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Veteran Student FAQs

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Veteran Student FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

You must apply for your educational benefits through the VA in Muskogee, OK online at gibill.va.gov. Please call the VA education hotline for assistance 1-888-442-4551.
See Step by Step guide using VA benefits on main Norman campus for more information. 

Residency classification for tuition purposes is a fairly complex issue. We suggest you review the In-State/Out-of-State Tuition Policy, and then if you have questions please contact OU Veteran Student Services at (405) 325-4308, veterans@ou.edu.

Veteran Student Services certifies students’ enrollment to the VA in the order Course Confirmation forms are received every term.  After your sheet is date stamped in our office, it takes approximately 30 – 45 days for us to certify it to the VA. After we certify your enrollment to the VA, it takes the VA another 30 – 45 days to award your GI Bill® money. 

  • No action will occur for any semester until you have submitted a Course Confirmation form for approval and it is received by our office.
  • If you drop any approved classes from your original Course Confirmation Form, you may call or email Veterans Student Services office and notify us of the drop.  When a course is added to your schedule, you must submit a new Course Confirmation form of your added course for approval in order to receive your benefits for the new course
Undergraduates:Full-time
credit hrs.
3/4-time
credit hrs.
 Half-time
credit hrs.
Fall and Spring:12+
9-11
6-8
Summer 4 week session3
 2
Summer 6 week session432
Summer 8 week session64-53
Graduates:Fall/Spring Summer
Full-time credit hrs.9*4*
* Two credit hours are considered Full-time enrollment for graduate students in their final term.
  • Enroll as early as possible for terms and turn in your Course Confirmation form to your advising college immediately after enrolling to expedite processing of your VA education benefits. 
  • YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE to notify the Veteran Student Services Office of all schedule changes (except section/time changes).
  • Dropping from full to part time status will affect your pay, as you may get a reduced monthly rate based on the remaining hours.
  • Short term Courses – The VA pays your monthly stipend based on class dates for each course.  In order to maintain full time status throughout the semester all courses must meet for the entire semester.  For example, if you are in 12 hours during a fall semester, but one of your classes only meets for the first 8 weeks, you will be considered less than full time for the remainder of the semester.

Chapter 33 & Chapter 31

Students using these benefits must present their VA Certificate of Eligibility to the Office of Veteran Student Services, complete the request to be certified using the electronic Veteran Course Confirmation Form, and provide any additional information needed for the School Certifying Official to properly certify.  Students that have completed these steps will not have service charges or registration holds placed on their accounts due to unpaid charges that are awaiting payment from the VA.

Yes.  It is suggested that students apply for financial aid through fafsa.ed.gov. This will give you a cushion in the event your GI Bill® benefits are delayed as well as give you the opportunity to apply for scholarships that may be offered to veterans. If you only qualify for loans, you have the option to decline them. Financial Aid Services may require documentation stating the amount of VA benefits that you will receive each semester.  You may request that proof from Veteran Student Services via email or stop by and we will be happy to assist you. Chapter 31-VA Vocational Rehabilitation Students please contact your case manager for a letter. See the OU Financial Aid Services website for more information.

VA will pay for remedial courses provided the course has not previously been successfully completed, and the student’s placement test results show the course is needed. VA will not pay for a remedial course in which the placement score indicates the student tested into a higher level course.

Remember, a change in your class schedule may affect your VA benefits.  Frequent changes of schedule often can cause a student to have an overpayment of benefits the VA will require to pay back. Notify Veteran Student Services office at OU of all changes, except section changes.  When you are adding a new course, a new Course Confirmation form approved by your college on campus is required before the adjustment can be reported to the VA.

If you make a grade of "I" in a class, you will have up to one year to complete the course and then the grade you earned will be automatically recorded to your transcript by OU.  Here is the link to find OU’s Incomplete Grade Policy.

Students receiving a grade of "AW", “NP”, or "U" will be charged with an overpayment when the student received that grade as a result of non-attendance. OU Veteran Student Services office is required to report non-attendance.

You may appeal to the VA Regional office when you had mitigating circumstances which prevented you from attending. You may send a letter explaining your mitigating circumstances directly to the VA. When you use personal correspondence be sure to include your full name (printed), Social Security Number, VA File Number, the Date, a Daytime telephone Number with the area code, and your signature. Should you have any supporting evidence please include a copy with your letter. (ALWAYS KEEP A COPY OF WHAT YOU SUBMIT!)

To obtain VA Form 21-4138 go to: va.gov/vaforms.
Mail the appeal letter to:
VA USDVA at U.S Department of Veteran Affairs
P.O. Box 8888
Muskogee, OK 74402-8888

The VA will not pay to repeat any courses that are completed successfully.  Letter grades of A, B, C, D are passing.  Exceptions: Some courses require a specific minimum grade.  Check the University Catalog course descriptions for details.

The University awards credit for educational experiences during military service according to the recommendations of the American Council on Education as published in the “The Guide to the Evaluation of Military Experiences in the Armed Services.” Students who wish to establish credit for educational experiences in the military should contact:
Transcript Evaluation Office
Buchanan Hall
1000 Asp Ave., Room 330
Norman OK 73019-4076
ph: (405) 325-0514

See Credit for Military Personnel and Veterans for more information.

The University of Oklahoma Professional and Continuing Studies (PACS) campus that includes the OU Outreach College of Continuing Education and College of Liberal Studies has the most available online with courses and degrees through:
Advanced Programs
College of Liberal Studies  
All PACS Academic Programs

Main Campus Online Program Options:
College of Engineering
College of Law

 

You need to update your address with OU, Veteran Student Services, and the VA.

Log in to one.ou.edu using your OUNet ID and password, and update your student address information with the University online through the Personal Information channel on the Home tab.

When you are also an OU employee, you need to update your address information with the Office of Human Resources online through the PeopleSoft Self-Service Web page.

Contact OU Veteran Student Services either by email veterans@ou.edu or phone (405) 325-4308

To update your address with the VA click here.

  • All students pursuing a degree at The University of Oklahoma but taking courses at another institution, must complete a Parent School Letter to use VA benefits for those courses. It must be signed by his/her academic advisor on The University of Oklahoma campus. The advisor will then forward it to Veterans Student Services and we will forward it to the appropriate institution.
  • Students are strongly encouraged to utilize the earliest enrollment period for parent school letters. Non-OU degree seeking students will not be certified for OU courses until an APPROVED Parent School Letter is received from the degree granting institution.

 

Yes, if the course you are taking abroad is required for your degree and the Study Abroad Host School and OU Education Abroad Program is approved for VA Benefit Certification.  Talk with the Education Abroad Office, your College Advisor, and the Veteran Student Services Office as you research potential Study Abroad options for you. 

VA information

See U.S. Veteran Affairs Direct Deposit for information.

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 GI Bill | Veterans Affairs (va.gov).