Military & Veterans Services: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

All prospective students use the same process for application regardless of veteran/military status. Howard University does not offer fee waivers for veterans/military. If you are interested in a particular program and wish to learn more about it, we recommend that you reach out to the Department and request more information: 

·       Undergraduate Admission: Some programs have additional requirements.

o   The date for Fall 2022 Undergraduate Admission has passed. The next undergraduate application cycle is for Spring 2023. The undergraduate application deadline is November 1, 2022, and the document deadline is November 15, 2022.

·       Graduate Admission

·       Professional Admission

The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) are part of the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University. Please contact their respective programs below for more information:

·       Air Force ROTC

·       Army ROTC

All students should complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) which opens on October 1st every year for the next academic year. This information helps Howard University award you grants (money you don’t have to pay back!) that you may not know you are eligible for from the federal government as well as scholarships (money you don’t have to pay back!)  through the Common Application and the University.

Additionally, if you scroll down our page, you will find a list of scholarships explicitly for veterans, service members, military spouses, and military children from a bunch of organizations that love to support military-connected students! Use our new Benefits & Schedules Updates Survey to report any scholarships you receive so we can celebrate with you!

Yes! We STRONGLY recommend that you do because the VA has a tuition cap for what they cover at Howard which is less than the cost of tuition at the University. To see what the VA pays for each VA Education Benefit use the VA's online comparison tool.

Yes! Use our new Benefits & Schedules Updates Survey to report any scholarships you receive so we can celebrate with you!

Note: Some scholarships that are solely for tuition and fees will be subtracted from Chapter 33 tuition and fee payments.

Make sure you complete all required forms for your college and department to start the deferment process. Then, send an email with your full name, Howard ID, program/major so we can support your deferment request.

Please proceed to the following website and upload your proof of insurance by September 30, 2022: https://studentcenter.uhcsr.com/

The earlier you request accommodations, the better! You can request academic or physical accommodations at the University by going to the website below:

Howard University Disability Services

• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records. When a student turns 18 years old, or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student (“eligible student”). The FERPA statute is found at 20 U.S.C. § 1232g and the FERPA regulations are found at 34 CFR Part 99.
• OMVS will communicate directly with the student concerning all aspects of their student file including certification to the VA. 

Tuition Assistance is a way for active-duty service members and some reservists to receive tuition support while enrolled in classes.  Howard is not currently eligible to accept Tuition Assistance, but the University hopes to be able to be reinstated in the future.

There are two different types of work study programs available to veterans and military-connected students. 

1. Federal Work Study is available through Howard University to all students who qualify. Qualification is based on your financial package and requires you to fill out a FAFSA.  Any position through this office will be posted on Handshake with all other positions. 
2. VA Work Study is a tax-free education benefit for students using Ch. 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, or 1606 at the Washington, DC minimum wage. Howard University is a VA Work Study site. Students who qualify should review the job description, complete a VA Work Study application, and submit it via email.

One of the criteria for approval of any school for Veterans' training is that it reviews prior credit and grant credit as appropriate to a VA student's current program. This is found in Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, Sections 21.4253(d)(3) and 21.4254(C)(4). In essence, this requires every approved school to have and enforce a policy with regard to transfer courses, credits, and previous experience.

Please submit these official documents to the Howard University, Office of Admissions, in one of the following ways:

1. Through an e-transcript system (e.g. Parchment, or the National Student Clearinghouse.  If asked for the recipient’s email address, please provide transfer@howard.edu -- highly preferred) to be officially considered for transfer credits. Note, student email submissions directly to the university are NOT accepted.
2. Via mail (not preferred) in the original envelope from the institution which has remained sealed and unopened, please provide, or use the following address: Howard University, Attn: Transfer Services, 2400 6th Street NW, Suite 105, Washington DC, 20059

• For Howard University questions, you can email veterans@howard.edu or call Megan Kennedy at (202) 238-2422. Megan encourages emails as she can access those anywhere! 
• Verifications of enrollment for the University should be requested through BisonWeb. Generally, you must not have any holds on your account.
• For VA questions concerning MHA (Monthly Housing Allowance) or stipends, you can use the new Ask VA tool online or call the VA Educational Benefits helpline at (888) 442-4551. This is especially important if you need documentation about the amount of your MHA or stipend!
• ‘‘GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill."

What are the different benefits that can be used at Howard University?

Veterans and military-connected students can use a variety of different benefits.  While a detailed list of all benefits can be found on the VA's website, below are some of the most used benefits and some information about each one. You must apply for each benefit through the VA online before you can use them at the University.

