Do Acceptance Letters Include GIBill Benefits?

turtlerock
Thu, 29 Nov 2012 13:20:58 +0000

Unfortunately, different schools do try to apply the GI Bill benefits differently. It’s been a while, but if I remember right, the initial FA letter that is sent in conjunction with or immediately following an acceptance letter will not reflect GIB benefit eligibility since the school has no way of determining your exact benefit until you’ve a) accepted to attend, which let’s you b) submit your VA F 22-1990 Application for VA Benefits (VONAPP) under your accepted school’s information, so that then c) the school can apply your eligibility percentage/amount towards your tuition and fees costs via the school’s Veteran’s Program Certifying Official.

Until then, the school can only make the nest estimates based on the information you provide to them. If you know you’re 100% eligible, then it’s a lot easier for the school. After you’ve received your initial FA letter, you should be able to call the school’s FA office and talk to someone about your VA educational benefits eligibility being applied to your FA offer - or better yet, you should look for the Veteran’s Certifying Official (every school should have at least one person that does this) and they will most likely be able to coordinate your veteran status to the FA office.

Applying GIB benefits to your FA can dramatically change your FA package - the law of the GIB is that it is applied after other scholarships and grants from either outside institutions or the school itself, and schools know this. So, some schools, in an attempt to save money will then offer less grant aid to the student that may have been offered in the initial FA letter since the VA might be paying that cost now. The school saves the grant aid amount they originally offered you and the VA instead pays that cost.

Trust me, it is very confusing how some schools do this. I remember being on the phone for like an hour or so every day for a week talking to one school and how they were calculating my benefits into my FA and what my final out-of-pocket would be. Are you looking at FA packages for public or private schools? Public should leave you no worries if you are 100% eligible for the P911GIB as you literally follow steps a, b, and c above and almost everything (if not everything) is covered through your benefit. Privates cost more and it takes more effort to decipher how your benefit is applied and how much they expect you to pay if your benefit and YRP does not cover it all.

In short, most schools will not inherently know about your veteran status and you will need to make this known to either their FA office or the Verteran’s Certifying Official. Does your FA letter actually already show a GIB calculation? I know a lot of specifics, but I would need to know some more specific information to reciprocate.