Benefit Description
Recipients may qualify to receive payment of tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, and a book stipend. Recipients can receive up to 36 months of benefits. Recipients who combine this benefit with one or more other Chapter Benefits can receive up to 48 months of total benefits. A recipient’s benefit amount is affected by their rate of pursuit (number of credit hours being taken divided by the number of credit hours considered to be full-time).
VA tuition and fee payments are paid directly to Texas A&M and are applied as a 3rd party payment to the student’s billing account. Students must notify the Veterans Services Office if their VA chapter benefits will exhaust in between the semester in which benefits have been requested as this may result a reduced tuition and fee payment from the VA. The VA will not pay for the following:
- Tuition and fees which are already being paid by other forms of financial assistance specifically intended to pay tuition and fees (ex. Tuition Assistance, Assistantships, ROTC tuition payments, tuition scholarships, etc.).
- The portion of Program Fees which consist of charges for travel, food, or lodging. Contact your academic department to inquire about such fees.
- Non-resident tuition which is charged to non-resident students, non-funded students, or for Three-peat fees. For information regarding how to have non-resident tuition waived, exempted, or paid as a non-resident student, see the Non-resident Tuition, Waiver, Exemption, or Payment section of our website.
- Courses which are not required for a student’s degree plan.
- Courses which are repeated for which the student has already earned an acceptable grade (as determined by their degree).
- Courses which are withdrawn or dropped (the VA may pay part, but not all of the cost of such courses).
Monthly Housing Payments are sent directly from the VA to the student (not to the school) via
direct deposit. Benefits are paid in arrears (after the training period). For example, a student receives payment for August at the beginning of September. Payment amounts vary annually and are on the Department of Defense (DoD) Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rate for E-5’s with dependents. The amount of this benefit varies from 50% to 100% depending on the length of active duty service. Recipients must have a rate of pursuit of more than 50% to receive the monthly housing allowance. Students enrolled in only distance learning or online courses are only eligible for a monthly housing allowance equal to 50% of the national average of all Basic Allowances for Housing. Payments are prorated for any partial months of attendance (ex. August & December). Payment amounts do not include enrollment break periods (ex. Winter & Summer break).
Book Stipends are sent directly from the VA to the student (not to the school) via
direct deposit. Payment amounts are equal to $41.67 per credit hour up to 24 hours in a single academic year ($1,000 maximum). A lump sum payment is made each semester. These stipends are prorated based upon the percentage of benefit awarded.
All students receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition and fees education benefits are reminded that under the Isakson & Roe Improvement Act of 2020, overpayments for dropped courses (reduced or terminated enrollment after the start of the semester) will no longer be collected by the Veterans Administration. Instead, funds will be returned to the VA by Texas A&M University, and you may see a balance due on your student account.
For financial aid purposes, the estimated housing expense in the estimated Cost of Attendance must be removed for any Active Duty Service Members with a FAFSA on file. This may result in a reduction of financial aid eligibility.
Eligibility Requirements
Veterans and Active Duty Service Members
Veterans and active duty service members must have served on active duty since September 11, 2001, and served a minimum of 90 aggregate days (excluding entry level and skill training) or served a period of at least 30 days or received a service connected disability rating.
Transfer of Entitlement
The
Transferability Fact Sheet includes all of the eligibility requirements associated with transferring this benefit from a Service Member to their dependent(s).
Fry Scholarship
The
Post 9/11 GI Bill®: Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship FAQ includes additional information regarding this benefit.
For more information on what documents are required, visit
Apply for the VA Chapter Benefits at Texas A&M University.
Helpful Links
GI Bill® Comparison Tool
VA Rate Tables for Chapter payment amount
DoD’s BAH Calculator
Chapter 33 for study abroad
More information on Chapter 33