Financial Aid: Veterans Benefits

The office of Veterans Affairs is located on the first floor of the Old Main Administration Building on the Midtown campus of Western Connecticut State University. The office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday though Friday. Any student who wishes to take advantage of the benefits that they earned through the Armed Services should report to our office.

The Connecticut State Board of Education has approved WCSU's educational programs for the training of veterans. Veterans may take advantage of their benefits under Chapters 30, 32, 35 and 106.

Additionally, wives, widows and children of veterans approved for educational benefits should apply to the Veterans Office at WCSU.

Chapter 30
Active Duty Education Assistance Program

This program is for those veterans who first entered active duty beginning July 1, 1985, to the present.

  1. To receive Chapter 30 benefits, you also must have served at least:
    1. Two years of honorable continuous active duty if your first obligated period of service was less than three years or if you are now on active duty, or
    2. Three years of honorable continuous active duty of your initial obligated period of service was three years or more, or
    3. Two years of honorable continuous active duty followed by four years of continuous active duty in the Selected Reserve with satisfactory participation in training.
    4. If you were discharged or released for a service-connected disability, hardship or convenience of the government, you may still be eligible even if you did not serve the minimum lengths of time described above.
  2.  
    1. If you entered on active duty for the first time on or after July 1, 1985, your military pay must have been reduced by $100 each month for the first 12 months of your active duty service.
    2. You must have received a high school diploma or its equivalent before completing the required service.
    3. You must have no less than an Honorable Discharge.

V.E.A.P.
Chapter 32
Post-Vietnam Era Veterans Educational Assistance Program

You may be eligible for the program if you can meet the following conditions:

  1. You entered active military service after December 31, 1976.
  2. You contributed money to V.E.A.P., while on active duty.
  3. You served for a continuous period of 181 days or more. (If you had less than 181 days of service, you may be eligible if you were discharged from active duty because of a service-connected disability.)
  4. If you were an enlistee for the first time after September 7,1980, or if you were an officer or enlistee who entered on active duty after October 16, 1981, you must have completed either 24 continuous months of active duty or the full period for which you were called or ordered to active duty, whichever is less. This requirement does not apply if you:
    1. were discharged or released from active duty under an early-out discharge (10 U.S.C. 1171), hardship discharge (10 U.S.C. 1173) or for disability incurred in or aggravated in line of duty, or
    2. have a compensatory, service-connected disability, or
    3. entered on active duty after October 16, 1981, and had previously continuous period of active duty of at least 24 months or had been discharged or released from that period of service under an early-out discharge (10 U.S.C. 1171).
  5. You were discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable.

Chapter 35
Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program

Eligibility Requirements: Basic eligibility for Chapter 35 education benefits may be established for the following categories of students:

  1. Sons, daughters, spouses, and surviving spouse of a veteran who dies or is permanently and totally disabled as the result of a service-connected disability arising out of active service in the Armed Forces, or who died from any cause while disabled; and
  2. The child or spouse of a person who is on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces and who now is, and for a period of 90 days has been, listed by the service department concerned as a POW, MIA, or otherwise forcibly detained by a foreign government or power.

Periods of Eligibility:
CHILD: Generally, to attend school or take a job training under Chapter 35 Program, a son or daughter must be between 18 and 26 years of age. In certain circumstances, it is possible to begin before age 18 and to continue after age 26.

SPOUSE or SURVIVING SPOUSE: Educational benefit must be used within 10 years from the date of eligibility is determined or from the date of death of spouse from whom eligibility is derived. In certain circumstances, this period may be extended if the spouse or surviving spouse was prevented from using some portion of his or her educational benefits because of a physical or mental disability. See Chapter 35, Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations.

Montgomery G.I. Bill
Chapter 106
Selected Reserve Educational Assistance Program
National Guard or Rescue Unit

To apply, National Guard or Reservists must obtain DD form 2384 (Selected Reserve Educational Assistance Program: notice of Basic Eligibility) from your National Guard or Reserve Unit. You will need to submit it with your application.

Eligibility:

  1. If you are an enlisted person, you may be eligible if you enlisted, re-enlisted, or extended an enlistment in the Selected Reserve for a period of at least six years during the period beginning July 1, 1985.
  2. If you are an officer, you may be eligible if you were appointed as or are serving as a reserve officer and agree to serve in the Selected Reserve for at least six years during the period beginning July 1, 1985. This six-year commitment is in addition to any other obligated period of service in the Selected Reserve that you may have.
  3. You must have completed your initial period of active duty for training if you had no prior active duty service.
  4. You must be satisfactorily participating in the Selected Reserve.
  5. You must have a high school diploma or equivalency certificate.

Tuition Waivers

If you served on active duty during a time of war or conflict, and are admitted as an IN-STATE resident, you may be eligible for a waiver of tuition.

A Tuition Waiver relieves the benefactor from the responsibility for payment of tuition. The Tuition Waiver does not apply to other costs and fees, such as student activity fees, insurance fees, laboratory fees. There are two main categories of tuition waivers:

A. National Guard Tuition Waiver

National Guard members, who have received a Certificate of Eligibility from the Adjutant General, and have been admitted to the University as full-time students and who have registered for classes, can submit the certificate to the Veteran's Affairs Office. This waiver applies only for the fall and spring semesters.

B. Connecticut State Tuition Waiver

Public Act 78-175 and Public Act 74-266 authorized the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut State University to waive the payment of tuition for veterans, or a dependent child * of a person classified as a prisoner of war or missing in action. The Board also declares that qualified summer and part-time students (less than 12 credits) are entitled to a waiver of 50 percent of tuition cost.

    *Dependent children: Must be a dependent child of a person whom the Armed Forces declared to be missing in action or to have been a prisoner of war while serving in the Armed Forces after January 1, 1960.

The following eligibility qualifications must be met for the tuition waiver:

  1. Must have served in the Armed Forces on active duty continuously for 90 days between January 1, 1964 and July 1, 1975, during a time of war.

      WARS:

    • World War II: Dec. 7, 1941, to Dec. 31, 1946
    • Korean hostilities: June 27, 1950, to Jan. 31, 1955
    • Vietnam: Dec 22, 1961, to July 1, 1975

      QUALIFYING CONFLICTS:
    • Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm: Aug. 2, 1990, to June 30, 1994
    • and those engaged in combat or in a combat support role in:
      • Peace-Keeping Mission in Lebanon: Sept. 29, 1982 to March 30, 1984
      • Grenada Invasion: Oct. 25, 1983 to Dec. 15, 1983
      • Operation Earnest Will (Escort of Kuwaiti Oil Tankers):
        Feb. 1, 1987, to July 23, 1987
      • Panama Invasion: Dec. 20, 1989, to Jan. 31, 1990

      and who have received an Expeditionary medal or letter stating their involvement in such action.

    • also, those who have served 90 consecutive days of active service since August 2, 1990
  2. Must have been released from active duty under honorable conditions.
  3. Must be a resident of Connecticut at the time s/he is accepted by the University.
  4. Must be matriculated.

    Note: Eligibility to receive Veterans' Affairs Education Benefits is not a determining factor in granting a tuition waiver.
    Time served in the Military Reserve or National Guard is NOT considered Active Duty.

Documents Required for V.A. Educational Benefits

  1. Western Connect State University Veteran's Registration Form.
  2. Veterans Affairs Application for benefits,
    either a 22-1990 for Veterans or 22-5490 for dependents.

AND one or more of the following:

  1. Montgomery G.I. Bill (Chapter 30) candidates: Form DD-214
  2. Montgomery G.I. Bill (Chapter 106) candidates: Form DD-22384
  3. Transfer students must complete a VA Form 22-1995
    (Change of Place or Program Form)

HOW TO CONTACT US:

VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE
181 White Street
Danbury, CT 06810
(203) 837-8840

E-Mail: wcsufinancialaid@wcsu.edu

State Approving Agency (SAA) for Veterans Program Approval:
ctdhe.commnet.edu/dheweb/vet.htm
Topics Include: Educational Assistance Programs
Veterans Tuition Waivers
Directory of Approved Programs


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