Military Education Benefits
College of Eastern Idaho is grateful for the service our current service members and veterans have made and continue to make for our country.
CEI's goal is to make receiving Veteran Affairs (VA) Educational Benefits as easy as possible. VA services are provided by the CEI Certifying Officials in the Financial Aid Office in the John E. Christofferson Building.
Veterans, a dependent of a veteran, a spouse of a veteran, or a reservist, may be eligible for VA education benefits or tuition assistance. CEI offers assistance in applying for educational benefits. You may follow the steps here or come to our office for help.
How Do I Apply for VA Benefits?
- Complete the Veteran Online Application
Goto "applying for education benefits" at https://www.va.gov/ - Use the GI Bill® Comparison Tool
Learn about education programs, compare benefits by school, and for help choosing the program that best fits your needs. Important: If you are eligible for more than one educational benefit, be sure to understand all the benefits you are eligible for before changing from the Montgomery GI Bill® to the Post 9/11 GI Bill®. You are required to choose which benefit from receiving; that decision is final and cannot be changed. Comparison Chart for Education Benefits - Certificate of Eligibility
Certificate will be mailed to you from the VA; veterans or dependents will submit the Certificate of Eligibility to the VA Certifying Official at CEI.
Information to Gather When Applying for Education Benefits
- Your Social Security Number
- Bank routing and account number for direct deposit purposes
- Education history, degrees, and training dates completed Military history, DD-214 Form(s), or separation papers for entering dates of your military service
- Address of the school or training institution you plan to attend: College of Eastern Idaho, 1600 South 25th East, Idaho Falls, ID 83404
What Items to Submit to the Veteran Certifying Official?
- Copy of DD-214 for Veterans
- Certificate of Eligibility
- Official Joint Service Transcript (Instructions below or contact the Certifying Official)
- Complete the form Veteran Request for Certification:
What is a Joint Service Transcript?
Joint Service Transcripts (JST) are transcripts for those currently enlisted or have been separated from the Navy, Marines, Army, and Coast Guard.
How to Request an Official Joint Service Transcript
- Create or sign in to your Joint Services Transcript portal at https://jst.doded.mil/jst/
- At the top of the Joint Service Transcript Portal landing page, click on the ‘Transcripts’ tab and then click on the ‘Official Transcript Request’ tab
- Search for the institution that you would like to send the transcript
- All transcripts sent to College of Eastern Idaho go to the Admissions Office to be uploaded for review by the Registrar’s Office and Printed for the School Certifying Official’s VA files.Choose your delivery method, either online or via mail delivery. Army and National Guard transcripts can only be delivered online. But all transcripts can be received online from all branches
- Once the institution has been selected, then you have to click ‘yes’ on an Acknowledge Consent Statement. You will receive a confirmation page stating that this request has been completed.
If you cannot find the institution you are looking for currently, then you can email JST Tech/Operations Center: jst@doded.mil.
How to Request Air Force Transcripts
- Transcripts can be ordered in a few different ways from the Community College of the Air Force.
- Transcripts can be order online
- Free written request
- This option can take 10-15 days after the request is received. These requests are processed in the order that they are received.
- Click Here to get the form for the Free Written Request form.
- First Class Mail and Overnight order through Credentials Solutions;
- This is a third-party company; no money should be sent to CCAF, though this option will come with a cost paid directly to the third-party vendor.
- Once Credential Solutions has approved your order, then it is transmitted to CCAF electronically. The staff will then print and mail out your transcripts.
- Requesting Transcripts Online
- This is the most efficient way to get transcripts to the College of Eastern Idaho.
- Click the link “Order from Parchment”
- Electronic transcripts are $3.10; First Class mail is $5.60; and FedEx is $33.10 for delivery/processing.
- These fees are not covered by the Air and Space Force
- Click “Order” at the top of Parchments Website
- Select “My Own Credentials” in the drop-down menu
- Search for the Community College of the Air Force-Registrar’s Division
- From there you will follow the prompts and include the requested information so that Parchment can ensure that they are sending the correct transcripts to CEI.
Contact the Veteran Certifying Official with additional questions regarding your Joint Service Transcripts and Community College of the Air Force transcripts
How to Apply to College of Eastern Idaho
- Apply Online for admission to CEI.
- Submit Official Transcripts From the last high school attended or GED.
All post-secondary education and military if applicable. - Complete All requirements for admission.
Tuition Assistance
Tuition Assistance (TA) is an education benefit that the Department of Defense implements for soldiers on active duty.
All Individuals utilizing Tuition Assistance need to speak with their Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within their Military Service prior to enrolling at CEI.
Eligibility
- Tuition Assistance (TA) is open to officers, warrant officers, and enlisted active-duty service personnel.
- Members of the National Guard and Reserve components may also be eligible for TA based on their service eligibility.
- An enlisted service member must have enough time remaining in service to complete the course for which he or she has applied.
