– Your Southwestern University Contacts

Nadia Mahannah : Associate Registrar & VA School Certifying Official
Scott Sandoval : Director of Transfer Recruitment/Admission
James Gaeta : Dean of Financial Aid • Financial Aid

– Benefits for Veterans

• Chapter 33 - Post 9/11 GI Bill®

The Post-9/11 GI Bill®  is for individuals who served at least 90 aggregate days on active duty—with or without a break in service—after September 10, 2001, or were honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability after serving 30 continuous days following September 10, 2001. This benefit includes the following:

• Assistance with tuition and fees up to $26,042.81 for 2021-2022
• Up to 36 months of education benefits
• A Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH/MHA) based on location
• Money for books and supplies (up to $1,000 per school year)

The Department of Veterans Affairs asks that the following notice appear after use of the term “GI Bill”: 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 .

• Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon Program  is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (also known as The Post-9/11 GI Bill). This program allows degree-granting institutions in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with the Veterans Administration to fund tuition expenses that exceed the annual maximum paid through the Post-9/11 GI Bill (i.e., out-of-state, private school, or graduate school tuition). The institution can waive up to 50% of those expenses and the VA will match the same amount as the institution.

• Chapter 31 - Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E)

If you have a service-connected disability that limits your ability to work or prevents you from working, the Veteran Readiness & Employment  program can help with post-secondary education/training at college, vocational, technical, or business schools.

• Chapter 35 - Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (DEA)

The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program  provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents and survivors (child or spouse) of a Veteran who died or who is permanently and totally disabled as the result of active service.

* Please note: Southwestern does not participate in the Texas Hazlewood Act.

– Financial Aid College Financing Plan

Southwestern University is committed to ensuring that our prospective service member and veteran students are aware of the financial investment they are making from the beginning and have adopted the Financial Aid College Financing Plan  to assist in making an educated decision on where to attend school.

VA Education Benefit users: Be sure to review the information on the second page of the College Financing Plan, especially information about Education Tax Benefits, Loan Amounts, and Next Steps. 

 

– New Students Using VA Benefits at Southwestern

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE CHECKLIST

We will need several documents from you to ensure this process runs smoothly and in accordance with VA policy. Please use the checklist above to ensure you’ve turned in all necessary documents. If you have questions, please contact Nadia Mahannah  or stop by the Office of the Registrar, Prothro Center, Rm 100.

Please complete the following Southwestern University forms and return to the Office of the Registrar:

• VA Benefits Student Information Form
• Request to Participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program Form

Please provide Southwestern University’s Office of the Registrar with the following documents:

• Certificate of Eligibility: Can be requested online  or by calling 1-888-442-4551. You need to mail the form to the address indicated on the form and then provide Southwestern University with a copy of the official Certificate of Eligibility you receive back;
• DD 214-Member 4 Copy (Veteran): You may request the form online ;
• Official Military Transcript (Veteran);
• Official College Transcript(s): Request official transcript(s) from the each of the colleges you have attended. If you’ve sent your official transcript(s) to the Office of Admission you do not need to send an additional copy to the Office of the Registrar;
• VA Form 22-1995 or 5495 Change of Program or Place of Training (if used VA benefits elsewhere): Can be found online  — please type in the form number (either 22-1995 or 22-5495) at the bottom of the page in the “search” space.

Please note: You will need to turn in all forms to the Office of the Registrar before we are able to certify your credits using your VA benefits. Prior to the start of each semester we will require you to complete a VA Education Benefits Certification form, so please watch for this document in your email and return it promptly. Please be aware any coursework taken off-campus within your last 32 hours must be pre-approved by the Office of the Registrar and requires completion of the Permission to Add Transfer Courses form.

– Continuing Students Using VA Benefits at Southwestern

Existing VA (continuing semesters) student certification form:

• Fall and Spring Form
• Summer Form

– Third-Party Resources for Veterans

• Make a Connection

Make the Connection  is a mental health resource comprised of hundreds of videos of Veterans sharing their personal stories of mental health recovery. Every branch of service is represented, Veterans from WWII forward bravely sharing what worked for them. Make the Connection was created because VA knows that Veterans like to hear what worked for other Veterans. Whether a Veteran is looking to take the next step — or the first step — on their path to a healthier life, together we can let them know that mental health treatment works, and recovery is possible.