If you are a dependent: you will need your GI Bill® benefits sponsor (parent/guardian) to transfer eligibility to you. Follow these instructions with your veteran sponsor/parent/guardian: Transfer Your Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits
If you need assistance with your application, call the VA main information line at 800-698-2411 (TTY: 711), available 24/7.
2. Register for classes at Appalachian as soon as your class enrollment timeslot opens.
Once you have applied and been accepted to Appalachian, follow the enrollment steps to secure your spot in your MyMountaineer Portal.
Choosing an orientation and meeting with an academic advisor will be your next step after completing all your enrollment steps in the MyMountaineer Portal. Once you meet with an academic advisor, you'll receive steps on how to register for classes.
3. Send a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility with your Banner/Student ID number to studentveteranservices@appstate.edu.
The VA will mail your Certificate of Eligibility between 30-45 days after you submit an application. Our office does not receive information directly from the VA about if you have benefits or have a Certificate of Eligibility, so you will need to email us a copy.
You can find your Student ID number in AppalNet, your online information hub once you are admitted and accept that you are coming to Appalachian. You can also call Admissions at 828-262-2120 for help.
4. Once we have received your Certificate of Eligibility, we will alert you to the opening of your initial Enrollment Datasheet.
We will send you your first enrollment datasheet once you send us your COE. At the end of each semester, our office will send emails about filling out a datasheet for the next semester.
The form, called an enrollment datasheet, is very important to fill out each semester. It acts as a permission form for our office to send information about you to the VA, and protects your class schedule from cancellation and makes sure you don't get late fees. If our office doesn't receive an enrollment datasheet, we don't submit that you are a student at Appalachian to the VA.
Datasheets have a by-semester deadline decided by our staff based on the university calendar and on-time payment processing recommendations by the VA. You'll receive multiple emails with the deadline and reminders from our general inbox (studentveteranservices@appstate.edu) before we cancel a datasheet for no response. Sometimes our emails are considered spam, so check your spam folder.
5. Complete your FAFSA.
Even if your/your families' income doesn't qualify you for federal aid, a FAFSA opens opportunities for university- or state-specific grants. If you need assistance with filing a FAFSA, reach out to us or to the Office of Financial Aid.
Chapter 33 benefits generally do not affect FAFSA eligibility. You do not need to report Chapter 33 benefits on the FAFSA, and they generally do not reduce the student's eligibility for federal grants or loans.
Non-education VA benefits, such as pension or disability compensation, do need to be reported as untaxed income.
6. If you have private insurance (TriCare®, BCBS, etc.), complete a medical insurance waiver.
Appalachian requires that every student have some form of health insurance. If a student does not have health insurance privately or through their parents, they can choose the student health insurance plan provided by the university. Chapter 33 will only pay for the student health insurance plan if the student has no other insurance option.
If you have a private health insurance like TriCare®, Blue Cross Blue Shield®, Aetna®, etc., you can complete a medical insurance waiver to void the automatic insurance charge to your bill. This will need to be done each semester.
7. If you are not already considered for in-state tuition, you are able to submit an in-state tuition appeal.
In-state tuition can only be considered if the student plans to relocate physically to North Carolina for their degree program, including for ASU Online and Flight Path.
You can find the required documents to file a tuition appeal and who to send it to in our VA Benefits FAQs page.
8. Meet with our office!
Student Veteran Services says veteran in the title, but we are open to everyone. Also - all of our staff are AppState alumni! If you need assistance in finding a resource, want to understand the process of how benefits are paid, how information is sent to the VA, or even where the best off-campus housing is, we are open and happy to help.
You can call, email, ask to set-up a Zoom call, or come by our office in person in the Student Union. For Summer 2026, we also have drop-in virtual hours twice a week to talk face-to-face (virtually, of course) to one of our staff members. You can find the days, times, and Zoom links on our main page.
9. Once your tuition and fees payment has been posted to your account, sign up for a payment plan if you have a remaining balance.
Because on-campus housing and meal plans are not submitted as tuition and required fees, usually our freshman students or transfer students living on campus having a remaining balance to pay off on their account. Students who are at a benefit percentage less than 100% may also have a remaining balance.
To protect yourself from registration holds (meaning you won't be able to register for classes for the upcoming semester), learn about and sign up for a payment plan with Student Accounts to pay off the remaining balance you may have.
Enrollment Datasheets
An enrollment datasheet will protect you from schedule cancellation and late fees, but it will not protect you from registration holds for non-payment after your tuition and fee payment has been added to your account. All charges with the university need to be paid by the day registration for the following semester begins. Our office cannot lift registration holds that have been placed by Student Accounts.
