Enrollment Certification Process

Certification

Certification is the process in which our office electronically submits your enrollment to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for processing and payment of your education benefits. Enrollment is reported to the VA (certified) by our office based on eligible courses you are scheduled for. We will do this for every semester that you are enrolled and have submitted paperwork. It is your responsibility to confirm your continued enrollment with the VA at the end of each month. Failure to do so may result in a delay in monthly payments.

Required Forms

Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

  • If you are a new student at Southeastern Louisiana University, you should first determine your eligibility for benefits. Come in to our office, call us, or email our Director to determine your eligibility. To learn more about which benefits are available and the eligibility criteria, please visit our benefits webpage. 
  • Once eligibility is determined and you know which benefit to apply for, create an account on the VA Website and submit your application for benefits. If you are a dependent, you must have the SSN of the service member whose service you are claiming benefits from.
    • If you are a spouse or dependent applying for the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, the service member must first transfer their benefits to you via MilConnect. This transfer must be done while the service member is still actively serving in the military. 
  • The VA Regional Office in Muskogee, OK will process your application and then notify you via postal mail. We will need a copy of the letter the VA sends you. This letter is called a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). Please allow at least 30 days for the VA to process your application and put the letter in the mail. Please contact the GI Bill® Hotline at 1-888-442-4551 for questions regarding your application status. 

Enrollment Certification Request

The Enrollment Certification Request Form must be submitted each semester you are enrolled and using benefits. Renewal is not automatic. These need to be submitted prior to the start of the semester so that we have plenty of time to process your paperwork, check that your classes are on your degree plan, and submit your hours in the VA system. The VA will notify you via email when our office submits your enrollment certification. 

 

Keep in Mind

Full-Time Status

  • During a regular semester, an undergraduate student enrolled in at least twelve (12) semester hours is considered full-time. During a summer session, a student enrolled in six (6) or more hours is considered full-time. Exceptions to this policy are the following: (1) student teaching, when this is the only course needed and when the course carries less than twelve hours credit; (2) a student enrolled in an internship course.
  • For all graduate students, full-time status is defined as enrollment in at least nine (9) hours of course work or the equivalent during the fall and spring semesters, and at least six (6) hours during the Summer term.

The VA will not pay for the following:

  • Audited Courses: Courses that are attended but not taken for a grade
  • Repeated Courses: Courses that are retaken by the student, but are not required to be retaken for his/her degree program
  • Non-Major Courses: Courses that are not required in your major

The VA has a few exceptions that include:

  • Courses that are required by the student’s department to be repeated for a minimum grade. (Ex. The student is required to make a minimum grade of “C” but earned a grade of “D” or below).
  • Additional courses may be taken to ensure the full-time status of a graduating student in the final semester before graduation only. This does not apply to those receiving Chapter 31 (VR&E) benefits.

You should request to have your enrollment certified for the upcoming semester once you have registered for those classes.