VA Benefits

To determine which VA educational benefit is best for you and to discuss your eligibility, veterans and active-duty military members should contact the GI Bill hotline at 1-888-GIBILL1 (1-888-442-4551) or visit the Department of Veteran Affairs website.

Students must complete the 22-1990 form (application for VA educational benefits) or the 22-1995 form (request for change of program or place of training for VA educational benefits) through VA listing Northwestern University as their place of study.

Once a student has submitted the appropriate application through VA and has received his/her certificate of eligibility (COE), he/she should submit a copy of the COE to the program Registrar and their financial aid office so his/her enrollment may be verified with VA.

Students are responsible for completing any necessary steps as directed by VA to ensure that Northwestern receives the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill tuition payment and the VA's portion of the Yellow Ribbon payment. Please refer to the Certificate of Eligibility or call 1-888-GIBILL1 (442-4551) to verify that you have completed all necessary steps with the VA.

In accordance with the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 - Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), Northwestern employs the following provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill (Ch. 33) or Veteran Readiness and Employment Program (VR&E) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA.

The University will not:

• Prevent the student's enrollment due to a pending VA payment;
• Assess a late penalty fee to the student due to a pending VA payment;
• Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding in place of the VA payment;
• Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

• Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
• Provide a written request to be certified;
• Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies

Once certification has been submitted to the VA by Northwestern's certifying official, payment will be issued after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs processes the student's enrollment certification. Processing times will vary. For information on when payments will be issued, Veterans must contact the GI Bill hotline at 888-GIBILL1 (1-888-442-4551).

Living expense stipends will be issued directly to the Veteran by the VA on a monthly basis. Living stipends are not available for students on active duty or students who are enrolled less than half-time.

Book and supply stipends will be issued directly to the student by the VA each academic term (semester, trimester, quarter, etc.).

Tuition and fees payments will be issued directly to Northwestern by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and will be credited to the student account. The amount of tuition and fees that will be paid is determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and may not cover the full cost of tuition and fees.

Northwestern will place an "anticipated credit" on your student account for the portion of the tuition and fees benefit that is expected from the VA until tuition and fee payments are received. This means that students will not be required to front the money expected from the VA and will not be issued late fees on their student account for the amount expected by VA.

Yellow Ribbon Tuition and Fees Payments

• Yellow Ribbon payments from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (if the student is eligible) will be issued directly to Northwestern through the student account.
• The Yellow Ribbon match provided by Northwestern (if the student is eligible) will be credited to the student account at the same time the VA Yellow Ribbon payment is credited.

What is an anticipated credit?

The anticipated credit is an estimate of what the VA will send toward a student's tuition and fees based on the Certificate of Eligibility and enrollment for the academic term. If the actual payment received by VA is less than what was estimated for the anticipated credit, the student will be responsible for paying the difference out of pocket or through pursuing other financing options.

• Federal Direct (Stafford) Loan
• Federal Graduate PLUS Loan
• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal SMART Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

VA benefits will not reduce a student's eligibility for federal aid though it is recommended that Veterans take into account the amount of funding they receive from the VA when accepting or declining their federal loan assistance. Veterans may contact an advisor in the Office of Financial Aid if they need assistance in determining the amount of loan funding they should accept or decline.

Non-federal assistance may or may not impact VA benefits. Please be sure to reach out to the appropriate financial aid contact to determine the impact of any other tuition benefit, outside scholarship or state grant you may be receiving.

Yellow Ribbon recipients will first have their maximum Post-9/11 benefits processed with the VA. The remaining amount, up to the cost of tuition and mandatory fees (ASG, Health fee, Student Health Plan, Student Athletic Event Fee), will be covered by the Yellow Ribbon program, which is split evenly between Northwestern University and the Veterans Administration.

To qualify for Yellow Ribbon Program benefits from the University (and the VA match) you must meet the following criteria:

• Students admitted to an Evanston undergraduate program. 
• Students who have been admitted will have to confirm their intent to enroll by submitting their tuition deposit.
• Students must submit their Certificate of Eligibility from the Department of Veteran Affairs to the Northwestern University Registrar's Office as well as a copy to their school's Financial Aid Office stating that they are 100% eligible for Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.

Students receiving these VA benefits may also apply for the Federal Student Aid programs by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Students who are eligible for these benefits are not required to use them for their undergraduate education. However, students who are using these benefits and also apply for need-based institutional assistance will have this benefit counted as a resource in meeting their educational expenses.

The chart below outlines the University's Yellow Ribbon Participation. Please contact your financial aid representative if you have any questions.

Please note that the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) makes the final determination of eligibility.

After we have received documentation of your VA Benefits, we will work with the University's certifying official to process your benefits through the VA.

Whether you are a prospective student or are currently enrolled, you will likely have questions about eligibility, University policies, and/or processing. The following administrators can be contacted to help assist you in determining eligibility and answering your questions.

Veterans or dependents using the Post 9-11 GI Bill® who do not see a payment by VA or an anticipated VA credit on their student account during a period of enrollment should notify the appropriate financial aid representative.

Your certifying official will submit your enrollment information and request for payment to the VA. Students who have any VA benefit other than Post-9/11® should directly contact their certifying official with questions.