Most veterans are eligible for 36 months of full time VA educational benefits, which can be used within 10 years of being discharged from active duty (Chapters 30 and 32) or within 14 years their initial date of eligibility (Chapters 1606 and 1607). Note, however, that this is only a general guideline and that there are a variety of exceptions. Please be proactive about confirming your own personal eligibility.

For more information on GI Bill payments from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs please follow the links below:

• Active Duty GI Bill (Chapter 30)
• Veterans Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 31)
• Reserve and Guard Members (Chapters 1606 and 1607)

Training Time

Payment rates are affected by the number of credits for which you are enrolled. The VA calculates training time rates based on the table below:

Undergraduate 

Note: In order to be full time for the summer session you must be enrolled in four units to be full time for summer session 1 and 3 units for summer session 2.

Graduate

Note:  In order to be full time for summer session you must have 1 unit of 900 level enrollment or 6 units in any combination of pre-session, first, and second summer sessions.

Regular and Partial Payments

You will receive payments for each prior month of attendance. For example, you would receive a payment in March for attendance during the month of February. Please note that under the following circumstances, you may receive only a partial payment:

• If you withdraw from a class and it affects your overall training time, you will be paid at your new training time rate.
• If you attend classes for less than a full month, such as at the beginning or end of a semester, your payment for that month will be prorated based on the number of days you actually attended.

Break Pay

In most cases, you will receive payments for the break between two semesters or summer sessions. If you would like to decline your break pay in order to conserve your benefits, please contact the Veterans Services Office.

Veteran Work Study

If you are enrolled for benefits at the 3/4 time or full time rate, you may also be eligible for a VA work study allowance. The total number of hours worked may not exceed 25 hours multiplied by the number of weeks in your enrollment period. For example, if you are enrolled for a 15-week semester, the maximum number of hours you could work would be 25 hours x 15, or 375 hours.

For more information, please follow the link below:

• VA Student Work Study Allowance Program

Veteran Deferments

If you are eligible for veterans benefits you may qualify for a deferred payment of tuition and fees. If you qualify for this deferment, you will be able to pay tuition and fees on the last day of classes or incrementally throughout the semester with the last payment being made by the last day or classes. To determine if you qualify, please contact the Veterans Services Office.

Please note that deferments are issued for fall or spring semesters only. You can not receive a deferment for the winter, pre-session, summer I or summer II terms.

Spring deferments will be available through the end of the business day on the first day of spring semester classes. To avoid late charges a deferment must be applied to your account by the payment due date for each semester.

For more information about due dates and Bursar’s Office procedures for Veteran Deferments, please follow the link below:

• Bursar’s Office Page on Veteran Deferments

For More Information

Please call the Veterans Services Office at (520) 621-9501 Monday - Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, or e-mail veterans@email.arizona.edu.