Student success flourishes when university values align with individual aspirations. Faulkner University actively cultivates this powerful synergy and champions your growth by seamlessly integrating your objectives with our unwavering mission. We empower you to translate your dedication into a dynamic new mission through immersive, relevant education and hands-on training. Faulkner’s faculty and staff are committed to equipping you with the skills and knowledge to excel in your career, enrich your community, and shape a brighter future – continuing your legacy of service with renewed purpose and impact as a prepared and engaged citizen leader. Faulkner University proudly serves Active Duty personnel, the National Guard, Reservists, Veterans, and military families, forging a robust partnership built on mutual respect and shared purpose.
Faulkner provides military members, veterans, their spouses and dependents educational opportunities at all levels from undergraduate to doctoral.
Resources for Active-Duty, Veteran, National Guard, Reserves, Military Spouse and Dependent Students
VA Educational Benefits at Faulkner University
The Department of Veterans Affairs will make the final determination of eligibility based on official service records, evidence submitted by the student, and all applicable veterans’ laws.
To contact the VA, call 1-888-442-4551 or
Go to www.gibill.va.gov
Getting Started
If you will be using Tuition Assistance through your branch of service, please see the TA section below.
Once you know which Federal chapter of VA benefit you will be using, please make sure you have contacted your School Certifying Official (SCO) at your campus to provide required documentation.
Next Steps
Once your initial paperwork is complete, the process is the same for each semester;
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- Contact Faulkner’s School Certifying Official (SCO) at your campus.
- Montgomery – Priscilla Thrash: (334) 386-7146 or (800)879-9816
- Birmingham – Marista Russell: (205)879-5588 or (888)816-2776
- Huntsville – Chad Brown: (256)830-2626 or (888)816-2775
- Mobile – Allyson Lambert: (251)380-9090 or (888)816-2777
- Complete Registration for Classes.
- We cannot certify your enrollment until you are registered in classes.
- Chapters 30, 1606, 33, and 35 verify your attendance (on the last day of each month) by calling or texting (877)442-4551, online through Ask VA at Ask VA | Veterans Affairs, or by email.
- Contact Faulkner’s School Certifying Official (SCO) at your campus.
Contact your SCO with any possible major or schedule changes to determine how these changes may affect your VA benefits. Ask VA | Veterans Affairs
Using Military Tuition Assistance at Faulkner University
Military Tuition Assistance Overview (Military.com
If you would like to use Tuition Assistance through your branch of service, please visit your Education Services Office before registering for classes. Once you have spoken with your ESO, please contact your School Certifying Official for more institutional information.
Army IgnitED (for Active Duty Army, Army Reservists, and Active Guard Reserve students)
Return of Unearned Military Tuition Assistance (TA)
Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded. To comply with the Department of War (DoW) policy, Faulkner University will return any unearned TA funds on a prorated basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending.
In instances when a service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, Faulkner University will work with the affected service member to identify solutions that will not result in student debt for the returned portion in compliance with the DoW policy.
MyCAA
ROTC
Fry Scholarship
Troops to Teachers
AL GI Dependent Scholarship Program
Financial Aid Information
Allowing Veterans to Attend or Participate in Courses Pending VA Payment
Background
Section 103 of Public Law (PL) 115-407, ‘Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018,’ amends Title 38 US Code 3679 by adding a new subsection (e) that requires disapproval of courses of education, beginning August 1, 2019, at any educational institution that does not have a policy in place that will allow an individual to attend or participate in a course of education, pending VA payment, providing the individual submits a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31 or 33.
Pending Payment Compliance
In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679(e), Faulkner University (Main) adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post-9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Veteran Readiness and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from VA. Faulkner University (Main) will not:
- Prevent the student’s enrollment;
- Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
- Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
- Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.
