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Veterans Benefits

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.

If you are eligible for federal VA benefits (see list below), please email your Letter of Eligibility (COE) or your notice of basic eligibility (NOBE) to hhb@bradley.edu. If you need additional information about entitlement programs, please visit the VA web site. Bradley does not accept the Illinois Veterans Grant or the Illinois National Guard Scholarship.

Accepted VA Benefit Programs

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. For more information please visit: benefits.va.gov

Bradley is a Yellow Ribbon Program participant.

Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill® – Active Duty

The MGIB program provides up to 36 months of education benefits. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances. Generally, benefits are payable for 10 years following your release from active duty. This program is also commonly known as Chapter 30. For more information please visit: benefits.va.gov

Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill® – Selected Reserve

The MGIB-SR program may be available to you if you are a member of the Selected Reserve. The Selected Reserve includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard.

You may use this education assistance program for degree programs, certificate or correspondence courses, cooperative training, independent study programs, apprenticeship/on-the-job training, and vocational flight training programs. Remedial, refresher and deficiency training are available under certain circumstances. Eligibility for this program is determined by the Selected Reserve components. VA makes the payments for this program. For more information please visit: benefits.va.gov

Chapter 35 Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA)

Dependents' Educational Assistance provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of certain veterans. The program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training. For more information on eligibility please visit: benefits.va.gov

Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment Program

The mission of VR&E is to help veterans with service-connected disabilities to prepare for, find, and keep suitable jobs.  For veterans with service-connected disabilities so severe that they cannot immediately consider work, VR&E offers services to improve their ability to live as independently as possible.

To receive an evaluation for VR&E services, a veteran must:

  • have received, or will receive, a discharge that is other than dishonorable
  • have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10%
  • submit a completed application for VR&E services

The basic period of eligibility in which VR&E services may be used is 12 years from the latter of the following:

  • date of separation from active military service, or
  • date the veteran was first notified by VA of a service-connected disability rating

For more information regarding this benefit please contact:

Dr. Stephanie L. Sleister, LCPC
    United States Department of Veteran Affairs
        Peoria Vet Center
        5015 W. American Prairie Drive, Peoria, IL 61615
   (312) 286-5708
   Stephanie.Sleister@va.gov

Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning (degree granting institutions) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the maximum tuition cap for private institutions. The institution can contribute up to 50% of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution.

Only individuals entitled at the 100% benefit level may receive yellow ribbon funding.

Bradley will contribute $5,000 per student, per year for students participating in the program.  The combined school and VA contribution can’t exceed the tuition and fee amount charged to the student.  Please contact the Financial Aid office on how yellow ribbon funding is applied at Bradley.

A comprehensive explanation of the Yellow Ribbon Program is available on VA’s website.

Tuition Assistance

The Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty education program permits VA to pay a Tuition Assistance Top- up benefit. The amount of the benefit can be equal to the difference between the total cost of a college course and the amount of Tuition Assistance that is paid by the military for the course.

To be eligible for the Top-up benefit, the person must be approved for federal Tuition Assistance by a military department and be eligible for MGIB Active Duty benefits. To be eligible for MGIB benefits, the person must be an MGIB - Active Duty participant and must have served at least two full years on active duty.

The amount of the benefit is limited to the amount that the person would receive for the same course if regular MGIB benefits were being paid. In no case can the amount paid by the military combined with the amount paid by VA be more than the total cost of the course. If a person receives the Top-up benefit, his or her regular MGIB benefits will be reduced. The amount of entitlement charged for Top-up payments is determined by dividing the amount of the payment by the claimant's fulltime monthly rate.

The benefit is available for all courses that began on or after October 30, 2000. A copy of the Tuition Assistance Authorization form for the course that has been signed by an authorized military official will be required. People who have not requested MGIB benefits before should submit a VA Form 22-1990 to establish eligibility. The Top-up program is not available at this time to persons who are eligible for the MGIB Selected Reserve program. More information is available on VA’s website.

Work Study Program

If you're a full-time or 3/4-time student in a college degree program, or a vocational or professional program, you can "earn while you learn" with a VA work-study allowance.

Students must be assigned to work sites that will permit them to perform VA related activities. These work sites include, but are not limited to: Regional Offices, VA Medical Centers, Vet Centers, VA Outpatient Clinics, National Cemeteries, and local education institutions. If assigned to a non-VA work site, the student’s primary employment responsibilities must be to perform VA related outreach assignments. More information regarding eligibility is available on VA’s website.

Military Service Policy

Students who during the course of an academic term are called into active military service, (including National Guard and Reserve active duty) need to follow the guidelines established for withdrawing from the University.

Policy on Military Service and Student Withdrawal Procedure

Military Transfer of Credit

The evaluation and possible placement of military credit at Bradley will be completed based on the branch of military served and submission of the appropriate "Institutional Copy" of a transcript(s) listed below:

  • AARTS (Army/ACE Transcripts System)
  • CCAF (Community College of the Air Force)
  • DANTES, CLEP & DSST exam score submissions if applicable

Bradley refers to the American Council of Education (ACE) Guide when evaluating credit for Military Course Completions described on the SMART and AARTS transcript.

Bradley does not award credit for Military Experience (Occupational Specialties) when evaluating SMART and AARTS transcripts. Credit is also not awarded for basic training.

Students please send official transcripts directly to:

Bradley University
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
1501 W Bradley Ave
Peoria, IL 61625

VA Offices

General Contact Information

   (800) 437-9824 (Within Illinois)
   (217) 782-6641 (Out-of-State)
   (217) 524-4645

Springfield Office

Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs
    833 South Spring Street
       P.O. Box 19432
       Springfield, IL 62794-9432
Phone   (217) 782-6641
Fax   (217) 524-0344

Chicago Office

Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs
    James R. Thompson Center
       100 West Randolph, Suite 5-570
       Chicago, IL 60601-3219
Phone   (312) 814-2460
Fax   (312) 814-2764

Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs
    Tiffany R. Perry
       Veterans’ Education Specialist
       State Approving Agency for VETS
       1551 N. Kedzie Ave.
       Chicago, IL 60651
Phone   (773) 292-2789
Fax   (773) 292-2790

Regional Processing Office

Department of Veteran Affairs
    Buffalo Regional Office
       P.O. Box 4616
       Buffalo, NY 14240-4616

Resources

Contact Information

For questions regarding VA benefits, certification of enrollment or payment issues contact:

Heather Berkley

Heather Berkley

Associate Registrar

    Swords Hall
    (309) 677-3106
   hhb@bradley.edu