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VA Education Benefits Chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, and 1606

Applying for Benefits or Changing your place of training 

Individuals applying for chapter 30, 31, 33, 35, and 1606 benefits or those already using the benefits but wish to change their place of training must submit the appropriate application to the VA. Information about each benefit and online applications can be found on the VA's Education and Training page . After completing the application, print a copy for your records.

Information, eligibility criteria and next steps for application for VA education benefits for dependents and survivors Chapter 35 benefits are available on the Department of Veteran Affairs Website.

For the CalVet Fee Waiver, and/or Active Duty Tuition Assistance, please see section below that outlines details of using these benefits.

For further questions about which form to use, benefit eligibility or the status of applications, please contact the VA Educational Benefits Toll-free number: 1-888-442-4551

GI Bill®
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 www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Page Overview

  • VA Education Benefits Chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, and 1606
    •
  • Benefits Certification Process Chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, and 1606
    •
  • CalVet Fee Waiver or Active Duty Tuition Assistance
    •
  • Academic Requirements and Reminders

    • Chapters:

    • Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®)
    • Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill® - Transfer of Entitlement)
    • Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty)
    • Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation): Veterans who qualify for educational benefits as disabled veterans may be entitled to special educational benefits. Veterans should visit the Veterans Administration Regional Office, 1301 Clay Street, North Tower, Oakland, CA 94612, to determine their eligibility for disabled status (telephone: 1-800-827-1000).
    • Chapter 1606 (Montgomery GI Bill® - Reservists)
    • Chapter 35 (Dependents Educational Assistance)

    Please visit the GI-Bill® website to find out more information regarding educational benefits or call the VA Educational Benefits Toll-free number: 888-442-4551

    Certification Process for Chapters 30, 31, 33, 35 and 1606 at Skyline College

    If you are eligible for and plan to use VA Educational Benefits Chapters 30, 31, 33, 34 and 1606 , you will need to submit the following documents to the School Certifying Official(s) at skymilitarycert@smccd.edu before your classes can be certified:

    CLICK ON THE DROP DOWN MENU BELOW FOR DETAILS.

    Note: for Chapter 31 recipients, your VR&E counselor will need to submit a P.O. to Skyline College for your approved program of study.

    School Certifying Officials

    skymilitarycert@smccd.edu

    If you plan to use VA Educational Benefits Chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, or 1606, and have identified Skyline College as your Parent School with the VA, you will need to submit the documents outlined below to the Skyline College School Certifying Official Team* through the Student Success Link before your classes can be certified:

    (if your parent school is a college other than Skyline College, please work with the School Certifying Official at that college to submit a parent school letter to the Skyline College School Certifying Official(s)*)

    Submitting documents and forms through the Student Success Link
    1. Log into your mySMCCD Student Portal.
    2. Click on “Student Success Link”.
    3. Select “Forms”
    4. Scroll down to select “Veteran Forms”
    5. Select the form you would like to submit and follow instructions for submission.
    6. Remember you can always log back into the Student Success Link to see the status of your form submitted
    screenshot of Student Success Link with the sixth item on the main menu, titled 'My Forms', circled in red and displaying the 'Veterans Forms' dropdown menu item.

    Required Documents & Forms:

    Certifying Chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, or 1606 for the First Time at Skyline College:

    Not your first semester here? Scroll down.

    • Certificate of Eligibility** obtained from the VA after you have submitted the Veterans Online Application 
      • If you have used your benefit at another college and plan to make Skyline College your primary place of training, you may need to change your place of training with the VA. Visit the VA GI Bill webpage here for more information).
    • Student Educational Plan (completed with a veterans counselor in Step 5 of enrollment)
      • Only classes listed on your Educational Plan and required for an approved educational goal will be certified. Students using VA Education Benefits must meet with a Veterans Counselor at their parent school to create the Student Educational Plan. Make sure to note you need to meet with a veterans counselor when scheduling an appointment with the counseling department**, and bring copies of transcripts from all prior colleges with you to the appointment (electronic copies preferred).
    • Veteran's Certification Request Form: Submit this through the Student Success Link after you have registered for classes. Only classes listed on your SEP and required for an approved program of study can be certified, no repeat courses- SEP and Veterans Certification Request form must be submitted each semester students wish to be certified. Note: The Veteran's Benefits Statement of Responsibility form is now a part of the Veterans Certification Request Form in the Student Success Link.

    For questions regarding the certification requirements/process, contact our SCHOOL CERTIFYING OFFICIAL TEAM via email at: skymilitarycert@smccd.edu

    **A note on Certificate of Eligibility: For Chapters 30, 33 and 35 - You will receive the certificate of eligibility from the VA in the mail after you apply for Educational Benefits or change your place of training to Skyline College. For Chapter 31- Submit an award letter, your VR&E counselor will also need to submit a purchase order electronically to the college's School Certifying Official(s)*. If you are a Reservist using Chapter 1606, you will need to submit the Notice of Basic Eligibility.

