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Veteran Affairs

Military service veterans and the sons, daughters, wives, husbands, widowers, or widows of deceased or 100% disabled service-connected veterans may be eligible to receive benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs.

UA Cossatot is approved by the State Approving Agency for Veterans as a college; whereby, veterans and dependents of deceased or disabled veterans may obtain assistance while working toward a degree.

All students must be working toward a degree and should follow the curriculum outline for their objectives since only specific courses may be applied toward VA certification and graduation.

Veteran Educational Benefits:

To apply on-line for Veteran Educational Benefits

DD214 Request

VA Change of Major or Place of Service Request

Steps to Follow to Receive VA Benefits at UA Cossatot

Apply for VA benefits on-line at www.gibill.va.gov
Compare all benefit chapters to decide which chapter is right for you. - See more here.
Bring your DD214 and Letter of Eligibility to the UA Cossatot Financial Aid/Veteran Representative.
Register with UA Cossatot as early as possible to ensure eligibility and timeliness of payments.
If required of your chapter benefits (chapter 1606, 1607 and 30), Certify your enrollment every month! Call in and certify at 1-877 VA-ECERT (1-877-823-2378) or certify on-line at https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave/index.do
Visit the VA Academic Advisor often to ensure that you are staying on the correct degree plan.
The monthly benefit paid to you is based on the type of training you take, length of your service, your category, and if DOD put extra money in your MGIB Fund (called "kickers"). You usually have 10 years to use your MGIB benefits, but the time limit can be less, in some cases, and longer under certain circumstances.
Do not forget to get a copy of your military transcripts to submit to the college for possible college.
If transferring from another college, or changing your major with UA Cossatot, you must make these changes to your Veterans Online Application (VONAPP) as well.

Other Helpful VA Information and Updates

Visit the GI Bill® Website: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/

1-888-GIBILL-1 or 1-888-442-4551

Apply for benefits: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/apply.asp

eBenefits Access Your VA & DoDo Benefits 24-7 www.ebenefits.va.gov

Arkansas National Guard Tuition Assistance Program (NGTA)

Who is eligible? All current National Guard Soldiers that meet the following criteria:

Arkansas Resident
Completed Basic Training
Does not already hold a bachelor or higher degree
Enrolled in undergraduate degree program at Arkansas public institution of higher education
Not currently flagged for serious misconduct (such as AWOL, ASAP, etc.)

How do I get NGTA?

Enroll in an Arkansas public institution of higher education
- Must be considered to be in “good standing” by that institution
- Complete FAFSA and YOUniversal (through ADHE website) applications
- Let your school know you plan to use the NGTA and follow their policies
Submit application to Arkansas National Guard Education Services Office to verify eligibility
- Application is available online at ARGuard.org/Education
Download the application, read the attached Statement of Understanding, complete the form, email to ng.ar.ararng.list.education-office@mail.mil
- Education Services Office will verify eligibility and forward approvals to Arkansas Department of Higher Education and they will pay the school directly for the hours you are approved

What exactly does NGTA cover?

Pays tuition only; does not cover fees, books, etc.
Pays up to 120 credit hours or until completion of bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first

How is NGTA different from FTA, GI Bill, & GTIP; and can I use those too?

Federal Tuition Assistance covers credit hours beyond a bachelor’s degree, pays tuition only, and usually can’t be used in conjunction with GI Bill
GI Bill is paid directly to the Soldier and can be used to pay tuition, fees, books, etc., but has very strict eligibility guidelines based on each Soldier’s service
NGTA CAN BE USED WITH GI BILL- NGTA will be applied to tuition first so that your GI Bill can be used to cover all additional costs if you choose to use them both
NGTA is replacing GTIP so they can’t be used together and no new GTIP applications are being accepted (with the exception of a few grandfathered Soldiers)

For more information, please visit ARGuard.org/Education.

UA Cossatot Military Waiver

UA Cossatot offers a 50% Tuition Waiver for Active & Honorably Discharged Military Personnel & Dependents

Download Military Waiver Form

UA Cossatot Veteran Representative Contact Information

Shawna Stinnett in the Financial Aid Office can answer any questions you may have concerning your VA benefits. She is located on the De Queen campus and can be reached by telephone at 870-584-4471 ext.1128 or by email at sstinnett@cccua.edu.