Chapter 33

Chapter 33 (Post-9/11) beneficiaries generally receive a book stipend, a monthly housing allowance, and payment towards tuition and fees. You may also be eligible for tutoring assistance. They may also be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon program under certain conditions.

Chapter 33 – Transfer of Entitlement

Qualified dependents of active duty or Selected Reserve members may be able to transfer their Post-9/11 benefits under certain conditions. This right is exercised by the Department of Defense and they have the final say over whether benefits will be transferred.

Fry Scholarships

Learn about the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship), a scholarship for children and spouses of certain Veterans. If your parent or spouse died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, while serving in one of the Armed Forces, or was a member of the Selected Reserve who died from a service-connected disability, you may qualify for this benefit.

Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship

The Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship allows some eligible Veterans and dependents in high-demand fields to extend their Post-9/11 GI Bill® or Fry Scholarship benefits for up to 9 months.

Chapter 35 

Chapter 35 (DEA) beneficiaries receive a monthly housing allowance.

Chapter 1606

Chapter 1606 (Montgomery Selected Reserve) beneficiaries receive a monthly housing allowance.

Chapter 30

Chapter 30 (Montgomery Active Duty) beneficiaries receive a monthly housing allowance. You may also be eligible for tutoring assistance.

Chapter 31 

Chapter 31 (VR&E) beneficiaries can receive a book & supplies voucher, tuition and fee support, a monthly stipend/housing allowance, and other support based on their VR&E counselor's recommendations.

Using benefits at the University is called certification. A survey to ask for certification of benefits will be posted on this website prior to the end of the preceding semester. You should complete the survey as soon as you are enrolled in classes since you must confirm your enrollment for the survey. If you have any holds on your account, this may prevent you from enrolling in classes which will delay your certification. Some programs at the University are not approved by the VA for certification.

After a student applies online for benefits and the VA approves it, the VA provides a Certificate of Eligibility (COE).  This is necessary for the University to properly process your benefits.  All students receiving benefits except Chapter 31 must have a COE on file. Chapter 31 students must ensure that their VR&E counselor has sent a Purchase Order (PO) to Howard for Tuition & Fees as well as to the Howard Bookstore (Barnes & Noble) for books and supplies.

If you need a replacement COE, you can use the new Ask VA tool online or call the VA Educational Benefits helpline at (888) 442-4551.

1. If you are approved by the VA, you will receive your COE (Certificate of Eligibility).
2. Then, you will complete our Certification Survey on our website and upload your COE into the survey. OMVS will not be able to certify your benefits until we receive your survey with your COE.
3. Once you are certified, the VA will retroactively pay MHA (and any stipends, if eligible) to the bank account on file with the VA. The retroactive pay will be back to the first day of classes for the term.
4. For Chapter 31 & 33, the VA will also pay directly to Howard University the percentage of tuition and mandatory fees for which you are eligible for the term. You will still owe any non-mandatory fees as well as any non-tuition charges as well as any tuition and mandatory fees over the cap covered by the VA. 

To see what the VA pays for each VA Education Benefit use the VA's online comparison tool.

Howard University follows a two-step certification process (mandated by law). After each certification, the student will be sent an email to the email address(es) provided by the VA system.

1. Students will be certified before the beginning of the semester to ensure that the first payment is paid on time.  Early certification will also ensure that students receiving Chapter 33 benefits will receive their book stipend and students using Chapter 31 will have access to their book voucher early. Students will receive a certification email from the VA system once they are certified.
2. After add/drop, students will be certified again to confirm their registered hours and to enter their tuition and fees (for Chapter 31 & 33 students).

All stipends and Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) payments are sent directly to the student. You can always call the VA to discover where the payments are going (some Chapter 35 and 33 payments will go to the sponsor by default).

Helpful Hint: Make sure there are no holds far before registration time to ensure you get the classes you need. The VA will only recognize classes that contribute to your academic degree. Also, Chapter 33 students must be enrolled in at least one hybrid or on-campus hour to receive full MHA. Otherwise, they will only receive half the national average

Use our new Benefits & Schedules Updates Survey to report your old chapter and upload your COE for your new chapter. You may need to verify this change with the VA. 

For Chapter 31 and Chapter 33 students, tuition and fees will be billed to the VA after the final add/drop/withdrawal date for each semester. For Chapter 33, there is a cap to the amount of tuition that the VA will pay per year on the VA’s online comparison tool.