Coverage
The Tuition Assistant Program may fund up to 100% of your college tuition and certain fees with the following limits
- Not to exceed $250.00 per semester credit hour or $166 per quarter credit hour
- Not to exceed $4,500 per fiscal year, October 1st through September 30th
Tuition Assistance Benefits and Restrictions:
- Tuition
- Course-specific fees such as laboratory fee or online course fee
NOTE: All fees must directly relate to the specific course enrollment of the service member. Always consult your education counselor for clarification of what fees, if any, may be covered.
Tuition Assistance will not cover the following expenses:
- Books and course materials
- Flight training fees
- Taking the same course twice
- Continuing education units, or CEUs
Keep in mind that TA will not fund your college courses, and you will have to reimburse any funds already paid, if any of the following situations occur:
- Leaving the service before the course ends
- Quitting the course for reasons other than personal illness, military transfer or mission requirements
- Failing the course
Application Process
Each military branch has its own TA application form and procedures. To find out how to get started, visit your local installation education center, go online to a virtual education center or click on the following links for each service branch.
Prior to your course enrollment, you may be required to develop an education plan or complete TA orientation.
Note: Service members should start their request one (1) to two (2) months prior to entry into their program at CEI. This is to ensure that the service member has enough time to get all their Tuition Assistance in place before for the term they are wanting to attend.
SEAP: GI Bill® Chapter 1606 may not be used in conjunction with federal tuition assistance. There are two kinds of TA: Federal and state. State Tuition Assistance is called State Education Assistance Program (SEAP). Federal TA cannot be used for the same classes as Chapter 1606 is used, but state TA (SEAP) can be used with Chapter 1606 benefits. Contact the School Certifying Official for more information.
Every Semester to Receive Education Benefits, Veterans Must
- Meet with your program Advisor.
- Be accepted into a VA-approved program.
- Register for classes.
- Complete the Veteran Request for Certification form and return it to the VA Certifying Official.
- If a Veteran student drops out or otherwise makes any changes to their class schedule, it is the veteran's responsibility to let the VA Certifying Official. Not doing so could result in a debt against the veteran due to a change in eligibility and rate of pursuit.
- Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30) Veterans must certify enrollment every month, even if only attending a few days of the month. Go to W.A.V.E. (Web Automated Verification of Enrollment). (Montgomery GI Bill®, Chapter 30 veterans only).
- Post-9/11 (Chapter 33), Veterans are required to verify enrollment to Veteran Affairs (VA) monthly. If enrollment has not been verified for two consecutive months, the Veteran’s housing stipend will be held by the VA until the Veteran verifies enrollment with the VA.
Two ways to verify enrollment for Post-9/11 (Chapter 33) students
- Text Message Verification: Students receiving Chapter 33 benefits can “opt-in” to verify their enrollment via text messaging. If a Chapter 33 recipient does not have a mobile number on file with the VA, they can contact the Education Call Center (ECC) at 1.888.442.4551 to ensure that a mobile number is on file with the VA.
- Students with a mobile number already on file with the VA will receive an “opt-in” text message. Once a student has opted-in to verify enrollment via text message, the student needs to reply each month to the text messages from the VA.
- Students can also contact the VA directly to confirm their enrollment.
All military-connected students need to make an appointment and meet with the Veteran Certifying Official at the start of their program to complete initial required paperwork per federal requirements for Principles of Excellence.
Veteran Responsibilities
- Must select a VA-approved program
- Meet with an Advisor to create an Education Path
- Apply for Tuition Funding
- Report any changes in enrollment to the Certifying Official
School Certifying Responsibilities
- Report progress
- Report grades at the end of each term
- Report Graduation
- Report enrollment changes
- Assist the Veteran and Academic Advisor with any questions
Important Information for Class Registration
- Before making changes to your class schedule, speak to the Certifying Official at CEI.
- Dropping or changing classes can affect your benefits and may cause a payback on your benefits due to eligibility and rate of pursuit changes.
- Notify the Certifying Official in the Financial Aid Office of any changes to your schedule or program as soon as possible.
Other Helpful Information
- It is important to note that students receiving VA educational benefits may also be eligible for financial aid and/or scholarships.
- Contact the VA directly for questions concerning your eligibility of benefits at 1.888.442.4551.
- Note: CEI does not participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Veteran Emergency Funding
College of Eastern Idaho has received funding to assist veteran students who demonstrate financial need. This funding is to help assist veterans financially while they are working towards graduation or to assist in completing their current term. To be eligible for this funding, the veteran student must be a current student who is enrolled in at least one credit. The veteran student can either be actively receiving VA benefits or be a veteran who is not receiving VA benefits.
Additional Links
Explore additional links on the College of Eastern Idaho's Veterans Support page, providing valuable resources and services tailored to veterans' unique needs and challenges.
*GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website.
Veteran Certifying Official
Krysta Madrigal
Christofferson Bldg. #3, Room 311D