Veterans, Active Military, and Military-Affiliated Students

1. Submit Your VA Education Benefits Application
   Apply online through the VA website, or print a hard copy to complete and mail.
   Apply Here

2. Provide Additional Documentation
   Contact North Central’s School Certifying Official at 231-348-6673 to find out what documents are required for your file.

3. Follow Up With the VA
   If you haven’t received an approval notice within 4–6 weeks, call the VA Education Office at 888-442-4551.

4. Complete the FAFSA
   Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.studentaid.gov.

   Important: When filling out the FAFSA, do not report the following as income:

   • VA education benefits under Chapters 1606, 1607, 30, 33, 35

   • Section 903, REPS

   • ROTC (Title 10, Chapter 2 or Title 37, Chapter 2)

   • Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits

• Chapter 30 - Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty (MGIB-AD)
  • This federal program provides educational benefits for veterans who entered military service after July 1, 1985. Veterans who entered military service before January 1, 1977, and served actively for at least 2 years after July 1, 1985, may also be eligible.
    
    
• Chapter 31 - Veteran Readiness and Employment
  • This federal program provides educational benefits to eligible disabled veterans.
    
    
• Chapter 33 - Post 9/11 GI Bill®
  • This federal program is for students who have served on active duty after 9/10/01 for a minimum of 90 aggregate days (excluding entry-level and skill training), and at least 30 continuous days if discharged for a service-connected disability.
    
    
• Chapter 35 - Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA)
  • This federal program provides educational benefits to children between ages 18 and 26, spouses, and widows/widowers of totally disabled or deceased veterans.
    
    
• Chapter 1606 - Montgomery GI Bill® (MGIB-SR)
  • This federal program provides educational benefits to persons who entered a six-year selected reserve obligation after July 1, 1985, and completed Active Duty for Training. This includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp., and Coast Guard Reserves, as well as the Army National Guard and the Air Guard.
    
    GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

The Children of Veterans Tuition Grant Act is designed to provide undergraduate tuition assistance to certain children older than 16 and less than 26 years of age who have been Michigan residents for the 12 months before application.

Students must submit a Letter of Eligibility to North Central’s Director of Financial Aid.

Learn more about the Children of Veterans Tuition Grant

The American Legion Legacy Scholarship is a needs-based scholarship designed to fulfill a financial gap remaining after all federal and state educational grants/scholarships available to an eligible applicant have been utilized. Children, adopted children or stepchildren of U.S. military members who died while on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001 may be eligible.  Children, adopted children or stepchildren of post-9/11 veterans having been assigned a combined disability rating of 50 percent or greater by the Department of Veterans Affairs also qualify. 

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Scholarships with an application window of approx. February 1 – March 31 (dates may vary slightly each year). 

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AMVETS scholarships are designed to fulfill a financial gap after all Federal/State grants and/or scholarships available to an eligible applicant have been exhausted.

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The American Legion, Department of Michigan provides opportunities for high school students to apply for scholarships or prize money for college through the programs we offer.  Awards vary by program and qualifications.

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The Purple Heart Scholarship Program is a competitive program that awards scholarships to Purple Heart recipients and their spouses, children, and grandchildren each year.

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Since 2004, NMFA has cheered on military spouses by awarding scholarships to help pay for everything from GEDs to PhDs, professional licenses and certifications, including re-licensure, business and entrepreneurial expenses, supervised clinical hours, continuing education courses, and more. 

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The Online Learning Innovator Scholarship is a recurring scholarship that’s open to veterans, active-duty service members, and their families who leverage online platforms and digital resources to enhance their educational experience.

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The VA generally allows students to change their degree program. Students must file VA Form 22-1995 to request a program change and meet with the Academic/Veteran Advisor to create an evaluated educational plan for a new program of study.

Students planning to enroll at another college after completion of their coursework at North Central should complete VA Form 22-1995 to request approval for a change in place of training. Contact the Academic Advisor for Military Affiliated Students for more information.

At the beginning of each semester, the VA School Certifying Official forwards an Enrollment Certification to the VA certifying the number of semester credit hours for each student eligible for educational benefits. At any point a student drops credit hours or withdraws from class(es), the college must inform the VA.  If, by dropping credit hours, a veteran changes his/her enrollment status, the result may be an overpayment that the veteran will be required to repay to the VA unless there are “mitigating” circumstances.

Examples of mitigating circumstances are prolonged illness, severe illness or death in the immediate family, and unscheduled changes in your employment or work schedule. Unacceptable mitigating circumstances include withdrawal to avoid a failing grade, dislike of an instructor, or too many courses attempted. 

In a situation regarding mitigating circumstances, you will need to contact the VA. You will have to establish, in writing, that you withdrew for a reason that was out of your control.

Veterans Administration Regional Office
P.O. Box 66830
St. Louis, MO 63166-6830
(888) 442-4551 (Educational Benefits #)
Website: www.gibill.va.gov

What is WAVE?
Wave (Web Automated Verification of Enrollment) is a Web-based program that allows you to submit your monthly verification of enrollment, check on the status of your record, and report changes in enrollment.

Where is the WAVE?
To access the WAVE, go to the GI Bill® home page, www.gibill.va.gov/wave/, and click on WAVE links (left side of the page) and follow the log-in instructions.

Why should you use WAVE?
It's available 24 hours a day, eliminated the possibility of being lost in the mail, and benefit checks will be issued faster. "No Change" verifications submitted via the WAVE will be processed within 24 hours.

What else can I do on the WAVE?
You can find out the following:

• Has my request for benefits been processed?
• Click on "Benefit Status Information" to see if VA has updated your record to show your current enrollment. If you've received benefits in a previous semester, your record will display on WAVE.
• Has my monthly verification "hit"?
• You can see if your verification has been processed, including changes in your enrollment. Be sure to allow two business days for the processing of "no-change" verifications. It's not a "real-time" system. Changes to your enrollment will take longer.
• Can I start or change my direct deposit?
• You can use WAVE to submit your direct deposit information. The information is sent to our Direct Deposit Center for processing.
• Can the VA send me a reminder to do my monthly verification?
• If you choose, WAVE will e-mail you a reminder to verify at the first of the month and again mid-month if you still need to verify. WAVE can also send you your password if you forget it.

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You don't have Internet Access?

The VA also developed an Interactive Voice Response IVR system for those that don't have access to the Internet. Just dial (877) 823-2378 and follow the instructions. However, for any changes to enrollment, you must use the WAVE system. No monthly verification can be accepted by the VA before the last day of the month; and please, only submit once each month.

Students may only receive veteran’s educational benefits at North Central for degree program requirements. At the point a student completes the requirements, eligibility for benefits at North Central ceases. A student may request approval by the VA for a change in the program of study. The form “Request for Change of Program or Place of Training” will need to be on file at North Central as well as the newly evaluated plan for a new program of study.

The amount of monthly benefits is dependent upon the VA educational program you qualified under and the number of credit hours you are enrolled each semester. Current rates are available online at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/.