Benefits and Forms
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Eligibility information about education and training benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/
If you plan to submit an application to receive US Department of Veterans Affairs Chapter 30, 31, 33, 35, 1606, or 1607 benefits the information on this page will help beneficiaries understand the some key requirements and UIC's role as an administrator. Step by step instructions, benefit specific information and our application is accessible from our links below. Additional information about other Veteran and military affiliated scholarship and tuition assistance programs may be accessed by clicking and viewing the drop down menu beneath the Benefits and Forms tab.
Web Enable Approval Management System (WEAMS)
Students must pursue a major or program that is on the VA's Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS) list. Please scroll down to review the GI Bill® to do list link for more information and steps for applying to use benefits at UIC.
Good Academic Standing
Good Academic Standing is required to use benefits. Benefit eligibility is suspended when students are assigned probation or academic notice status for two consecutive semesters of enrollment. Please work with advisors, program coordinators or other college staff to ensure you are aware of requirements to maintain Good Academic Standing in your college or program. Minimum GPA requirements are generally 2.0 for undergrads and 3.0 for graduate/professional students, however they may differ and it is the responsibility of the student to become familiar with major, program and degree requirements to maintain Good Academic Standing.
Application Processing Dates
Enrollment certifications will be processed in the order in which they were received.
• Fall processing begins on or after June 15
• Spring processing begins on or after November 15
• Summer processing begins on or after April 1
The deadline for submitting a completed application for all terms is the Friday before the semester begins to ensure timely payments. Students who choose to delay submission by this deadline run the risk of late payments.
Once processing begins for each term, enrollment certifications should be submitted to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs within 4-6 weeks. Students receive an automated notification from the VA when submissions are made. Please note, this processing time may be delayed due to holiday observations which include New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Christmas Day or the annual University closure for winter break, which occurs between the fall and spring semesters. Please anticipate additional processing time during these periods.
As long as applicants submit all required UIC forms and Veterans Affairs documents, you should be all set. Once submitted/uploaded, if we notice any missing information, forms or documents, we will notify you and push back processing 5 business days. It is important to note that students must use their UIC email account to submit an application and upload forms using the submission links below. Our submission platform is equipped to securely support multiple attachments. Forms are not accepted via email.
Payments
Monthly Stipend/Housing Allowance are distributed in arears by the VA, meaning that the stipend that covers enrollment dates for January will be dispersed in February and so, on. It is important to note that monthly stipend payments will only begin, once an enrollment certification is submitted on the students behalf. If a student has not been enrollment certified, the VA will not distribute funds. Submitting the application and approved advisor verification form when the processing window opens for each semester will help ensure students are certified and paid in a timely manner.
Tuition and Mandatory/Optional Fees
For CH33/Post 911 beneficiaries, mandatory tuition and fees are reported by UIC's School Certifying Official to the VA as part of the Dual Certification requirement in the order in which students were initially certified beginning the Monday after the add/drop deadline for each semester. Please note, campus housing, meal plans, parking and CTA pass are optional fees. Service members are assigned an entitlement rating on the CH33 Certificate of Eligibility for Education and Training Benefits. Students with 100% entitlement will have 100% of mandatory tuition and fees covered. Students who have less then 100% entitlement are responsible for paying the difference out of pocket. Illinois residents who meet ISAC requirements are encouraged to apply for ISAC programs such as the Illinois Veterans Grant or the Illinois National Guard Grant to cover the difference. Select the ISAC Military Scholarship and Waivers link found in the drop down menu under Benefits and forms for more information. ISAC programs are administered by Financial Aid.
For CH31/VRE beneficiaries, VRE counselors indicate what is covered with respect to tuition and fees. Students should verify if any optional fees such as CTA or Parking are specifically notated on the Authorization to use CH31 benefits at UIC. A separate CH31 Authorization for Follett Bookstore is required to cover expenses related to books and supplies.
Residential Status
By law, residential status is granted to CH. 30, 31, 33 and 35 beneficiaries for the purpose of calculating tuition. School Certifying Officials work closely with the Office of the Registrar to update this status on an ongoing basis as part of the enrollment certification process.