However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:
- Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
- Provide a written request to be certified;
- Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Frequently Asked Questions
National Call Center: 1-888-442-4551
US Mail Address: Western Region - VA Processing Office, P.O. Box 8888, Muskogee, OK 74402-8888
Email: www.gibill.va.gov > “Ask a Question”
SCO stands for “School Certifying Official.” This is the person(s) at your school who has/have been approved by Veterans Affairs to certify your enrollment each semester. This person certifies that you are officially enrolled, how many hours you are taking, when your classes begin, when your classes end, the cost of your tuition and fees and all changes made to your enrollment. The following is a listing of the numbers for your Faulkner SCO:
Montgomery – (334) 386-7146, (800) 879-9816, ext. 7146
Birmingham – (205) 879-5588, (888) 816-2776
Huntsville – (256) 830-2626, (888) 816-2775
Mobile – (251) 380-9090, (888) 816 – 2777
Your EDP is an official academic document that shows your degree, classes that you have completed toward the degree, transfer credit awarded, and the remaining classes to complete. Tuition Assistance requires that the soldier have their Evaluated Degree Plan on file in ArmyIgnitED once they have completed two classes. Academic Institutions are responsible for ensuring their soldiers have received a copy of the EDP and the Soldier is responsible for loading it into ArmyIgnitED.
Tuition Assistance is a Department of Defense Benefit. Currently a student can get up to $4500/year. The tuition assistance fiscal year restarts on October 1st of each year. Contact your Education Service Office to find out how you can use tuition assistance.
Top-Up is a benefit available to Active Duty service members who are using Chapter 30 benefits. Students who wish to receive Top-Up must apply for VA Benefits, apply for tuition assistance and be approved, and send a copy of their approved tuition assistance form to your Regional Processing Office.
First time applications can take 30 – 60 days to process. It does not always take this long, but students should apply as early as possible and should be prepared to cover expenses through alternate funds until VA Benefits begin. If your benefits are not approved until after your enrollment in classes has begun, VA may back-pay you to when your classes began.
No. You must complete registration for classes before you can be certified; this includes getting Advisor and Student Accounts Approvals.
Veterans Affairs will not pay for any course which does not apply to your degree, any course which you have already successfully completed, or courses you audit. Your advisor must evaluate any transfer credit you may have and will help you decide which classes are best for you to take.
A 1999 is the form the school completes and submits electronically to inform the Veterans Affairs how many hours you are enrolled in, when your term begins and ends, and other applicable information. The 1999s are submitted through a website called Enrollment Manager, which is available only to school certifying officials. If the VA says they do not have your 1999, call us to be sure we have submitted your enrollment.
It may take some time for enrollments to be far enough in processing to appear in the systems they use. How long depends on many factors including the time of year and the type of benefit you are using.
Your SCO updates Enrollment Manager and the VA will email the address they have on file for you. You should get an automated email notifying you that an enrollment and/or any changes to your certification has been submitted. If you are not getting these email notifications, please call us so that we can check to see if the correct email is being used and if any corrections need to be made.
There could be several different reasons why we have not submitted your enrollment yet. Have you completed all the paperwork necessary and turned it in to your School Certifying Official? Have you completed registration, including signing your payment agreement for the term? Did you tell us you were enrolled? Have you made changes to your class schedule which could have bumped your advisor or business office approval? It may also be that we have been busy and have not gotten to it yet, but you should call us if you think you have completed the registration process and if has been 10 business days since the term started. Technically we have 30 days after the term start date to certify students; however, our goal is to have students certified before the term starts. For students receiving Chapter 33 (Post 9/11) benefits we will do our best to certify you before the term starts; however, we will not add the tuition and fees to your certification until two to three weeks after the term starts. This will prompt the VA to pay your book stipend and monthly housing allowance, if applicable, in a timely manner; but, will prevent the school and possibly you have to return funds for tuition and fees to the VA if you drop courses or withdraw.
Yes. If you did not add or drop courses, or withdraw, call us.
DO NOT wait until VA money or other financial aid arrives to buy textbooks. This can hinder your academic progress. Textbooks are needed at the beginning of the term, but VA money, tuition assistance, grants and loans can take weeks to post to your account. Be prepared to buy your books at the beginning of each term. If you have a credit balance after your account is paid, consider saving any extra money to cover your expenses until your future educational assistance arrives. Think ahead and be prepared.
NOTE: If you receive VA Chapter 31 (Voc Rehab) and/or Title IV funds (financial aid) you may be able to receive a book voucher to purchase your books. For more information contact Student Accounts at (334) 386-7165, (800) 879-9816, ext. 7165, or studentaccounts@faulkner.edu.
