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University Registrar

Using Veterans Benefits

Certification for educational benefits is a service provided by the Office of the University Registrar. We assist students with the processing of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) forms for educational benefits, provide guidance about specific procedural requirements, and submit enrollment certifications for each semester to VA. It is the student's responsibility to decide which benefit is most appropriate for him/her based on individual circumstances and then apply to VA (VONApp) in order to use the benefits.

If you have not applied to William & Mary, please contact the appropriate admission office for further information on admission requirements.

William & Mary complies with the Veteran Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Section 702) and will grant in-state tuition to veterans and their dependents who qualify under the Code.  Virginia Code also makes provision for granting in-state tuition to certain military-related students; inquire at the [[domicile,Office of the University Registrar]] for more information.

This institution is approved to offer GI Bill® educational benefits by the Virginia State Approving Agency.

Using Benefits at William & Mary For The First Time

Students must submit completed VA Benefits Information Sheet (pdf) and Certificate of Eligibility (COE). If you have not received your COE from the VA, please contact [[vabenefits, the Veterans Benefits Officer]] to see what additional documentation is needed.

If you have used VA benefits at a previous institution, please submit a Change of Program Notification to VA (through VONApp) and send a copy to W&M along with your other materials.

Continuing Benefits at William & Mary

Students utilizing VA benefits have the following responsibilities :

  • Each semester prior to the upcoming term’s registration, the student will receive an email from the Veterans Benefits Officer with instructions on continuing the process.  Reply to that email from your W&M email account each semester to confirm continuing enrollment in the benefits process. The student may also elect NOT to receive benefits for any given semester. A non-response is taken as the student’s election not to receive benefits for the term in question.
  • DO NOT register in courses for which you have previously received a passing grade/credit (even if taken at another institution).  * Be advised, VA benefits do not cover any courses that are taken on an audit basis and the credits will not be counted in the course load for the purpose of certifying your enrollment.  For example, if an undergraduate student enrolls in 12 credits, three credits of which are taken for audit, it will be considered enrollment in 9 credits for the purpose of VA status.
  • Notify the Veterans Benefits Officer if you:
    • Change majors
    • Alter course load
    • Withdraw from classes
    • Do not enroll for a term that has been certified
    • Have depleted your VA educational benefits
    • Change addresses (an address change must also be reported directly to VA)
Study Abroad Program

Students interested in using VA educational benefits to assist in payment of a study abroad program must plan ahead! Please work closely with the Reves Center for International Studies and the [[w|vabenefits,Veteran Benefits Officer]] in the University Registrar's Office well in advance.

Veterans educational benefits may be used to cover some of the cost of a W&M-sponsored study abroad program and study abroad coursework can be certified to the VA as long as it applies to a student's degree program. The VA will never pay fees in excess of the standard W&M tuition and tuition-related fees.

If you are considering a non-W&M-sponsored study abroad program (including W&M semester assisted-enrollment programs or EXCHANGE programs), W&M cannot certify VA benefits. Instead, please contact the study abroad program provider directly, to inquire about the possibility for certification. Please note that host universities or study abroad program providers (eg. CIEE, IES, etc.) may not be eligible to provide certification.

William & Mary Joint Degree Programme with St Andrews

Students planning to use veterans education benefits (Chapter 30, 31 VR&E, 33, 35, or 1606) should be aware that the Department of Veterans Services has determined the Joint Degree Program between William & Mary and the University of St Andrews to be ineligible because it does not allow for transfer credit.

Study in D.C.

Students planning to use veterans education benefits are able to do so at William & Mary's DC campus. 

Additional Resources
Financial Aid and Tuition/Fees Resources
Contact Information

Please feel free to [[vabenefits, contact us]] if you require any further assistance, or have any questions regarding VA benefits at William & Mary. The university does not have access to military records and cannot determine eligibility. All eligibility and payment questions should be directed to the Department of Veterans Affairs by calling 1-888-GIBILL-1.

"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 http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill."