Certification
This information guide has been created to help you understand how you can best utilize your Veteran Education Benefits. In addition to general information, there is an FAQ supplement to help guide you through the certification process and your responsibilities as a student using Veteran Education Benefits.
Here is a step-by-step list if you are using for your benefits at UNM for the first time.
| If you have already certified with our office for a previous semester, the following documentation is required to certify for the new semester.
In order to process your certification in a timely manner, we are currently requiring all students who live in the Albuquerque Metro area (including Rio Rancho, Los Lunas, Belen, and East Mountains) or who is going to attend one class in-person at Main Campus, to submit their paperwork in person at our office. Students who live outside of these areas and will not be attending a class in-person at Main Campus can submit their paperwork via email at vrc@unm.edu. REMINDER: You are required to certify your classes every semester in order to utilize your benefits. |
Important Information
Students using Veteran Education Benefits should understand their responsibilities, which include:
| Regardless of whether or not you have certified with our office before, below is the process and timeline of your certification for the semester.
Our office begins billing after the drop/add deadline (three weeks after start of classes). Students can expect to receive notification from the VA that the school amended their VA certification. | Beginning with terms starting on or after December 17, 2021, students using their Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits and receiving a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) and/or kicker payment are required to verify their enrollment at the end of each month to continue receiving their payments. Please visit the link corresponding to your Chapter benefit for more information on monthly enrollment verification:
Education Benefits are paid monthly and in arrears (delay pay). Pleast contact the VA Muskogee Regional Education Call Center at (888) 422-4551 for any questions regarding monthly payments. |
Chapter 33 and 31 students must report all enrollment drops or increases to their academic load. A change in your registration and/or attendance may result in payment changes. Chapter 35, 30, 1606 and 1607 students must report a drop in credit hours only when it results in a change in their enrollment status (e.g., a drop from full-time to part-time). | The Department of Veteran Affairs requires that students receiving benefits declare a major once they reach sophomore academic standing (two semesters). A student cannot be certified beyond his or her freshman year unless a major has been declared. If you plan on changing your major, it is highly recomended that you wait until the semester is over. Changing your major mid-semester could possibly result in a payment change with the VA that you would be responsible for. | Students are responsible for notifying the VA and the Veterans & Military Resource Center of intent to switch chapters for benefit coverage. A change from Chapter 33 to Chapter 31 cannot take place until the following semester if a payment under Chapter 33 has already been disbursed by the VA. Students should verify that necessary documentation is on file and request that their VR&E counselors communicate intent to switch chapters to the VA when applicable. |
Students receiving a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) should be aware VA MHA payments are made at the beginning of each month to pay for the previous month of training. For example, the September payment will be sent to the student the first week of October. Once certified, students receiving benefits under Chapters 31 and 33 will have a VA credit applied to their account for the tuition/fee amount our school expects to receive directly from the VA. This process enables the student to access any financial aid awards and avoid penalties due to delayed tuition and fee disbursement from the VA. When the actual payment from the VA is received, your account will be reconciled and you will be notified of any payment discrepancies. Students using Chapter 31 or 33 benefits will have any tuition-related late fees waived provided they have paid any other student obligations by the established due dates. | Courses that are failed and courses with a final grade that does not meet minimum requirements for graduation will be approved and paid for. Courses that were successfully completed may not be certified for VA purposes if they are repeated. | To access Veteran Education Benefits while attending UNM, students must be enrolled in a degree program. Only courses that satisfy current degree requirements, which can be found on your LoboTrax Degree Audit, can be certified for VA purposes. Documentation may be required from an advisor explaining what degree requirements courses fulfill. |
The VA requires our school to report the actual beginning and ending dates of each course. Your VA monthly housing allowance may vary throughout the semester according to the start and end dates of your courses, as we are required to report non-standard length courses as separate terms. Enrolling in non-standard length courses may affect the rate of pursuit determined by the VA. VA TRAINING REQUIREMENTSUndergraduate:
Graduate:
Your training time will determine your benefit stipend allotment. | The University of New Mexico will charge in-state tuition (regardless of formal state of residence) to any individual who is eligible to use educational assistance under:
Please email our office at vrc.unm.edu for the in-state tuition waiver. | Students are responsible for keeping addresses updated with the VA Regional Office. Failure to update your address with the VA will delay payment. The fastest way to change an address, set up or change a direct deposit status is to call the VA at (800) 827-1000. |