DO NOT depend on VA money or other financial aid arriving in time to pay expenses. Always have a back-up plan. Payments can be delayed for a number of different reasons. Be prepared to cover your expenses until Veterans Affairs can process your claim. Consider saving any extra money from each semester to cover your expenses until your future educational assistance arrives. Think ahead and be prepared. Remember, the VA pays the monthly housing allowance (MHA) in arrears, i.e. September MHA will be paid after the first of October. If you have changed banks since last receiving MHA and you did not notify the VA that is most likely the problem. If you want to know when your MHA will be paid you can contact the VA at (888) 442-4551.
Veterans Affairs requires students to verify that they are still enrolled at the end of each month before they will send out your next payment. This prevents students from receiving money which VA will have to recoup. If you receive money for classes in which you are no longer enrolled, the money will have to be returned. The VA will get their money back.
Students who are receiving money under chapters 30, 1606, 33, and 35 have to verify their attendance to Veterans Affairs on the last day of each month. Students can verify attendance by calling or texting 888-442-4551. Students receiving benefits under Ch. 31 do not have to verify their attendance to VA.
If your term began in the middle of the month, VA will prorate your payment by the number of days you were enrolled. The same is true at the end of a term. If your term ends before the end of the month, VA will prorate your payment by the number of days you were in school. There are other reasons, such as running out of entitlement or VA not seeing all of the terms that have been submitted. If in doubt, call the National Call Center at 1-888-442-4551.
If you are active duty, this may affect your payment. Your payment may also be fluctuating if you are enrolled in overlapping modules, because VA calculates your enrollment status on a day-to-day basis. This is particularly an issue during summer semesters and in programs such as the HRM program.
The number of hours needed to be considered full-time varies by program. You must take at least 12 hours in the traditional program to be full-time. Adult students in the evening program must take 6 hours each 8 weeks to remain full-time. Adults taking a mixture of daytime and night-time classes should contact your School Certifying Official to see what you need to take to be full-time. One year degree completion students are generally considered to be full-time; however, as mentioned before, programs with overlapping modules will cause enrollment status to fluctuate. Again, non-standard terms such as summer terms are different from the standard semester. Contact us if you need to know how many hours to take.
Each Master’s level and Doctoral program has a set number of hours required to be considered full-time. Contact your program director or your School Certifying Official to determine how many hours you need to take to be full-time.
It can be any date on or after August 1, 2009, when the Post 9/11 GI Bill® began. If you want to be back-paid for terms already completed, you will need to put a date that is on or after the first day of those classes. VA will not back-pay for classes taken more than a year ago. If you want to be paid from today on, you can put today’s date. If you will not be starting until a future date, you can put a date closer to the start of your term.
Active Duty service members and their spouses, and students whose rate of pursuit (status) drops to 50% or below, are not eligible to receive a housing allowance.
Your housing allowance is set, by law, at the rate for an E-5 with dependents, at the zip code of the school that is certifying your enrollment. Your housing allowance will be paid “in arrears,” which means that you will receive a housing payment near the beginning of the month for the previous month.
There is also an annual cap on the book allowance. VA will only pay a book allowance for your first 24 hours taken each academic year. The Academic year, for VA purposes, begins August 1st of each year.
The percentage is your rate of benefit. It applies to your tuition and fees, housing and book allowance. Multiply these three by your percentage to see what you should get.
There is an annual cap. The VA will pay 100% of your tuition and fees UP TO the cap. If you are receiving Post 9/11 benefits at the 100% level Yellow Ribbon will kick in when you reach the annual cap.
Yes.
There are a variety of resources available to service members and veterans to help cover the cost of education, but you need to do some research to find out what is available to you. GI Bill® benefits vary widely depending on your branch of service and length of active duty. Visit the GI Bill® website at www.gibill.va.gov for more information. You may also have tuition assistance, ANGEAP, loan repayment, a kicker and other programs available. Ask your recruiter for more details or talk to your education service office.
ANGEAP is an Army National Guard Education Assistance Program. Eligibility can be determined by completing an ANGEAP form available in your financial aid office.
Veterans Affairs is bound by the same FERPA laws that Faulkner is subject to. In order for someone else to speak to VA or your SCO regarding your personal information, you must sign a release form(VA Form 22-0830) saying that VA and your SCO has your permission to talk to them about your benefits. Contact your SCO for this form.