Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

The Military Connection Center is an information and resource center for our on-campus military-affiliated students. Our team can help you navigate the application and enrollment process, learn more about utilizing VA education benefits at 鶹ý, provide clarity on active duty education benefits, and offer coaching, community, and connection. Please don't hesitate to ask us a question. We're here to help you succeed and get the most out of your college experience!

A military-affiliated student is someone who has a direct connection to the military. Our student demographic includes veterans, active duty service members, National Guard, Reserves, those enrolled in any 鶹ý ROTC program, and spouses or dependents of someone in the military.

The Military Connection Center is located at 1106 Monarch Hall. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8AM-5PM. Please feel free to stop by and say hi and ask any questions you may have. You can email us at military@odu.edu and we will respond within 48hrs unless it is a weekend or holiday. You can also call our office at 757-683-7153 for assistance from one of our team members.

The Military Tuition Rate will be available for eligible undergraduate active duty military personnel residing in the Commonwealth, retired military personnel residing in the Commonwealth at the time of their retirement, veterans who voluntarily elect to establish the Commonwealth as their permanent residence for the purpose of domicile, and active duty military personnel’s spouses/dependents who are enrolled in a degree or non-degree seeking, for-credit courses offered on campus or online. Questions concerning this benefit should be addressed toinstate@odu.edu. Additionally, students using VA Education Benefits can contact the Office of Admissions atadmission@odu.eduto request an application fee waiver request form to waive the $50 application fee and an tuition deposit fee waiver request form to waive the $200 tuition deposit.

Military Education Benefit Questions

  • If this is your first time using VA Educational Benefits ( – Montgomery GI Bill, – Montgomery GI Bill®, GI Bill®, or ) you'll need to complete your benefit’s application to activate them with the VA. Once you complete the application and submit it, it can take up to 30 days to process your request through the VA. Once processed, the VA will mail you a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to your home mailing address. Keep this for your records, as you will need to submit a virtual copy of it with your Veteran’s Clearance Form after you have successfully registered for courses to complete the certification process at 鶹ý.
  • Chapter 31: Veteran Readiness and Employment students need to complete the process with the VA. If approved, you will need to contact your VA assigned VR&E counselor who will submit an e-authorization to 鶹ý in lieu of the Veteran’s Clearance Form.

  • Have you picked atraditionalordegree program?
  • Have you ensured your degree program isfor VA benefits?
  • Have youfor your VA benefits, been approved, and received a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA?
  • Have you met with yourAcademic Advisorand made an academic plan and enrolled in classes?
  • Have you confirmed with theMilitary Connection Center to make sure you've filled out all of your paperwork properly?

If all the above steps have been completed. Please fill out theand visit thispagefor additional information and what to expect next.

  • Typically, for students to use TA (Tuition Assistance), you must first obtain approval from the command’s educational counselor or resource officer, get accepted at 鶹ý, obtain a Degree Plan from your academic advisor and supply it to your command’s education liaison. The student would then follow the procedures for requesting TA as governed by their branch of service as outlined on the Military Connection Center Tuition Assistance webpage. Then, once your command/education office approves your Degree Plan for use of TA, the command provides the service member with a tuition voucher. The student will then provide this tuition voucher to the Third-Party Billing department at thirdpartybilling@odu.edu.
  • Tuition Assistance must be requested at least 45 days prior to the start of the semester, and it must be approved via your command at least 15 days prior to the semester.
  • TA processes vary by branch. For specific details on completing the TA process at 鶹ý, you will need to speak to your command and review the steps specific to your branch as provided on the Military Connection Center Tuition Assistance Webpage.

If you have used your benefits previously at another college, you will need to file a “Request for Change of Program or Place of Training” VA Form 22-1995. This form can be accessed , and once you complete the form and submit it, it will take the VA up to 30 days to process your request. Once processed, the VA will mail you a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to your home mailing address. Keep this for your records, as you will need to submit a virtual copy of it to your Veteran’s Clearance form after you have successfully registered for courses to complete the certification process at 鶹ý.

