Chapter 35

[MikeS]

Hi all:

I filed form 22-5490 at the beginning of July to the Buffalo VA office for a Certificate of Eligibility for my wife.

A week later, I got a short letter explaining that their office was working on my claim but that they are very busy.

I have not heard from them since.

I called their number at 888-442-4551 and got a recording that said basically that they are too busy to take my call.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get someones attention ????

Thank you,

Mike S.

[Berta]

Mike- I sent the 5490 directly to

Department of Veterans Affairs

P.0. Box 4616

Buffalo, NY 14240

I got my Certificate of Eligibility within 3 weeks.

I had attached to it the award letter for Chapter 35.

Also I dealt with VA Education in Buffalo directly via email to BUFFRPO@vba.va.gov.

It was invaluable to have their email addy as I could email the college VA counsellor and the Buffalo VA edu at the same time with my enrollment info and this helped the checks come sort of in order.

I dealt with Robert Quall and others there who were always prompt in emailing me back.

I bet the 5490 is sitting somewhereto be sent to the Education Dept. but it would pay to send a copy of it and the award letter directly to them.

It only took my daughter 3-4 weeks to get her Certificate-but she sent her stuff to the PO Box address too.

They also will send the college a copy of it so it is good to tie up with the VA counselor on the college campus.

Edited October 1, 2006 by Berta

[MikeS]

Berta:

I did just what you did but I did not have an e-mail address.

I will send aout an e-mail right now.

Thank you, Berta, you are always a great help.

I'll let you know if they answer my e-mail.

Mike S.

[Berta]

Mike-wish I had a phone number for them but I don't.

They are as overwhelmed as the RO but they seem to handle these educational claims much faster than the RO.

It is a very busy time of the year for these educational claims- does she have a school start date and has she paid tuition yet?

The Chap 35er has to pay the tuition first and after they are in the courses for a few weeks, that is when the VA sends the stipend.

An accellerated course -say 8 weeks long gets 2 checks- and 4 month course gets 4 checks.

They pay a daily rate. I dont know how they figure that out at all.

[MikeS]

Berta:

I don't understand about the tuition and stipend part.

I though that under chapter 35, my spouse only received per month paymenbts of $827 full time, $621 three quarter time, $413 half time, or $206.75 for one quarter time. These payments go to pay tuition, bookss, etc.

Other than those payments, there is no other help to pay for school.

Is that correct??

Thank you,

Mike S.

[Berta]

Mike- somewhere here:

http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/va_searc...s&UA=Search

they discuss whether or not a Chapter 35er is eligible for Student Loans and Pell Grants-

I never applied for these but someone told me years ago they got Chap 35 and also a Pell Grant too-

It would be good to find out if the wife could receive both- I wish I knew-

I also heard that scholarships do not limit ir offset the Stipend but that is something I am not sure of.

Next year I am applying for a USMC scholarship- and will find out-if my claim is resolved by then- if I can receive both Chap 35 and the scholarship-

Certainly the email addy would answer this for you-

Books are expensive. I get a book grant from the Marine Corps Association.That has saved me hundreds of dollars.

Used Books are often at reduced rate in any college bookstore but could contain notes and highlighters.

There might well be some sort of a grant on the book fees that your wife could get.

Has she formally chosen a school yet? their web site would provide a lot of info as to any potential book grants as well as the VA counsellor who also might know about the financial aid and Pell grants.AFter I enrolled and paid my tuition, the VA counselor was the first person at the school I contacted with a CC: email to VA Education at the email addy I gave you.

I sure wish I had more info for you-on the Chap 35. I know of no other student at my school on this benefit-I am usually the only civilian there because most are active duty and/or veteran students under the G.I. Bill and my school has a wealth of info on that-

but not Chap 35.

The stipend comes after the tuition has been paid and classes have begun.

One of my first courses was an intensive 4 month long warfare course and the checks came all at once -in the fourth month-unfortunately the VA pays the stipend but one cannot always count on when it will come.

I was worried as I went in the bank twice in one week with four separate VA checks and then the VA DIC check came a week after that.The teller looked at these checks funny.Maybe they thought I was pulling something on the gov- but of course each check was legit.

Also I suggest she start a file folder for Chapter 35 and keep a good record of the checks she receives and also the VA statements they will send to her as to the breakdown of their figures.

The VA email addy for VA edu and also her VA counselor should be right on the front of the file-

And of course she will need lots of school supplies.

I attend school on line and get proctored exams at local libraries.

I use Office Depot and take advantage of sales for ink, paper, floppys and all the things one needs-because even though it is on line-

the paperwork still becomes voluminous.

Also online schools have specific PC requirements and I hope your PC is up to that too-

a CD player is needed for lectures sometimes, and even a regular tape player.

For some assignments -if they want it in Power point-you need the MS Power Point Program.

Some stuff is in Spread Sheet form too.

Guess what happened to me once. I had the toughest USMC professor I had ever met. He wanted 150% (well they ALL DO) and was hard as nails.

My assignment was on the TET Offensive and ,after an exhausting job preparing my thesis, when I typed it to submit, I noticed the cover page was off by one pixel-I was so exhausted I figured he would never notice.

WRONG. I got an A but he deducted 2 points and chastized me for not centering the cover page. He actualy called me from Quantico to point out the cover page error.He was so tough and a perfectionist and I just loved him and took many more courses from him.

My point is -many on line colleges and I imagine off line ones too- have a rigid criteria for submissions. Also it takes being computer savvy in ways one might not realise they need to be. And a good handle on the Bibliography formats is mandatory.If the school has a specific required format for citations in a bibliography- one must conform to this also.We had APA and then switched to Turubian a few times. It was very stressful when they switched us around.

long post here but maybe this will help others too under Chap 35.

Edited October 1, 2006 by Berta

[MikeS]

Berta:

Thank you.

Mike S.