Multi-Step Certification Process
For Chapter 33 beneficiaries, schools are required by the VA to submit both a general enrollment certification and a second enrollment verification after the drop-add period (first week of classes) with tuition and fees added. While your first enrollment verification will not have tuition and fees added, we submit your second verification with tuition and fees added to the VA closer to mid-September/October for Fall and mid-February/March for Spring. You do not need to make any out-of-pocket payments or set up a payment plan until your tuition and fee payment has been added to your account.
Coverage and Payments
Tuition and required fees will be sent to Appalachian State directly. Chapter 33 will cover health insurance through the university (StudentBlue) if it is required for you to attend and if you do not have another insurance option. Ch. 33 will not have a separate payment for on-campus housing, meal plans, or elective class fees, but you are able to apply your monthly housing allowance to these costs.
Your book stipend will be deposited in the bank account on file with the VA before or as the semester starts.
Your monthly Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) will be deposited in the bank account on file with the VA. BAH is always one month behind per the VA schedule. BAH amounts are dependent on how many online classes you are registered for and the average cost of living in the area.
For VA payment questions regarding book stipend, BAH, and/or tuition and fee payments, please contact the VA at 888-442-4551.
Changes to Courses or Schedules
If you withdraw from a course and fall below 12 credit hours (or any withdraw if you are below 12 credit hours to start) and do not alert our office that you have withdrawn, you may owe funds back that the VA has paid you. Because tuition and fees are paid directly to the school, the VA may ask for funds back from the school, which may place you in a debt with the university.
The longer you do not let us know, the more debt may be accumulated from combined monthly payments and/or tuition and fees from the time you were not enrolled.
Our office strongly encourages meeting with us first before withdrawing from a course, multiple courses, or the overall school to understand how those withdrawals may affect your benefits.
How do I know if I've been verified for benefits for the semester?
You will receive an automated email from the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) verifying that your enrollment has been certified to your AppState email and/or personal email. Please review your email inbox before reaching out to Student Veteran Services. If you have discrepancies or some classes cannot be certified, a School Certifying Official representative will alert you to these discrepancies.
How do I get in-state tuition with my benefits?
You can file for in-state tuition with the Office of the Registrar. While you may receive a non-residency number or denial letter, Appalachian State University commits to providing in-state tuition for all VA benefit types that we can. In-state tuition can only be considered if the student plans to relocate to North Carolina for their degree program.
You can view documentation needed and where to send it on our main FAQs page.
What will the GI Bill (CH 33) cover?
The GI Bill will cover required tuition and fees, including health services fees, book rental fees, student government fees, required internship fees, and graduation fee. The GI Bill will not directly cover on-campus housing, meal plans, or elective class fees. You will receive a monthly stipend called a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) which you can put towards on- or off-campus housing and meal plans if applicable. The BAH is determined on the local area’s average cost of living but is affected by how many online classes taken.
How are payments sent?
Tuition and fee payments are made directly to the school. BAH payments are sent to the direct deposit account on file with the VA. If this direct deposit information needs to be updated, changed, or reviewed, call the VA education assistance line at 888-442-4551.
My tuition and fees are labeled $0. Why is that?
For Chapter 33 beneficiaries, schools are required to submit both a general enrollment certification and a second enrollment verification after the drop-add period with tuition and fees added. While your first enrollment verification will not have tuition and fees added, we submit your second verification with tuition and fees added to the VA closer to mid-September/October for Fall and mid-February/March for Spring.
Will I get monthly housing allowance (MHA) during school breaks?
No. In 2011, Congress passed a law that prohibits VA from paying BAH during extended school breaks. This includes breaks between semesters. Be sure to plan ahead to cover your housing costs when school isn’t in session. If your enrollment starts after the first of the month or ends before the last day of the month, the VA will pay you a prorated housing payment for the part of the month you’re enrolled in classes.
Will the GI Bill pay for study abroad?
Under Chapter 33 and for VA approved foreign institutions, the VA often pays required tuition and fees, a book stipend, and a BAH. The VA will often not pay for airfare, passports, lodging, or meals.
In order for the VA to pay any additional fees specific to the Study Abroad program, the Study Abroad option must be required for your program (programs such as International Business, Global Studies, etc.). The student must be enrolled in courses that will apply to their degree program requirements for VA certification purposes.
If the courses you will be taking will only transfer to electives, and your electives are already completed, we cannot certify your study abroad for payment.
Reach out to our office so we can better assist you in how to navigate VA benefits for study abroad programs. Reaching out to the Office of International Programs may also be beneficial to you in understanding overall cost and available financial aid.
