From the college application process through graduation, CUNY supports the student-veteran experience and is honored to welcome veterans and the communities to Guttman Community College. Connections with faculty, staff, college resources, and other student-veterans are made to enhance the student experience while at CUNY.
Contact Us
Krystal Liriano-Gonzalez
Director of Strategic Enrollment and Persistence Initiatives
Krystal.Liriano-Gonzalez@guttman.cuny.edu
Hawa Sissoho
Assistant Director of Strategic Enrollment and Retention Initiatives
Hawa.Sissoho@guttman.cuny.edu
VA Benefits Eligibility
Find out if you’re eligible for VA education benefits
If you ’re an active-duty service member or Veteran, a member of the National Guard or Reserves, or a qualified survivor or dependent, you may be eligible for the GI Bill or other educational assistance. Find out if you may be able to get help paying for tuition and fees, books, housing, and other education costs, depending on which education benefits you’re are eligible for.
Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility information
If any of these are true, you may be eligible for benefits through the post-9/11 G.I. Bill® (Chapter 33):
- You served on active duty for at least 90 days after September 10, 2001, whether continuous (all at once) or interrupted (for shorter periods over time), or
- You served for at least 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001, and were discharged because of a service-connected disability, or
- You received a Purple Heart after September 10, 2001
Benefits for Dependents of Veterans
There are numerous programs available to dependents of disabled veterans. For more information about these programs, please visit:
Fee Waivers for Veterans
Veterans and service members are exempt from paying the CUNY Application Fee
To request your CUNY Application Veteran Fee Waiver, follow these steps:
- Once you complete your Admission Application, select the “PAY LATER” option on the payment screen.
- Print your Application Summary Package.
- Send “Veterans Fee Waiver Request via e-mail to vetwaiver@cuny.edu with the following information:
- Full Name (as listed on your Application Summary Package)
- Date of birth
- Application Control Number (ten-digit number beginning with a W)
- Indicate you are a freshman applicant
- Indicate the semester for which you have applied (i.e., Fall 2024)
- Attach proof of your Veteran/Military status (i.e., DD-214, Current Military ID Card, or Deployment or Pre-separation orders)
VA Pending Payment Compliance
In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e}, this school adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs {VA} Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33} or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. This school will not:
- Prevent the student’s enrollment;
- Assess a late penalty fee to;
- Require student secure alternative or additional funding;
- Deny their 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:
- Provide Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility (or its equivalent} or for Chapter 31, VA VR&E’s contract with the school on VA Form 28-1905 by the first day of class.
- Provide written request to be certified;
- Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies
Notes: Chapter 33 students can register at the VA Regional Office to use E-Benefits to get the equivalent of a Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility. Chapter 31 students cannot get a completed VA Form 28-1905 (or any equivalent) before the VA VR&E case manager issues it to the school.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website https://www.va.gov/gibill.
Enrollment Certification for Veterans
Enrollment certifications are processed by the Veteran Services Team after student veterans, military service members or dependents submit the Veterans Request for VA Enrollment Certification Form. The form must be submitted each and every semester you wish to use VA educational benefits. After the Veteran Services Team has submitted your enrollment certification to the Department of Veteran Affairs, benefit recipients will receive email notifications from Veteran Services as well as the VA. There is no set timeframe for the Department of Veteran Affairs to process your enrollment certification and the certifications are handled in the order they are received by the VA. please submit your VA Enrollment Certification Form as soon as your semester course schedule is finalized.
Guttman Community College encourages all students to stay updated on all changes or modifications to benefits. VA Students should review G.I. Bill®/VA website regularly or can contact the VA directly at 1-888-442-4551.
As a student at Guttman Community College:
- All coursework for which students enroll must apply to their degree at the college.
- The student must be registered for classes before submitting the Enrollment Certification Request for Veterans Benefits form.
- VA students must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credits to be considered full-time during the Fall and Spring semesters.
- Students must immediately report any changes in enrollment (add/drop/withdrawals) to the Veteran School Certifying Officer (SCO). Please be advised any reduction in credits may result in changes in eligibility for benefits even after disbursement has occurred.
- VA will NOT pay for the repeated courses completed with a passing grade, except under exceptional circumstances. For more information, please get in touch with the SCO.
- After your school submits your enrollment certification, your tuition and fees payment will be sent to the school on your behalf. All other payments will be sent directly to you.
- Acknowledge your responsibility for paying the college ALL tuition and fees, which are not covered by your Veterans’ Educational Benefits, before the end of each term. If you are not receiving 100% tuition from the VA, you must make a payment plan via CUNYFirst. For more information, please get in touch with Bursar@guttman.cuny.edu.
- Understand that if you do not attend or stop attending a class, your VA benefit certification will be adjusted, meaning that you, the student, may incur debt from the school, Department of Veterans Affairs, or both agencies.
Enrollment Certification Process and Timeline
| Step | Timeframe | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
| Submit Certification of Enrollment form & Semester Billing Statement | Within 10 days of the semester start | Students |
| Review and verification of submitted documents | 2-3 days after receipt | School Certifying Official (SCO) |
| Preparation of Enrollment Certification | Within 2 days of verification | School Certifying Official (SCO) |
| Submission to the VA via VA-Once or other system | No later than 2 weeks before the semester begins or by the 15th day of the semester | School Certifying Official (SCO) |
| VA processing and confirmation | Typically, 2-4 weeks after submission | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) |
Enrollment Certification Request for Veteran Benefits Form
Financial Aid for Veterans
- Military Service Recognition Scholarship (MSRS)
- New York Army National Guard Federal Tuition Assistance Program (ARNG FTA)
- New York State Veterans Tuition Award (VTA)
- NYS Regents Awards for Children of Deceased and Disabled Veterans
- Recruitment Incentive and Retention Program (RIRP)
- Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (Chapter 30)
- Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)
- Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act (Chapter 33)
- Reserve Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 1607)
- Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational assistance (Chapter 35)
- Veterans Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 32)
- Veterans Work-Study Program
- Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Chapter 31)
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Is there eligibility for late submissions by students
If a student misses the submission deadline, the SCO will make every effort to accommodate the certification for late submission but cannot guarantee that benefits will be processed for the semester.
What happens if I drop a course during the semester?
If you drop a course and the adjustment changes your course schedule/hours you must notify your college’s veterans affairs representative so that this official can then inform the VA of a change in course schedule/hours. This must be done even if you have already notified the VA on the WAVE system. A change in course schedule/hours will affect your rate of payment, and failure to notify your college’s veterans affairs representative in a timely manner could result in overpayment.
What happens if I am activated during the semester?
If you are activated during a semester, you have a number of options open to you depending upon the length of the deployment. You should first discuss this situation with your advisor and instructors to help you decide upon a course of action. The options available to you would range from special arrangements for make-up work, to an incomplete grade, to withdrawal from a course or semester. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs would pay you educational assistance benefits up to the date you withdraw or resign from a course or semester. For more information see Returning or Leaving for Active Duty.
Are all dependents of veterans eligible to receive educational benefits?
Survivors’ and Dependent’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents and survivors of certain Veterans For eligibility and further information please visit: Chapter 35 Active Military members may transfer Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Chapter 33) to Spouse
Dependents
The transferability option under the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill® allows Service members to transfer all or some unused benefits to their spouse or dependent children. The request to transfer unused G.I. Bill® benefits to eligible dependents must be completed while serving as an active member of the Armed Forces. The Department of Defense (DoD) determines whether or not you can transfer benefits to your family. Once the DoD approves benefits for transfer, the new beneficiaries apply for them at VA For eligibility and additional information please visit: Chapter 33