General Questions
Email us at ekuvets@eku.edu or call the front desk at 859-622-2345
Apply through the university’s standard undergraduate or graduate admissions portal as normal. Be sure to indicate your military affiliation when prompted.
Yes
Yes, if you’re a veteran or active-duty military, submitting your JST can help you receive credit for prior military training. JSTs can be requested through https://jst.doded.mil.
Yes. We allow admitted students to defer enrollment due to deployment or other military obligations. Submit your deployment orders for consideration.
Typically, we will ask for a copy of your DD-214, military ID, military orders or a Statement of Service. A current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) may also be a valid option for verifying status.
You must notify our office immediately. The VA may require repayment for the portion of tuition and housing allowance affected depending on the situation.
Due to FERPA regulations, we are not allowed to discuss personal/academic information with anybody other than the student themselves if they are over the age of 18. If a student wishes to have a parent speak on their behalf, they will have to fill specific forms for permission. Located here: FERPA Authorization – Eastern Kentucky University
Yes, we have advisors trained to support veterans and military students with course planning and degree progress.
Yes. Your JST will be submitted upon admission for evaluation. Credit will be awarded based on ACE recommendations and university policies. Awarded credit will appear on your Degree Works summary.
Veterans have full access to tutoring centers, writing labs, and peer mentoring. Occasionally, we also offer veteran-specific workshops.
Yes. The EKU Vets Club offers social events, community service, and peer support.
Yes. The Veterans Resource Center provides space for studying, relaxing, and connecting with other military-connected students. Located in Powell 147.
Veterans can apply for general student housing as normal. Current military students must submit an exception to policy to not live on campus their freshman and sophomore year. There is no automatic exception to this rule for military.
Yes. We support dependents using transferred benefits (e.g., Chapter 35, Fry Scholarship) and offer referrals to campus services.
Join the EKU Vets Club, attend OMVA events, or stop by the Veterans Lounge!
You can request a new copy of your DD-214 at this link: DD Form 214 / DD214 / DD 214 Discharge Papers and Separation Documents | National Archives
Yes. The only requirement, outside of being a current student, is that you are currently utilizing a Federal level VA benefit.
Certification Process Questions
See our OMVA website for step-by-step instructions on the certification process. The main requirements are to submit your Certificate of Eligibility from the VA and to submit a Course Enrollment Form on our website for the semester you wish to use benefits during.
Yes. If you are receiving any type of VA Benefits (CH 30, 31, 33, 35 or 1606) you need to submit a Course Enrollment Form. This is your written authorization to report your enrollment to the VA.
Please do not submit your Course Enrollment Form until you have completely registered for classes. The sooner you complete the form the better to avoid a lapse in benefits.
No, you do not. We have internal controls in place for notification if your schedule changed.
Maybe. It depends on the amount of credits the student is taking and whether the person is an undergraduate or a graduate level student. Contact the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs for more specifics.
Yes – for GI Bill and Chapter 35 users. Instructions on how to verify are located here: Verify Your School Enrollment | Veterans Affairs
Financial Assistance/Payment Questions
VA will continue to process and pay for compensation and educational benefits. Some VA assistance may be impacted. Check here for the latest updates and the entire list of impacts: VA Contingency Planning
You can still ask your question through the Ask VA Portal, located here: Ask VA | Veterans Affairs
No – not for all terms. The KDVA waiver is applied automatically for Fall and Spring semesters (unless you tell us otherwise). For Summer and Winter terms, you have to request to use your KDVA waiver for those terms through the OMVA office. You can email us at ekuvets@eku.edu with your intent.
It could be due to delays in processing, incomplete paperwork, or late certification. Once certified, contact the VA at 1-888-442-4551 to check status of payment. If you have not been certified yet and feel like you should have been, please contact the OMVA office immediately.
Both benefits only cover tuition costs. The student will be responsible for paying other fees associated with their university bill (meal, housing, parking, healthcare, Eastern Experience fee, etc.)
The scholarship office applies waivers to accounts at the end of each month. Most students will show an outstanding bill until the waiver is applied. If there is ever a question about whether your waiver is still valid or not, please reach out to the OMVA or Scholarship office to confirm.