    Certifying Chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, or 1606 each semester after the first semester attending Skyline College:
    • Student Educational Plan (completed with a veterans counselor in Step 5 of enrollment)
      • Only classes listed on your Educational Plan and required for an approved educational goal will be certified. Students using VA Education Benefits must meet with a Veterans Counselor at their parent school to create/ update the Student Educational Plan. Make sure to note you need to meet with a veterans counselor when scheduling an appointment with the counseling department**, and bring copies of transcripts from all prior colleges with you to the appointment (electronic copies preferred).
    • Veteran's Certification Request Form: Submit this through the Student Success Link after you have registered for classes. Only classes listed on your SEP and required for an approved program of study can be certified, no repeat courses- SEP and Veterans Certification Request form must be submitted each semester students wish to be certified. Note: The Veteran's Benefits Statement of Responsibility form is now a part of the Veterans Certification Request Form in the Student Success Link.

    If you are receiving educational benefits (Chapter 30, 31, 33, 35, and 1606), you must provide the following two documents to the School Certifying Official team each semester that you wish to certify these benefits:

    • an updated Student Educational Plan (SEP) obtained from a Veterans Educational Counselor
    • and completed Veterans Certification Request

    Complete and submit this form after you have registered for classes. Only classes listed on your SEP and required for your declared VA approved program of study will be certified.

    Official Transcripts from all colleges attended outside of the San Mateo County Community College District (including JSTs) must be on file with Admissions and Records and a transcript evaluation request must be submitted through WEBSMART to avoid being certified for any repeat classes. Individuals certified for any repeat courses will be financially responsible to pay any debts accrued.

    For Chapter 31 students- make sure that your VR&E counselor has submitted a current P.O. reflecting your approved program of study to Skyline College for each semester you wish to certify benefits. 

    CalVet Fee Waiver

     

    Tuition Fee Waiver for Dependents of Service-Connected Disabled or Deceased Veterans:

    For more information about the application, go to the CalVet Website.

    A County Veteran Services Officer can help determine eligibility of the applicant and submit application. Once applicant has received eligibility documentation from the County Veteran Service Officer this documentation goes to the Financial Aid Office. For a list of CVSO’s please visit the Vet Services Page. See below for steps to use the CalVet Fee Waiver at Skyline College:

    Steps to utilize CalVet Fee Waiver at Skyline College

    • View Application & Additional Information here: CalVet College Fee Waivers
    • Receive Eligibility Letter from a County Veterans Service Office. Note: To determine eligibility, submit an application, or to receive eligibility documentation, please contact San Mateo County Veterans Service Office (CVSO) at 650-802-6598.
    • Log into WEBSMART and apply for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG).

    * Note that you are a dependent of a Veteran using the Calvet Fee Waiver when asked in the application process. You will receive an alert in WEBSMART requesting you to submit your Letter of Eligibility after completing this step.

    • Submit CalVet Fee Waiver eligibility letter along with a valid copy of a government ID, such as a Driver’s license or CA Identification card to the Financial Aid Office securely via DropBox. All Documents must have your Student ID Number (G#), be legible and completely filled out with the appropriate wet signatures if required. Learn how to submit documents securely to Financial Aid here.

    For questions about submitting documents to Financial Aid or processing CalVet Fee Waiver, fill out the online Financial Aid contact form or call (650) 738-4236.

    Note: If you are eligible and plan to use this benefit for multiple academic years, you will need to obtain a new letter and complete the steps above each academic year from the CVSO.

    Important Additional Information

    In order to receive your VA Educational Benefits, only classes listed on the Student Educational Plan (SEP) that you complete with a veterans academic counselor at your parent school that are required for your declared program of student can be certified.

    You must have an updated copy of your SEP and complete the Veterans Certification Request in the Student Success Link each semester. You must notify the School Certifying Official Team if you add or remove courses from your plan and/or make any changes to your schedule.

    If the School Certifying Official team does not have up to date forms, you are at risk of decertification. You are also responsible to check the course modality (resident vs. distance learning) and the start and end dates of classes.

    You must have an Educational Objective and major/ program of study on file. If you wish to change your educational objective (major), it will need to be done in consultation with a veterans counselor and you must notify the school certifying official team immediately. Changing your objective requires obtaining a new SEP from a veterans academic counselor and may impact certification of benefits.

    For Chapter 31 students, you must obtain approval from your VR&E program counselor if wising to change your program of study. If approved, a new PO will need to be submitted to the School Certifying Official Team.

    You must contact the VA on the last day of each month or within the first week of each month to verify your enrollment. You can call (877) 823-2378 or go online at www.gibill.va.gov/wave for enrollment verification.

    In order to collect a monthly allowance or portion of it, you must be certified for more than half-time in the fall and spring semesters and 6 units in the summer semester. If your certification drops to half-time or below, you will stop receiving a monthly payment. Veterans must be enrolled full-time to receive 100% of their Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) entitlement. Modality of the classes (resident vs distance) as well as start and end dates of classes (full semester length classes vs. short courses) may impact benefit amounts as well.

    If you withdraw, drop, or receive a failing grade, this may lead to an overpayment and a debt. If an overpayment is created resulting in a debt you may be responsible for repaying the VA for tuition and fees, books, and housing allowance. The amount of the overpayment may vary depending on the date in which you withdraw, drop, or receive a failing grade. 

    To identify specific benefit amount that you will receive, or the impact of your current benefit due to withdrawal, drop, or failing grade, it is recommend to contact the VA Education Benefits team at 1-888-442-4551. 

    Veterans, Reservists, Active Duty Service Members and Dependents receiving educational benefits will be subject to Academic Standards for Continued Eligibility. See online catalog for more details.