This page highlights important information students should be aware of when using Veteran Education Benefits. Please review the information associated with the VA benefit you are using.
Federal VA Education Benefits
This section applies to students using any of the following Federal VA Education Benefits: Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (Ch 30), Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (Ch 1606), and Dependents Educational Assistance (Ch 35).
GI Bill®is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
- When will I receive my payments from the VA?
It is important to note that the VA will not process your benefits until Gateway Technical College submits your enrollment information.
Once Gateway processes your benefits each semester, you will receive confirmation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. If you would like to confirm the status of your benefits, please email veterans@gtc.edu.
Note: If it’s the first time you are using benefits, it will take longer for the VA to process your payment, generally, about a month. If you are a continuing student, it can take about 1-2 weeks.
- What classes will the VA pay for?
The VA will only pay for classes that fulfill a requirement for your program. In order to view your program requirements, please log onto your My Gateway account and select “Registration and Schedule," then “Program Evaluation/My Progress.” If you have questions regarding a course being eligible for benefits, then please email veterans@gtc.edu.
- Do I need to verify my enrollment to the VA?
Students using Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) must verify their enrollment every month they are enrolled via text. If you are unable to verify via text, call the VA at 888-442-4551 and ask a representative to verify your enrollment. If you are unsure if the VA has your phone number and/or email on file, contact the VA to update your contact information.
For more information, visit benefits.va.gov.
Students using Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (Chapter 30) and Montgomery GI Bill- Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606) must verify their enrollment at the end of every month they are enrolled at WAVE Verification.
- What if I want to make a change to my schedule?
Any changes made to your schedule (ex. dropped, canceled, withdrawn courses) could potentially cause you to be responsible for repaying all or a portion of any money you received back to the VA. Prior to making any schedule changes, it is important that you contact a Student Finance Specialist at veterans@gtc.edu for further information
- Are there grade requirements for my VA education benefits?
All students using Federal VA education benefits are required to maintain a minimum 2.0 term grade point average and complete 67% of their attempted credits each term in order to maintain eligibility for Federal VA education benefits. View our Federal VA Education Benefit Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for more information.
- How many credits is full time?
A student’s credit load determines their stipend payments.
Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 G.I. Bill)
11 credit hours = 90% of all educational benefits
10 credit hours = 80%
9 credit hours = 80%
8 credit hours = 70%
7 credit hours = 60%All other Federal VA educational benefits
12 credit hours or more = Full-time
9 to 11 credit hours = Three-quarter time
6 to 8 credit hours = Half-time
4 and 5 credit hours = Less than half, more than one quarter
1 to 3 credit hours = Quarter-timeIf you have additional questions (Examples: What if my courses do not run the full length of the semester? What if my course dates are staggered throughout the semester?), contact the VA or email a Student Finance Specialist at veterans@gtc.edu.
Wisconsin GI Bill
This section applies to students (veteran, spouses, or dependents) using Wisconsin GI Bill (WI GI) Benefits.
- What charges does/doesn’t the WI GI Bill cover?
The WI GI Bill covers 100% of tuition and material fees for eligible college level credits. The WI GI Bill does not cover additional fees on your account such as: miscellaneous fees, graduation fees, activity fees, student accident insurance fee, books, uniforms, etc. Students are responsible for any remaining balance on their account after their benefit is applied.
- Are there any grade requirements for my WI GI Bill Benefits?
All students using Wisconsin GI Bill benefits are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.0 (C average). If you fail to meet this requirement, you will not be able to receive your WI GI Bill benefits until you achieve a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
All Students Using Federal or State VA Education Benefits
- What do I need to continue using my benefits at Gateway?
You will need to submit a “VA-Education Benefit Request Form” (VA-EBRF) to Gateway Technical College for every semester you would like to use your benefits. For timely processing, we recommend that students register for their classes and submit their VA-Education Benefit Request Form as early as possible.
- How will I be updated regarding my VA benefits?
Gateway Technical College will send important updates regarding your benefits to your Gateway student email account. Therefore, it is important that you monitor your Gateway student email account on a regular basis.
The VA will also send you information regarding the payments you will receive from them after your benefits are processed by Gateway every semester. It is important that you review this information for accuracy and reach out to us right away regarding any questions or concerns you may have.
- How do I update my contact information?
It is important that all students update Gateway Technical College anytime they have a name, address, and phone number change. If you need to update your contact information, then please click here and follow the instructions listed under “Student Information Updates”.
- When is my balance due?
Military connected students (veterans, service members, and spouses/dependents) using VA education benefits have until the official end of the next semester to pay their balance in full. If the balance is not paid in full at that time, then it may be sent to collections.
For example, if a student is using VA education benefits and has a balance due at the end of their Fall 2019 semester, they have until the official end of the Spring 2020 semester to pay their balance in full. The Fall 2019 balance will not prevent the student from registering for the Spring 2020 term. If the balance isn’t paid in full by the end of the Spring 2020 semester, it may be sent to collections.
