Veterans' and Military Students' Frequently Asked Questions

You MUST contact the VA Coordinator if you:

• Are a returning Montgomery College student
• Change your major
• Add or DROP a course
• Change your address

Contacting the VA Coordinator for these reasons is vital to avoid interruption of your benefits. Failure to contact the VA Coordinator may result in significant payment complication. See contact information. 

YES! If you are a returning student, you must submit a Certification Request for VA Benefits (PDF, )  to the College EVERY SEMESTER you plan to enroll at Montgomery College. This form must be submitted before the payment deadlines to ensure your classes are not dropped.

Submit the form via email to va@montgomerycollege.edu, fax to 240-567-5037, or in-person drop off at any VA Coordinator office. 

Any changes in your enrollment must be immediately reported to a VA Coordinator to avoid payment problems.

It will take the Department of Veterans Affairs AT LEAST EIGHT WEEKS to process your application. The process may take longer during peak registration.  

Remember that the Post-9/11 GI Bill housing and books and supplies stipends are paid 'in arrears.' This means that your housing stipend for January won't be received until February. Also, if you are starting school for the first time, your first payment may not be for a full month of housing because the VA pays from the actual day you start school. So, if you start January 8th, your February payment will be for 23 days you attended in January.

The VA Coordinator at Montgomery College strongly encourages you to apply for your benefits at least two months prior to the beginning of a semester . This will ensure that  you are properly enrolled and that your benefits are processed on a timely manner. However, there is no official deadline to apply for VA Benefits.

Enrolled students who must withdraw because of being called to active military duty or being transferred because of related troop movements are provided a 100% refund of tuition and fees. See Involuntary Withdrawal for more information. 

Only those courses in which you received a grade "F" may be repeated and paid for by the Veterans Administration. Any course in which you received a grade of "D" or better WILL NOT be paid for again, since the VA views this as a passing grade.

The VA pays for courses that apply to your major only. 

The following types of courses are not eligible for VA Benefits:

• Physical Education Courses & HE 100 (unless they are degree requirements). The VA will not pay for PE and HE 100 because you will receive transfer credit for those courses from your DD-214 or DD-295. Note: Dependents DO NOT have PE or HE course restrictions.
• Audit & Independent Study Courses: The VA will not pay for courses pursued on an audit or independent study basis.
• Courses that do not meet the requirements for your degree.

 You may be considered an "Undeclared Major" student for the first TWO semesters at MC. After your first two semesters, students must be enrolled in a degree or certificate program to be eligible for benefits. You may only pursue the required classes for your particular degree or certificate as outlined in the College Catalog.

If you previously attended college, submit official copies of all previous college transcripts to the Office of Records and Registration on the campus you plan to attend. Unofficial transcripts and transcripts that are not in the sealed, original envelope will not be accepted.

Mail your transcripts to the Transcript Evaluator in Germantown, Rockville, or Takoma Park/Silver Spring. 

It is your responsibility to ensure that all transcripts are received and evaluated; you will receive a copy of your evaluation in the mail. It is also your responsibility to ensure that prior training is not repeated. When in doubt, do not pursue the course until an evaluation has been completed. You will be certified for one semester only in a "pending" status; future certification will not be done until an evaluation has been completed.

If you are currently a student at another college or university, you do not need to apply for VA Benefits again. Please refer to the Steps to Process VA Education Benefits for Visiting/Guest Students.