  • Students using VA Educational Benefits (Chapter 1606 (Reserve) – Montgomery GI Bill®, Chapter 30 (Active Duty) – Montgomery GI Bill®, Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill®, or Chapter 35 – Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance) need to submit a Veteran Clearance Form with their Certificate of Eligibility from the VA attached to it. You will receive a confirmation email once you have submitted the form, and another a confirmation email from 鶹ý’s School Certifying Officials after you have been certified.
  • A new Veterans Clearance Form is required when there is a change in major, duty status (Active Duty/Veteran), selected Chapter benefit, a break in enrollment, or after a student has requested not to be certified for a term and would like to be re-initiate benefits.
  • Active duty military, MEM Ashore, and certificate students using GI Bill® benefits must complete the Veterans Clearance FormEACHsemesterAFTERregistering for 鶹ý classes.
  • If you have not made any changes and were certified for VA Benefits in the prior semester, youDO NOT need to submit a Veterans Clearance Form. You will be certified automatically and receive a confirmation email from the 鶹ý’s VA Services after you have been certified.
  • Chapter 31 students DO NOT need to complete the Veterans Clearance Form. Chapter 31 students will coordinate with their assigned VA Educational Counselor.

  • Students using VA Educational Benefits (Chapter 1606 (Reserve) – Montgomery GI Bill®, Chapter 30 (Active Duty) – Montgomery GI Bill®, Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill®, or Chapter 35 – Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance) need to submit a Veteran Clearance Form with their Certificate of Eligibility from the VA attached to it. This needs to happen at least 30 days before the start of the semester.
  • Students who are utilizing their VA Benefits may qualify for a deferment at least 90 days from the tuition deadline. Once you have been certified by 鶹ý's School Certifying Officials, on your LEO Online account you will be able to see the due dates for tuition and mandatory fees change from the normal semester due date to the deferment due date.

Tuition Deferment Due Dates

Fall Semester

November 25

Spring Semester

April 10

Summer Semester

October 3

  • Students using VA Educational Benefits (Chapter 1606 (Reserve) – Montgomery GI Bill®, Chapter 30 (Active Duty) – Montgomery GI Bill®, Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill®, or Chapter 35 – Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance) need to submit a Veteran Clearance Form with their Certificate of Eligibility from the VA attached to it. Veterans Clearance Forms (VCF) are processed in the order they are received. 鶹ý’s VA Services receipt of the VCF (and supplemental COE). Enrollment certifications are manually processed, and each student’s certification is submitted individually to the VA. This will prompt students to be coded for military tuition deferment. During peak periods of the academic year, please expect an extended processing time for the submitted VCF. Tuition deferment will postpone a student’s tuition deadline to a date later in the semester, preventing student penalties and/or late fee(s). Additionally, 鶹ý does not drop for non-payment. You may attend classes as normal while these processes are underway. You will continue to receive an automated bill and see a balance on your LEO Online account until the balance is paid by the VA.
  • Chapter 35 Students: VA Education Benefits will go directly to you in the bank account you designated with the VA. You are responsible for ensuring that your 鶹ý bill is paid once you receive funds from the VA.

Please be aware that dropping/withdrawing from classes outside of the semester’s designated add/drop period may lead to subsequent billing by the school and/or the Department of Veterans Affairs. This could impact your 鶹ý billing account. If this does happen, you may be required to pay back either 鶹ý or the VA for classes that were paid for, but not completed.

Federal GI Bill® benefits are considered a financial resource in a student's financial aid package and can impact eligibility for other financial aid. Please be aware that accepting the Virginia Commonwealth Award or the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP) can impact payments of the Chapter 33 GI Bill® benefit. Your amount of eligible tuition and fees to be reported to the VA will be reduced by the corresponding amount of that monetary award. It will not increase the amount of funds that you receive, and you will not receive the amount of the Commonwealth or VGAP award back as a refund.

If your scholarship or grant is only allowed to pay tuition, the GI Bill® cannot pay that tuition a second time. There are other scholarships and grants that can be used to pay for any school related expense, and if they go directly to your bank account and not through the school or VA, then you should be able to utilize them. To learn more about your Military Financing options, please click here.

Contact

If you have any questions, please get in touch with our office, or visit us on campus and someone from our team will be happy to assist you.