No – you will never accrue late fees over a VA benefit delay. However, if you accrue a late fee for other items, you are responsible for paying, we cannot waive that late fee. For example, if your parking bill is on your student account and you did not pay it on time, you will accrue a late fee for that portion of the bill since there is no VA benefit that covers your parking bill.
Yes – all our benefits/waivers cover an additional tuition overload charge because it is still consider tuition.
Overpayments are collected via debt letters from the VA. If it is a debt related to tuition and fees, the university will receive the debt letter. If it is a debt related to a payment made directly to you, the VA will send you a debt letter directly. It is important to monitor this as the VA will send only a few letters before they transfer your case over to the Department of the Treasury for collection.
Yes. We offer several scholarships through our financial aid office and veteran-specific awards. Visit our scholarships page or ask for a list. Foundation scholarships are also available through the Foundation Scholarship portal.
Yes. If you’re a veteran or active duty, you may be considered an independent student, which could increase your eligibility for aid.
You can apply for state aid, institutional aid, scholarships, and emergency funds. We also have an extensive list of National scholarships that would be available to those with a military connection.
For GI Bill users, the Department of the VA will most likely honor through the completion of that same month your GI Bill expires. This is not guaranteed, but the VA has approved this before. If you are coming close to exhausting your GI Bill, contact the Department of the VA to negotiate.
For the KDVA Waiver, the benefit is calculated by months. If you start a 4 month semester with only 2 months remaining, you will be responsible for the other 2 months of that semester bill. The scholarship office will prorate your bill accordingly.
If applicable, submit a Yellow Ribbon application through our OMVA. We offer Yellow Ribbon to eligible Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients at the 100% tier. However, because the university honors in-state rate for GI Bill users, there will hardly be a circumstance where we would have to activate Yellow Ribbon benefits.
Yes and No. Yes – The KDVA waiver can be utilized if it is submitted to the OMVA office before the first add/drop date of the term. No – the waiver cannot be applied to your account after the add/drop date of the term nor can the waiver be applied retroactively to any term.
VA Benefit Qualifications Questions
Visit https://www.va.gov/education to apply online using VA Form 22-1990. Once approved, submit your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to our office via the student document upload button on our website, emailing it to us via ekuvets@eku.edu, or walking into the office to hand deliver. We will make a copy for you.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) covers more tuition and includes a housing allowance. The Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) provides a monthly stipend but generally less coverage. See www.va.gov for more details.
Yes. You can use both VA benefits and financial aid like the FAFSA. Your GI Bill will not affect Pell Grant eligibility.
No.
Yes, but the transfer must be completed while you’re still on active duty. The DoD does not have any exception to this rule as of this academic year. Visit https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil to start the process.
Yes, as long as the course is required for your degree and you meet enrollment requirements. BAH may vary based on enrollment intensity.
Yes, but housing allowance and payments will be prorated based on the Department of the VA’s regulations. See our Rates of Pursuit section in the academic catalog to figure out what status you will be in.
Yes. Many degree programs offer hybrid or fully online options. Note: Only in-person or hybrid courses count toward the full BAH rate.
Deployment/Health/Career Questions
You can request a military withdrawal without academic or financial penalty. Submit your orders to the registrar and OMVA.
Yes. You can either receive a full tuition refund or request incompletes to finish coursework later, depending on timing. Reference our Military Activation Policy on our website.
Send your official military orders to the OMVA and your academic advisor as soon as possible.
If you maintain continuous enrollment or return promptly, your benefits and aid should remain unaffected, situations may vary per student.
Yes. Our Counseling Center provides veteran-informed services. We also coordinate with local VA clinics and Vet Centers.
Students can enroll in the university’s student health insurance. However, many veterans opt for VA healthcare, if eligible.
Yes. If you are VA-eligible, you can continue receiving care at your assigned VA Medical Center or Clinic. Dependent students and spouses may also qualify for access to CHAMPVA.
Yes. We offer career services tailored to translating military experience into civilian job readiness, including resume reviews and interview prep. The Office of Advising and Career Services can assist with this topic.
Yes. We have access to many organizations that prioritize veteran hiring and provides help finding internship opportunities.
Yes. Our student services and OMVA staff offer one-on-one help translating military skills into civilian language for resumes and other professional documents.