Veterans Benefits

Will I be charged a late fee or denied access to classes or other services if payment of my VA Benefit is delayed?

Harvard University fully complies with Section 103.1.(b) of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018. For students who are covered under Chapter 31, VR&E, and Chapter 33, Harvard University will not impose any penalty on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of funding from the VA under Chapter 31 or Chapter 33. Covered students will not be prevented from attending or enrolling in courses, will not be charged late fees, and will not be otherwise denied access to... Read more about Will I be charged a late fee or denied access to classes or other services if payment of my VA Benefit is delayed?

What other financial aid might be available to me to supplement my education benefits?

All Harvard applicants and current students are encouraged to apply for other forms of financial aid based on the policies of the school you will be attending. Receipt of Ch33 funding doesn’t impact a student’s eligibility for any other type of financial aid. However, any form of funding meant to offset the cost of tuition and required fees will be deducted from the amount certified to the VA. 

Who can I ask if I have more questions about VA education benefits at Harvard?

If you have specific questions about a program, most of that information can be found on the school or department’s website, with links to contacts. If you have questions about alternate financial aid options, prospective students can contact the school’s Financial Aid Office. If you have questions about your certification or late/missing payments, please contact the Certifying Official for your program:
 
Harvard Extension School: Joseph Frechette 617-495-4293
 
Harvard College & Graduate Schools:...
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I’m planning to enroll in a non-degree Executive Education Program at one of Harvard’s graduate schools. Can I use Ch33 benefits for my program costs? Yellow Ribbon funding?

Students attending Harvard’s Executive Education Program are eligible to receive the same benefits as a student attending the College, Extension, or graduate schools. They are also eligible for YRP funding if the meet the VA’s requirements and the school has YRP slots remaining (though only a handful of EE programs exceed the basic coverage offered by Ch33 for 100% eligible students.)   For information on how to sign up and the availability of YRP funding, please contact the Executive Education Program offices directly.

How and when will the VA's payments be made?

The VA reports a typical turn-around time of 30 days between certification and payment. In our experience, that time-line can vary. Some tuition payments are received in less than a week, some take several months. It can depend on the time of year and whether the certification was pulled for manual processing (which may happen if there’s a question about the cert or if a revision is submitted.)

It is our understanding that BAH payments begin roughly 30 days from the cert date, but not before the start of term. BAH payments, if sent after the start of term, should be retroactive to...

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How will I know when I’ve been certified for VA benefits?

Students who are utilizing VA benefits, with the exception of students utilizing VR&E (Chapter 31), will see their certification data in my.Harvard once the School Certifying Official (SCO) has submitted data for a given term to the VA. When viewing your student account in my.Harvard, scroll to the bottom of the page. Once you’ve been certified, you’ll see the following:

...

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I'm the child or dependent of an Active Duty service member and my parent has transferred Ch33 benefit to me. Am I eligible for Yellow Ribbon?

The children of Active Duty service members (who are using the parent/guardian’s ch33 benefit) have the same eligibility as a non-AD service member – if you are deemed 100% eligible for ch33, you are also eligible for YRP. You would also be eligible for BAH payments, assuming you meet the general enrollment requirements for BAH (more than half-time). 

I’m applying for Ch33. How much should I expect to receive from the VA for my Basic Allowance for Housing and my stipend for books and supplies?

The amount of your BAH (also referred to by the VA as the “MHA” for CH33 participants) is based on the military’s BAH for “an E-5 with dependents.” The rate is determined using the Cambridge zip code, 02138, which can be found... Read more about I’m applying for Ch33. How much should I expect to receive from the VA for my Basic Allowance for Housing and my stipend for books and supplies?

Do I need to submit a Certificate of Eligibility & Notice of Student Enrollment for Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment?

Yes. Please report your intention to use Chapter 31 funding via the Notice of Student Enrollment prior to the start of each academic year. Your Chapter 31 counselor will send studentaccountoperations_fad@harvard.edu a PO for each term that will allow us to invoice via the VA’s preferred invoicing system – Tungsten. Invoices will not be accepted by the VA until add/drop for each term has passed. Chapter 31 is managed via Third-Party Billing. Please also submit a Third-Party Billing request through your school at the start... Read more about Do I need to submit a Certificate of Eligibility & Notice of Student Enrollment for Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment?

I am eligible for VA funding under Chapter 30, 33, 35, or 1606. How do I request certification of enrollment from the University?

Eligible students should submit their benefits application through the VA’s website (Form 22-1990.)  The VA will produce a Certificate of Eligibility. Submit your Certificate of Eligibility along with a Notice of Student Enrollment form to your school’s Financial Aid Office to request certification. A new Notice of Student Enrollment form is required for every subsequent academic year, but if there is no change to your eligibility, you do not need to resubmit the Certificate of Eligibility.