Chapter 35 Certificate Of Eligibility

[markerpower]

Hello,

I always wondered about this. I'm under chapter 35, go to school full time and have the Certificate of Eligibility which pays for my tuition. Before I started college, I was a resident of Texas, but when I started college I was becoming a resident of Louisiana. During the first year of college, the VA office I went to refused to give me the Certificate of Eligibility because they said I had to be a resident of Louisiana, which took two years to become. My parents were confused by this because they had friends whose children moved state to state and were still able to use the Certificate of Eligibility. Even now, I am a resident of Texas, but I go to a school in California; and VA pays my tution. The certificate states that I can use it anywhere in the U.S.

During that time they did send me the monthly benefits, but why couldn't they pay for my tution? Did I have to be a resident of a state to initially get it and then use it wherever I please? Was that some kind of Louisiana VA rule?

[Berta]

I am a CHapter 35er-

I live in NY and graduated from on on line university in Virginia-

my favorite professor, Major USMC, actually graded some of my assignments while he was in Okinawa-but most of them at Quantico-he is active duty-

it shouldnt be an issue where you live- this puzzles me:

"During that time they did send me the monthly benefits, but why couldn't they pay for my tution?"

The VA paid me for a rate that depended sole on my tuition.

I didnt get any "monthly VA benefits"

Can you explain?

[markerpower]

The VA pays both my tution and the $915 a month for being full time.

[Berta]

I just spent wuite a bit of time at the VA's DEA web site-

I began to think maybe because I am surviving spouse and not adult child of veteran-maybe this was why my DEA was different from yours-

then I realised my daughter's DEA entitlement (she is veterand adult child of the deceased veteran whose disability entitled us to DEA-

is the exact same entitlement as mine.

Then I found your first post here:

"Hello,

If you owe VA, can they take the amount you owe out of your future education checks instead of you paying them back? If you have past tution fees, can VA pay it and take it out of your future education checks?"

If the VA has made an overpayment to you under DEA (and it appears to me that they might have) you must appeal the overpayment right away.

When VA overpays ,they want to get the money back.

Overpayments can be challenged if you can prove that you accepted the overpayment innocently and that the VA was totally at fault.

Then again perhaps you get Pell Grants or somehow fall into an additional GI bill program.

Cant tell-

But I also cannot understand how the VA Paid your tuition and then sent you $915 a month on top of that-

That would possibly be close to the case for a Voc Rehab stipend and tuition (Chapter 61) but not-as far as I know- for Chapter 35 recipients.

[markerpower]

Well, the overpayment is not related to the situation in this topic.

I was just wondering why they would not pay my tuition at first, and why I had to live in Louisiana for two years before they gave me that certificate and paid my tuition. I would of just stayed in Texas, but I was under 18 and had to move with my parents to Louisiana.

Is it not normal to get paid the monthly benefit and tuition at the same time? It's been happening for a few years, and they never questioned nor sent an overpayment letter about it. They personally pay the tuition, I don't get a check for it, and if I pay any of the tuition, they reimburse me for it. When I went to a University in Louisiana, at the start of each semester I was instructed to get a waiver on my tuition and then apply for the monthly benefits.

[Berta]

Yes-many states do have tuition waivers and other special benefits for dependents of veterans.

I believe that one can obtain the Pell Grant and keep their Chapter benefit 35 too.

That info explains this better-but

"I was just wondering why they would not pay my tuition at first, and why I had to live in Louisiana for two years before they gave me that certificate and paid my tuition"

As long as the period of eligibility for the veteran parent - whose eligibility covered that enrollment-as determined in the effective date in their 100% P & T Award letter-I am at a loss as to why they did not give you the Certificate of Eligibility- I hope others here might have some better response.

I do recall that this certificate has to be formally applied for and I think the application comes with the VA 100% P & T award for the parent or spouse.

And I am sure that you made the formal application-

so this is baffling to me.

Do you still have the letter from VA stating why they refused to pay the tuition?

[purple]

As far as the Pell Grant question...yes. My son goes to college this way...he gets a Pell Grant, State of Ohio grant and his Chap 35 benefit.