Qualifying for Benefits
You may qualify for VA Ch. 35 educational benefits if your parent or spouse died while on active duty or is permanently and totally disabled due to his or her military service. If you have any questions about your eligibility, we recommend that you call the VA's toll-free phone number (1-888-442-4551) for additional information. Be sure to have your parent's or spouse's VA file number available when you call.

Applying for Benefits
If you have not already done so, you need to complete VA Form 22-5490, Application for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance. In this document you provide information about yourself that allows the VA to determine whether you are eligible for educational benefits. You also give them information about your educational goals.

The application can be filed prior to your acceptance at UCR. You may send the completed application to us, if you intend to enroll here; we will make a copy to start a file for you here in our office and will forward the original to the VA. Or, you may send the application directly to the VA.

Please note that application for VA benefits does not constitute an application for admission to an educational institution. General information on undergraduate admission to UC Riverside is available by calling (951) 827-4531. Prospective graduate students may call the Graduate Division at (951) 827-3313.

If You've Received Benefits at Another School
If you've collected benefits in the past, you do not need to complete another application. Instead, you should complete VA Form 22-5495, Request for Change of Program or Place of Training, when you visit our office for certification of your enrollment.

To Collect Benefits
It is necessary to obtain Certification of Enrollment in order to collect benefits.

Certification of Enrollment

This is the step that starts those monthly checks coming!
In most cases, we can certify your enrollment as soon as you've been accepted for admission to UCR and, if you are an undergraduate, have paid or been exempted from paying the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) Fee. Certification proceeds most smoothly if you visit our office; we will be happy to set up an appointment time at your convenience. If you are unable to visit our office, please contact us to make alternate arrangements.

Payment Procedures

Advance Payment
The VA generally pays you on or after the first of each month for the prior month's attendance; this system is called "post-payment." However, if you complete the certification process well in advance, you may (in most cases) request "advance payment" for your first enrollment of the academic year. With this option, the VA pays you in advance for the first partial month and next full month of the quarter. Advance payment checks typically arrive in our office about the time the quarter begins, but not necessarily prior to the University's fee payment deadline.

Break Pay
Generally, if you are a continuing UCR student receiving benefits every term, enrolled at least half-time, and not on active duty, the VA will automatically authorize payment for the breaks between terms during the regular academic year, unless you request otherwise. This means that you may receive payment from the first day of Fall Quarter instruction through the last day of Spring Quarter finals. Break pay for transfer and summer session students is dependent upon several factors including the specific dates of your enrollment and whether you have changed your program; in these cases, we recommend that you talk with a counselor in Student Special Services for specific information.

Educational Expenses
The amount and timing of your VA educational benefits does not necessarily coincide with your educational expenses. Most students do, in fact, have expenses to meet prior to the receipt of their first VA educational benefits check. UC Riverside's Deferred Payment Plan offers students an opportunity to pay their quarterly fees and tuition in three monthly installments; arrangements for this program must be made in advance, and further details can be obtained by calling Student Business Services at (951) 827-2346. The Financial Aid Office assists students with meeting educational expenses that cannot be met from personal resources; if you have questions regarding your veterans' benefits and financial aid eligibility, please feel free to call them at (951) 827-3878 or contact them at finaid@ucr.edu.

If You Need Assistance
UC Riverside provides staff in the Student Special Services Office to assist you with your VA educational benefits. We are employees of the University, not the VA. If you need help, please don't hesitate to contact us; we'll be happy to answer your questions or refer you to someone who can. If you need information about the specific VA benefits for which you may be eligible, you may contact the VA directly as indicated.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Processing Office

PO Box 8888
Muskogee, OK 74402-8888

Education Benefits
Phone: 1-888-GI BILL 1 (1-888-442-4551)
Web: http://www.gibill.va.gov/

Other Benefits
Phone: 1-800-827-1000
Web: http://www.va.gov/