not be certified by Medaille until Financial Aid Office receives the copy of your Certificate of Eligibility, you are fully admitted and registered.

11. Financial Aid Award Letter

Once you are packaged you will receive a notification to your Medaille email that will instruct you to log into your Medaille360 account to accept your financial aid awards. The email will provide detailed steps in assisting you with how to accept or decline your offered awards on Medaille360. Please note that you must log into this account and actively accept or decline the offered amounts before your financial aid can be sent to the College.

12. Attendance

Your VA certifying officials must be able to verify your attendance. If there are ANY changes in your attendance, you must notify the Office of Military Affairs as soon as possible in order to ensure your chapter benefits are maintained.

Veterans and Military Family Educational Assistance Programs

We know that many of you may not know how to apply for and receive benefits as a spouse or dependent of a veterans or servicemember, but we do and we are ready to help. Below you will find a list of benefits available to families of veterans and servicemembers.

Transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill^® Benefits to Dependents (TEB)

Summary of Benefits:

The Post-9/11 GI Bill^® allows service members (officer or enlisted, active duty or Selected Reserve), on or after August 1, 2009, to transfer unused education benefits to immediate family members (spouse and children). The service member must have at least six years of service, and commit to an additional four years of service in order to transfer benefits to a spouse or child. Because of the potential impact of this benefit on recruiting and retention, transferability policy is determined by the Department of Defense services.

Who is Eligible for TEB:

Any member of the Armed Forces (active duty or Selected Reserve, officer or enlisted) on or after August 1, 2009, who is eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill^®, and:

Has at least 6 years of service in the Armed Forces on the date of election and agrees to serve 4 additional years in the Armed Forces from the date of election.
Has at least 10 years of service in the Armed Forces (active duty and/or selected reserve) on the date of election, is precluded by either standard policy (service or DoD) or statute from committing to 4 additional years, and agrees to serve for the maximum amount of time allowed by such policy or statute, or
Is or becomes retirement eligible during the period from August 1, 2009, through August 1, 2013. A service member is considered to be retirement eligible if he or she has completed 20 years of active duty or 20 qualifying years of reserve service.
- For those individuals eligible for retirement on August 1, 2009, no additional service is required.
- For those individuals who have an approved retirement date after August 1, 2009, and before July 1, 2010, no additional service is required.
- For those individuals eligible for retirement after August 1, 2009, and before August 1, 2010, 1 year of additional service after approval of transfer is required.
- For those individuals eligible for retirement on or after August 1, 2010, and before August 1, 2011, 2 years of additional service after approval of transfer are required.
- For those individuals eligible for retirement on or after August 1, 2011, and before August 1, 2012, 3 years of additional service after approval of transfer required.

Eligible Dependents

An individual approved to transfer an entitlement to educational assistance under this section may transfer the individual's entitlement to:

The individual's spouse.
One or more of the individual's children.
Any combination of spouse and child.

A family member must be enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS) and be eligible for benefits, at the time of transfer to receive transferred educational benefits.

A child's subsequent marriage will not affect his or her eligibility to receive the educational benefit; however, after an individual has designated a child as a transferee under this section, the individual retains the right to revoke or modify the transfer at any time.

A subsequent divorce will not affect the transferee's eligibility to receive educational benefits; however, after an individual has designated a spouse as a transferee under this section, the eligible individual retains the right to revoke or modify the transfer at any time.

How to Apply:

Read the official DoD website containing in-depth information about TEB
Read information on how to apply for TEB.

Survivors & Dependents Assistance (DEA)

Summary of Benefits

Dependents' Educational Assistance provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of certain veterans. The program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training. If you are a spouse, you may take a correspondence course. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.

Eligibility

You must be the son, daughter, or spouse of:

A veteran who died or is permanently and totally disabled as the result of a service-connected disability. The disability must arise out of active service in the Armed Forces.
A veteran who died from any cause while such permanent and total service-connected disability was in existence.
A servicemember missing in action or captured in line of duty by a hostile force.
A servicemember forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power.
A servicemember who is hospitalized or receiving outpatient treatment for a service connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability. This change is effective December 23, 2006.

How to Apply:

Read the official VA website containing in-depth information about DEA and how to apply.

Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)

Summary

The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program provides up to $4,000 (over 2 years) of Financial Assistance for military spouses who are pursuing degree programs, licenses or credentials leading to employment in portable career fields.

MyCAA Eligibility

Spouses of active duty service members in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2, as well as the spouses of activated Guard and Reserve members within those ranks. Spouses of Guard and Reserve members must be able to start and complete their courses while their sponsor is on Title 10 orders.

Note: The MyCAA program does not include Coast Guard spouses.

Read more information about the MyCAA program.
MyCAA Application Checklist

MyCAA Points of Contact at Medaille College:

Jessica Lane (716) 880-2365
jessica.lane@medaille.edu
MyCAA Grade Technician

Diane Schmidt (716) 880-2271
diane.t.schmidt@medaille.edu
MyCAA Invoice and Finance Technician

NYS Regents Awards for Children of Deceased and Disabled Veterans

Regents Awards for Children of Deceased and Disabled Veterans were created to provide financial aid to students whose parent(s) served in the U.S. Armed Forces during specified times of national emergency.

Who Is Eligible?

