Policies and Procedures

Browse these Stanford procedures and policies to navigate your VA education benefits.

Procedures 

Initial Enrollment Certification and Final Certification

The Student Services Center certifies enrollment to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) quarterly, using a two-step certification process. The initial certification is submitted with no tuition/fees listed in order for VA to begin authorizing student payments. When possible, Stanford submits the initial certification prior to the start of the quarter. See the Stanford Academic Calendar for exact dates in each quarter.

After the Final Study List Deadline (FSLD), the Student Services Center confirms student enrollment and completes the certification for tuition and fees. Students are certified based on the quarters requested by the student in the VA Education Benefits Enrollment Application. Should an adjustment need to be made after the final certification is submitted, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the VA Certifying Officer as soon as possible to update their certification request. Students are encouraged to pay their expected portion of the bill using the MHA by the billing deadline each quarter. The remainder of the bill will be addressed once the institution receives payment from the VA.

The SCO team shares projected VA coverage amounts with Financial Aid and individual departments in for internal aid eligibility calculations. These amounts may be adjusted throughout the year in order to keep the projections as accurate as possible. VA makes their payment calculation based on the information provided by Stanford per VA's regulations. Students are responsible for covering any difference between VA coverage and overall university charges. 

Generally, overpayments of VA education benefits are the responsibility of the student. When enrollment changes are submitted, VA will perform an adjustment calculation. If an overpayment for tuition and required fees is created, VA will issue a debt notice to the University to recoup the funding. The student is subsequently responsible for any balance this creates on their account. The student may also be issued a separate VA debt letter to return any MHA/books overpayments. 

If the enrollment change has resulted in underpayment, the VA sends the difference to the student. If you are a Ch. 33 recipient, tuition and fees will be paid directly to the institution in a separate payment.

• Visiting Students - Visiting students must have a letter from their parent school outlining the Stanford courses they will accept as transfer credit upon completion. This letter can be obtained from the parent school SCO. VA will not cover non-transferable courses. Visiting students are not eligible for Yellow Ribbon through Stanford. Visiting students should complete the standard Stanford enrollment request form. 
• Study Abroad - Please contact the SCO at vabenefits@stanford.edu prior to registering for the term you are intending to study abroad to verify if your courses are certifiable. 
• Fellowships/Residency/Internships/Externships - Students completing a practical training component as a graduation requirement may need to provide additional information in the form of a letter from their department. Some departments prefer to use their own draft, but a blank template can be obtained from the SCO by emailing vabenefits@stanford.edu. The letter must be completed by an individual authorized to verify the graduation requirement and training parameters-- generally, a Program Director or Registrar.

Policies 

Charges Billed to VA  

Stanford is able to bill VA for tuition and required fees only. All other charges are the responsibility of the student. Please see the chart below for a non-exhaustive list of charges that can and cannot be billed to VA. 

***Cardinal Care Health Insurance: To waive Cardinal Care due to personal coverage, submit a waiver here. 

Information Sharing with Third Parties

• Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Stanford will not release any part of an educational record to a parent or third-party sponsor without written consent from the student. Parents or third-party sponsors may be designated as an Authorized Payer, which will allow for financial and billing conversations to occur. For more information please review the FERPA for Parents or Third Party Sponsor page. 

Managing Late Fees

• Stanford recognizes that students should not be penalized for the delayed processing of receiving money from the VA while utilizing the education benefit. To ensure students do not receive such penalties, we flag these accounts to prevent late fees from accruing while the university is waiting to post funds from the VA and Yellow Ribbon match, if applicable.
• Students are expected to pay any fees not covered by VA by the university billing due date. Fees generally covered or not covered by VA can be found here. Enrollment privileges for the next quarter will be impacted if the student does not pay the charges they are responsible for.  

Military Leaves of Absence 

• The university is proud to provide accommodations to our active duty students (domestic and international, including National Guard and reservists), in the event that they are temporarily unable to attend class or have to suspend their studies due to service requirements. The policy and information on requesting a military leave of absence can be found here. 

Student Responsibilities

In order to comply with VA regulations, students are responsible for the following:

• Verifying all information related to VA education benefits gained from other sources with the VA Certification Officers to ensure accuracy as it relates to their specific benefits package. All Stanford VA-related communication will come from the VA Certification Officer team.
• Obtaining official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, whether VA benefits were used or not.
• Reporting any changes in enrollment status to the VA Certification Officer at vabenefits@stanford.edu.
• Reporting any changes that are made to a degree plan to the VA Certification Officer at vabenefits@stanford.edu.
• General overpayments of VA benefits are the responsibility of the student, even if the payment was submitted directly to the school on your behalf.
• Confirming with your academic advisor or department that the courses on your study list each quarter meet graduation requirements within your specific degree program. Stanford University is required to certify only those courses that meet minimum graduation requirements. Courses not directly related to a student's degree program or courses beyond those required for a specific degree program are not certified. 
• If concurrently enrolled with another college/university, notify both Stanford and the host institution.
• Undergraduates only: VA regulations require undergraduate students to declare their major by the end of their sophomore year. Stanford cannot certify enrollment to the VA beyond sophomore year unless a major has been declared. Please note that students may change their major at any time by following standard university processes. 

Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 (Section 103)

Stanford University is a participant in the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 signed into law on December 31, 2018, by the President of the United States. This provision was effective August 1, 2019, for any students that are considered " a covered individual" using Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits or any participants in Chapter 31: Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program benefits at a public, private for-profit or not for profit institution regarding unpaid tuition and fees.

The policy states that the university WILL NOT:

1. Assess late penalty fees/charges due to delayed disbursements from the Department of Veterans Affairs under Chapter 31 or Chapter 33.
2. Prevent students from enrolling in classes
3. Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding to cover the applicable tuition and fee expenses.
4. Deny the student access to any school resources to include (access to classes, libraries or other institutional facilities) that are available to other paid students.

The school WILL require that each student provides the following:

1. An official Department of Veterans Affairs "Certificate of Eligibility" or "Statement of Benefits" from the VA website or (eBenefits, VAF 28-1905) on or before the first day of class for the semester
2. Complete a written certification request to be certified for benefits, and
3. Provide additional information required to ensure proper certification of benefits.
4. If there is a difference in the amount of the student's financial obligation to the university and the amount that the student is eligible to receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the student may incur an additional fee or payment may be required to make an additional payment to make up the difference.

With all contingencies met the Department of Veterans Affairs will provide the university with payment either ending on the earlier of the dates following:

• the date in which the payment from the VA is made to the institution
• 90 days after the date that the institution has certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the "Certificate of Eligibility"

What is a "Covered Individual?"

Any individual who is entitled to receive educational assistance under either Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill, or Chapter 31:Veteran Readiness & Employment Program.

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 Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.