We must verify that each student is still enrolled in the courses they reported for certification. If there have been any changes to your schedule, please officially drop a class through BisonWeb or your advisor. Then, notify us using our new Benefits & Schedules Updates Survey as soon as you can.

For Chapter 33 students, tuition and mandatory fees are covered up the amount of the VA tuition cap beginning with each fall semester (the academic year concludes every summer). This amount will be paid directly to the University. Generally, this means:

• For 100% beneficiaries, all of Fall semester's tuition and fees are covered
• For 100% beneficiaries, most of Spring semester's tuition and fees will be covered 
• For most students, summer tuition will not be covered

For those that are eligible for Yellow Ribbon, there will still be a gap in coverage for Spring semester as 2022-2023 tuition and fees were raised.

For Chapter 31 students, tuition and mandatory fees are covered for every semester that is approved by your VA VR&E counselor. This amount will be paid to the University.

For all other VA education beneficiary students, you are responsible for ensuring that your debt to the University is paid.

***We strongly recommend ALL students complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) which opens on October 1st every year for the next academic year. If you continue scrolling on this webpage, you will also find scholarship opportunities for military-connected students. 

Students and their families should calculate tuition and mandatory fees using the VA's online comparison tool, their E-Pay account, and the yearly Cost of Attendance for the University to anticipate how much they will still owe every semester. 

Money will be distributed on first of the month following the month classes begin for the student enrolled as long as they were certified well enough before the end of the month. Please note that to ensure a timely disbursement of funds, students must submit the Certification Survey for the semester for which they wish to be certified as soon as they are registered for classes. Certification can happen up to 60 days before the first day of class. Students who are certified late in the semester may experience a delay in their benefits. 

Chapter 33 students may receive a book stipend earlier than MHA. Chapter 31 students should have their books and supplies POs (vouchers) sent directly to the Howard Bookstore (Barnes & Noble) by their VR&E counselor.

After students receive their initial payment, the VA will distribute their MHA and/or stipends each month for the prior month. 

The VA offers an online comparison tool of all benefits that can be used at the University. You can see what your MHA and/or stipend will be using the tool.

You must change your direct deposit with the VA. You can do so online or by calling (800) 827-1000.

The Yellow Ribbon program is a program that helps pay tuition and fees that VA education benefits and the University does not cover.  While Chapter 33 benefits will pay all tuition and fees for public schools, there is a cap for private schools.  Students are responsible for paying what Chapter 33 benefits do not. The Yellow Ribbon program is a program that schools can opt into that helps close that gap.  Schools can elect to pay a certain amount (and the VA will match that amount) or the school can split the entire cost left over with the VA.  You can learn more about the Yellow Ribbon program and who qualifies here.

The University is currently enrolled in the Yellow Ribbon program, and has now been expanded to all students for the 2022-2023 academic year. The amount of Yellow Ribbon is approximately $4000 per academic year. Those who are eligible will be automatically enrolled by the Office of Military & Veterans Services. If any additional information is required, the student will be contacted directly by email.

First, officially drop a class through BisonWeb or your advisor. Then, notify us using our new Benefits & Schedules Updates Survey as soon as you can. The implications of dropping a class can vary based on your benefits.

For all benefits, you should try to stay a full-time student.  For undergraduate programs, full-time status means taking at least 12 units during the regular semester.  For graduate programs, full-time status means taking at least 9 units during the regular term. Graduate programs should notify the Office of Military & Veterans Services if their programs do not adhere to the 9-unit guideline.  If you drop below full-time status, your benefits will change, and you will usually owe the VA money from the last date you attended class. 

Here is some additional information on dropping classes, mitigating circumstances, and the 6-credit-hour exclusion.

Complete the University’s Total Withdrawal procedure. Then, notify us using our new Benefits & Schedules Updates Survey as soon as you can. The implications of dropping a class can vary based on your benefits. You will usually owe the VA money from the last date you attended classes.

• For Howard University questions, you can email veterans@howard.edu or call Megan Kennedy at (202) 238-2422. Megan encourages emails as she can access those anywhere! 
• Verifications of enrollment for the University should be requested through BisonWeb. Generally, you must not have any holds on your account.
• For VA questions concerning MHA (Monthly Housing Allowance) or stipends, you can use the new Ask VA tool online or call the VA Educational Benefits helpline at (888) 442-4551. This is especially important if you need documentation about the amount of your MHA or stipend!
• ‘‘GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill."