GI Bill® Benefits at UT Austin Dell Medical School

Applying for GI Bill^® Benefits – Doctor of Medicine (MD) Programs

You must first be admitted to UT Austin and pursuing a VA State Approving Agency (SAA) approved degree-seeking program before being certified for GI education benefits.

STEP 1. Verify that your program is listed as one of the programs approved by the VA SAA.

STEP 2. Once you have been registered for classes by the University, complete and submit UT’s GI Bill^® Questionnaire. Note: Only courses that apply toward your degree program can be certified for VA benefits.

STEP 3. Upload all necessary supporting documents using UT’s GI Bill^® Document Uploads.

Veteran Certification, in the Office of the Registrar, will start certifying enrollment to the VA after online tuition bills are distributed. Allow us at least 15-business days to submit your certification to the VA. If you are not registered for your classes when you submit your questionnaire, the 15-business day period will begin after you are registered.

It may take the VA several weeks to process the certification once submitted. If you have applied in a timely manner and we have certified your benefits, the VA will typically pay the Post-9/11 tuition benefits a couple of weeks prior to the beginning of the semester. The VA will pay housing benefits or monthly stipends in arrears following the end of the month.

Note: Once each term begins, students using Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill^®), Chapter 30, and Chapter 1606 are required to verify their attendance with the VA.

GI Bill^® Benefits and Your Tuition Bill

You are responsible for paying your tuition bill and confirming your registration is complete by the tuition deadline shown on My Tuition Bill. Even if your bill shows a zero balance ($0) you have to follow the prompts on My Tuition Bill to complete your registration. Your tuition bill must say “Your registration is complete and your courses are secured.” If you do not take this step, your courses will be cancelled, and you will have to register again. The VA will not pay any late registration fees.

If you are using the Post-9/11 GI Bill^®, the university can “cover” your tuition at your eligibility rate.

• Completed the steps in Applying for GI Bill^® Benefits.
• If you are using education benefits for the first time you need to submit a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (CoE). Otherwise, upload a recent copy of your award letter from the VA or a printout from VA.gov or eBenefits website (including entitlement and complete enrollment history).
• We will notify the Student Accounts Receivable (SAR) office to post coverage to your tuition.
• Review My Tuition Bill to verify your coverage has been posted, otherwise pay your tuition. If you have a zero balance ($0) click the “Confirm Attendance” button; otherwise follow the prompts. Options for paying any remaining balance will be available on My Tuition Bill. Your tuition bill must say “Your registration is complete and your courses are secured.”

If you are receiving GI Bill^® under any chapter, you may be eligible to have the nonresident portion of your tuition waived. Contact the residency office to request a waiver for the nonresident tuition amount. If you are using the Post-9/11 GI Bill^®, the waiver must be posted to your tuition bill before we can certify you for education benefits.

Contact Special Billing if you have questions about your tuition bill.

Using GI Bill® Benefits and Hazlewood

If you are using VA Education Benefits and the Hazlewood Exemption concurrently (“stacking” benefits), you must complete the GI Bill® Questionnaire and Hazlewood Application by the Hazlewood deadline.

Proof of eligibility or ineligibility for tuition-paying GI Bill^® benefits will be required to process Hazlewood Exemption benefits. Tuition-paying GI Bill^® benefits are Post-9/11 GI Bill^® (Chapter 33) for veterans or dependents, and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) for veterans.

• Veterans applying to use their own Hazlewood Exemption must submit proof if their DD Form 214/DD-214 separation date is September 11, 2001, or later.
• Spouses and Children applying for the Hazlewood Exemption must submit proof if the veteran’s DD Form 214/DD-214 separation date is August 1, 2009, or later.

If you have not received a letter of exhaustion or denial for tuition-paying GI Bill^® benefits, you must apply at VA.gov to receive that letter. If you receive another type of GI Bill^® benefit (MGIB Chapter 30, DEA Chapter 35, or MGIB-SR Chapter 1606), you may need to apply again for the denial letter.

When using both GI Bill^® benefits and Hazlewood, you are required to use your tuition-paying GI Bill^® benefits first. Any remaining tuition balance eligible for the Hazlewood Exemption will be applied toward your tuition bill, after your tuition-paying GI Bill^® benefit is applied.

Applying for GI Bill^® Benefits – Residency/Fellowship Programs

You must be pursuing a VA State Approving Agency (SAA) approved program before being certified for GI Bill^® Education Benefits.

STEP 1. Verify that your program is listed as one of the programs approved by the VA SAA.

STEP 2. Complete and submit the Resident/Fellow GI Bill® Questionnaire. Submit two Questionnaires for each year. (EX: One for ‘fall’ with program dates of June through December and the second for ‘spring’ with program dates of January through May.)

STEP 3. Upload all necessary supporting documents using GI Bill^® Document Uploads.

Students must submit all required documents before benefits can be certified to the VA. Veteran Certification, in the Office of the Registrar, certifies residency and fellowship programs in arrears every three weeks, based on the working/clinical hours completed and reported each week.

It may take the VA several weeks to process the certification once submitted. The VA will pay housing benefits or monthly stipends in arrears following the end of the month.

Note: Once each term begins, students using Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill^®), Chapter 30, and Chapter 1606 are required to verify their attendance with the VA.