For more information about these benefits and your eligibility, please visit the VA Benefits Website.
- Educational Benefits
- Educational Benefits (Specific to Extended University students)
- Tuition Assistance
- Ordering Military Transcripts and Military Service Records (DD-214)
CI Benefits Timeline
| Term | Priority Filing Date | CI Sends Enrollment Data to VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | Begins mid-April 2024 | Starting Mid-April |
| Winter Terms | Student must contact School Certifying Official | SCO will submit to VA once notified |
| Spring 2025 | Begins mid-November 2024 | Starting Mid-November |
| Summer 2024 | Begins end of March 2024 | Starting first week of April |
Late Requests for VA educational benefits: If you are requesting the use of your VA educational benefits after the add/drop period for the semester, you will need to also submit a "Late Submission to Request Certification of VA Educational Benefits", located in the Registrar's Office Forms Library.
- Chapter: 30, 33, 35, 1606, & Fry Scholarship - To ensure timely reporting of your enrollment to the VA, please submit/upload via your myCI portal your Certificate of Eligibility (first page only) and the veteran's DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (all veterans and only dependents using Chapter 35) (DD-214 must show Social Security Number)
- Each semester after you have registered for classes you will need to request certification of your classes to the VA. To do that, use the steps at the "Request Certification of VA Benefits" button below. (The upload of documents is a one-time submission, they do not need to be uploaded every semester).
- Once you have self-certified, please email the Veteran's Advisor/VA School Certifying Official.
- New veterans (Army, Coast Guard, Marines, & Navy) to CI will need to submit a Joint Service Transcript. U.S. Air Force and Space Force will need to submit a Community College of the Air Force transcript.
- Chapter 31, Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) - Your VA VR&E counselor will submit all documents via the Tungsten Portal System.
- Please contact your counselor to make sure they have submitted a valid Purchase Order (PO) number via the portal system.
- Each semester after you have registered for classes you will need to request certification of your classes to the VA. To do that, use the steps at the "Request Certification of VA Benefits" button below. (The upload of documents is a one-time submission, they do not need to be uploaded every semester).
- Once you have self-certified, please email the Veteran's Advisor/VA School Certifying Official.
- New veterans (Army, Coast Guard, Marines, & Navy) to CI will need to submit a Joint Service Transcript. U.S. Air Force and Space Force will need to submit a Community College of the Air Force transcript.
- Cal Vet Fee Waiver (CVFW) - Authorization submission follows Priority Filing Dates for Fall and Spring terms.
- Please forward email containing 16-digit code from the county veterans service office to the VA School Certifying Official
- This benefit applies to state-funded programs and covers only tuition, but does NOT cover the associated university fees. Winter sessions at CI and all Extended University courses are NOT state-funded, therefore, the benefit is not applied.
- The CVFW is valid for one academic year (Fall, Spring, & Summer), therefore, a new application will need to be submitted starting in May to your county's veteran service office.
- All Documents will be reviewed by the VA School Certifying Official before they are applied to your student account. Be sure to check your myCI email for updates.
*VA School Certifying Official: Robert C. Felix, email: robert.felix@csuci.edu
Educational Benefits [top]
Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill®
The Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty (MGIB-AD) is a program for individuals who served at least 2 years on active duty and who paid into an education fund for one year. This benefit started in July 1, 1985, replacing the original GI Bill®. They receive 36 months of full-time benefits.
Chapter 31: Veteran Readiness and Employment
Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) formerly known as Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment is for service-connected disabled veterans (of at least 10% VA rating) who have limits to work or their disability prevents them from working. This benefit helps explore employment options and more importantly address veteran's education and training needs. In rare cases, family members may also qualify for certain benefits. For more information and to see if you qualify, visit https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation/.