Students whose parent(s) served in the U.S. Armed Forces during specified periods of war or national emergency and, as a result of service, either died, suffered a 40% or more disability, was classified as missing in action, or was a prisoner of war. The veteran must currently be a New York State resident or have been a New York State resident at the time of death.

Students whose parent(s) was the recipient of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, or the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal for participation in operations in Lebanon, Grenada, or Panama.

Note: Students who were born with spina bifida whose parent is a Vietnam Veteran who served in the U.S. Armed Forces in Indochina between 12/22/61 - 05/07/75 must contact HESC at 1-888-697-4372 for application instructions

Award Amount

The award is $450 per year

How to Apply

Read the official NYS Division of Veterans Affairs website for in-depth information about the NYS Regents Award and application instructions.

Military Service Recognition Scholarships

Military Service Recognition Scholarships provides financial aid to veterans, children, spouses, and financial dependents of members of the US Armed Forces who while NYS residents, died or became severely and permanently disabled while engaged in hostilities or training for hostilities

Who is eligible?

Eligible recipients include veterans, children, spouses and financial dependents of members of the US Armed forces who, while NYS residents, on or after August 2, 1990 :

Died, or became severely and permanently disabled as a result of injury or illness suffered or incurred, or are classified as missing in action in a combat theater or zone of operations; or who died as a result of injuries incurred in these areas; OR
Died, or became severely and permanently disabled as result of injury or illness suffered or incurred during military training operations in preparation for duty in a combat theater or combat zone of operations.

What is required to apply?

Must establish eligibility by applying to the Higher Education Services Corp (HESC) website or calling 1-888-697-4372.

Veteran parent must be a NYS resident
Have applied for the Tuition Assistance Program and Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Veterans FAQ’s

Q: I am a veteran who will be receiving federal benefits. How do I begin processing/who do I contact? A: Your first step is to meet with the VA to apply for benefits. Once you receive your Certificate of Eligibility, please forward this to the Financial Aid Office via finaid@medaille.edu or via postal mail:

Office of Financial Aid
Medaille College
18 Agassiz Circle
Buffalo, NY 14214

Q: How often are enrollment certifications processed?

A: You must be admitted and registered for the semester before any enrollment certification is sent through to the VA for processing. Enrollment Certifications are processed once a semester, unless changes or modifications need to be made due to a change in enrollment.

Q: I am dropping/changing a class. How does this affect my VA benefits?

A: Notify Student Services about any changes to your enrollment. The VA must be notified; this will impact your VA payments and adjustments may need to be made.

Q: I am enrolled full time but the VA states that I am not full-time, why?

A: If you are considered full-time by Medaille College and the VA does not pay based on that rate, it is because they have their own federal methodology which they use to calculate a full time basis. If you have questions regarding this, please contact the VA directly at 1-888-442-4551.

Q: I qualify for VA benefits, the Veteran Tuition Award, TAP and the VET Scholarship. Does this mean I will be getting these grants refunded to me after my bill is covered?

A: Under no circumstance can any combination of the above benefits exceed your tuition as these benefits are deemed for tuition only. If you are 100% covered by the VA and have been awarded TAP, VTA and/or the VET Scholarship, then your VTA/TAP/VET Scholarship will be cancelled for the semester because your tuition will be covered by the VA. Any additional benefits are considered duplicative, with the exception of the Pell Grant.

Q: Is the Pell Grant considered duplicative benefits?

A: No, the Pell Grant is not deemed for tuition only. As such, if awarded, the veteran may be able to receive the grant, regardless of what other benefits he or she is receiving.

Q: I am an undergraduate student veteran who is eligible for the $10,000 VET Scholarship but it is not on my account, why?

A: There could be several reasons for this. The first is you must complete FAFSA, TAP and Veteran Tuition Award (if applicable) applications to see if you are eligible for any VTA, Pell or TAP grants. If your tuition is covered for that semester via other benefits, then the scholarship will not be awarded until you have a tuition balance. Please visit http://www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete the FAFSA and https://www.hesc.ny.gov/ to apply for TAP and/or the Veteran Tuition Award.

Q: I am 100% covered by a combination of my VA, TAP, VTA and VET Scholar-ship benefits. Why do I have a balance for books?

A: Even if you are 100% covered under Chapter 33, or your tuition is covered by a combination of the above benefits, you will still owe the College for your books as the above awards are deemed for tuition only, not books. The VA expects that the veteran use his or her book stipend to pay the College for any book balances.

Q: I received a letter from the VA stating that I owe money for a class. Why did I get this letter?

A: If you received a debt management letter, then there was a change in your enrollment for the semester in which the VA paid for a class that you did not take or complete. As such, they would like you to pay back the erroneous payment since the class/ semester was not completed or dropped. Please contact the VA directly for questions regarding any letters you may receive from them at 1-888-442-4551.

Q: If I qualify, how is the VET Scholarship awarded?

A: The VET Scholarship is awarded towards tuition balances only after all other grants/benefits (including the Pell Grant) have been applied. If your benefits cover your cur-rent semester’s tuition balance, then you will not receive the VET Scholarship for that semester. Also, if you are not receiving benefits, then the $10,000 VET Scholarship will be divided and awarded equally in each semester throughout the program. (for example, if you are in a two year program, then $2,500 per semester would be awarded towards your bill (tuition only). You must complete the FAFSA and TAP and VTA (if applicable) applications before the scholarship can be awarded.

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