Chapter 33: Post-9/11 GI Bill® & Fry Scholarship
If you have at least 90 days of aggregate active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001, and are still on active duty, or if you are an honorably discharged Veteran or were discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days, you may be eligible for this VA-administered program. Purple Heart recipients, regardless of length of service, are qualified for Post-9/11 benefits at the 100% level. Certain members of the Reserves who lost education benefits when REAP was sunset in November 2015, may also be eligible to receive restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. Lastly, if you are a dependent child using benefits transferred by a qualifying Veteran or service member. You may be eligible if one of the above requirements are met.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® also offers some service members the opportunity to transfer their GI Bill® to dependents. Transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill® can occur if the active duty member has completed at least 6 years of service when the request is approved, the military member agree to re-enlist for four more years of service, and the person receiving the benefits is enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).
Chapter 33 benefits expire depending on when you were discharged from active duty.
If your service ended before January 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) benefits will expire 15 years after your last separation date from active service. You must use all of your benefits by that time or you’ll lose whatever’s left.
If your service ended on or after January 1, 2013, your benefits won’t expire thanks to a law called the Forever GI Bill® - Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act.
CSU Channel Islands submits your enrollment to the VA before the semester starts (without a Tuition & Fee amount) to expedite books and supplies stipends and monthly housing allowance benefits (if you are eligible). An accurate Tuition & Fee amount will be sent to the VA after the add/drop deadline, around the 4th week of the semester.
Post-9/11 GI Bill® Overview & Application
Fry Scholarship
If you’re the child or surviving spouse of a Veteran or service member who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability on or after September 11, 2001, you may be eligible for the Fry Scholarship. The educational benefits are the same as Chapter 33/Post-9/11 GI Bill®
Find out if you’re eligible for the Fry Scholarship and how to apply
Chapter 35: Dependents' Educational Assistance
The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) Program offers education benefits to eligible dependents of Veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition, a Veteran or service member who died, is captured or missing while on active duty or as a result of a service-connected disability.
Dependents have a VA file number that is related to the parent or spouse under whom they are eligible. This file number will be on Certificate of Eligibility (COE) mailed to the student from the Veterans Administration. Students utilizing Ch. 35 should give the VA file number to the VA Certifying Official by uploading the COE and the veteran's DD-214 via the student's myCI portal.
Chapter 1606: Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve
The MGIB-SR program provides 36 months of educational and training benefits to eligible members of the Selected Reserve, including 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. Eligibility for this program is determined by the Selected Reserve components and VA makes the payments.
You may be eligible for education benefits under this program if you meet one of these requirements. You have a 6-year service obligation (you agreed to serve 6 years) in the Selected Reserve, or you’re an officer in the Selected Reserve and you agreed to serve 6 years in addition to your initial service obligation. This benefit can only be used while still in the Reserves, therefore, once you leave the Reserves, your benefit expires.
Tuition Assistance [top]
Tuition Assistance (TA) is a benefit paid to eligible active-duty and reserve service members. This benefit may pay up to 100% of the tuition expenses of its members. Each service has its own criteria for eligibility, obligated service, application processes, and restrictions. This money is usually paid directly to the college/university by the individual service branches. For additional information, contact your Base counselor/Educational Services Officer.
Prospective students should receive approval months before enrollment or the semester begins from their Educational Services Officer (ESO), military counselor, or Service. For additional information, contact your ESO, military counselor, or Service and follow the links below for your particular service/component.
- Air Force Tuition Assistance
- Army Tuition Assistance
- Coast Guard Tuition Assistance
- Navy Tuition Assistance
- Marine Corps Tuition Assistance
- Space Force Tuition Assistance
Once you have been approved for tuition assistance from your particular branch of service and have submitted the required request online via your military branches online TA portal, please then contact CI's Veteran's Advisor/VA School Certifying Official, Robert C. Felix.
Additionally, active duty members may elect to use "Top Up" in addition to their service-provided TA to cover high-cost courses.
Questions regarding how approved TA is handled at CSU Channel Islands, can be directed to the Veteran’s Advisor/VA School Certifying Official, Robert C. Felix
Ordering Military Transcripts and Military Service Records (DD-214)[top]
Joint Service Transcripts (JST) (Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy)
Community College of the Air Force (U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force)
DD-214 and Separation Documents
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/.