FAQs and Forms
Forms
- Military Benefits Authorization Form
- VA Student Worker Application Form
- Veteran’s Lounge Key Fob Agreement
Questions?
How do I get my benefits started at Charleston Southern University?
Indicate on your CSU application that you have a military connection and select the benefit you intend to use. An online authorization form is required before schedules can be certified with the VA, you can access the form here. You are also welcome to make a Phone, In-Person, or Online appointment here. You can contact Military Services at 843-863-7050 or Military@csuniv.edu.
How do I apply for education benefits?
Apply for education benefits here.
What should I expect after applying?
Once you submit your application electronically, there will be a confirmation page informing you that it will take the VA approximately 30 days to make a determination. Once a determination has been made, the VA will notify the applicant by sending a letter in the mail. This letter is called a Certificate of Eligibility (COE).
Will the VA notify the school that I am using benefits?
It will be the student’s responsibility to notify the school of their intention to use benefits. The COE will state that it is your responsibility to notify the school of your choice about intended benefit use.
VA Educational Benefits
Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty:
Chapter 30 MGIB can help you pay for your education if you’ve served at least 2 years on active duty. Learn more about this benefit here.
Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR):
Chapter 1606 MGIB-SR can help you pay for education depending on your service time and obligation. Learn more about this benefit here.
Chapter 31 VR&E:
You may be eligible for Chapter 31 VR&E (Veteran Readiness and Employment, formerly Vocation Rehabilitation and Employment) if you have a service-related disability rating. It takes an average of 3 months to establish this benefit. Learn more here.
Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill®:
This benefit provides tuition, most fees, and a monthly stipend. There are various factors that determine level of eligibility. Click here for the most current information and additional eligibility details.
Chapter 35 Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA):
Chapter 35 DEA is for children and spouses of a Service Member who has died, captured, missing, or permanently and totally disabled due to service-connected disability. Tuition is not waived at CSU, however, students receive a monthly stipend. Learn more here.
Am I eligible for Direct Deposit?
For information on utilizing direct deposit with your VA education benefits, click here.
How can I get questions answered by the VA directly?
Head to ask.va.gov or call (888)442-1551.
How can I find out how much money I will receive by using my VA Educational Benefits?
Visit the VA GI Bill Rates page here.
My mom or dad was in the military, am I eligible for VA Educational Benefits?
Dependents of Veterans and Service Members may be eligible for the Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® or the Chapter 35 Dependents Educational Assistance. Learn more at these two resources:
What will I have to do once I take my COE to Military Services?
There will be a Military Benefits Authorization Form that will need to be completed and returned in order for Military Services to report your enrollment.
How often will I have to submit the Military Benefits Authorization Form?
An authorization from the student is required for each semester they wish to use their benefits. Multiple semesters can be selected on the form, or a form can be submitted each semester. It is the student’s responsibility to report any changes to Military@csuniv.edu once the form has been submitted.
Access the form here.
How does the VA pay and what am I responsible for?
-
- For Post 9/11 (CH 33):
- The VA pays the school directly for tuition and course fees. Please keep in mind all other expenses charged by Charleston Southern University are the responsibility of the student. This could include:
- Housing
- Meal Plans
- Parking Pass
- The VA pays the school directly for tuition and course fees. Please keep in mind all other expenses charged by Charleston Southern University are the responsibility of the student. This could include:
- For Dependents’ Education Assistance (DEA-CH35):
- The VA only pays a monthly housing allowance directly to the student. Please keep in mind all other expenses charged by Charleston Southern University are the responsibility of the student. This could include:
- Tuition & course fees
- Housing
- Meal Plans
- Parking Pass
- The VA only pays a monthly housing allowance directly to the student. Please keep in mind all other expenses charged by Charleston Southern University are the responsibility of the student. This could include:
- For Montgomery G.I. Bill®-Active Duty (CH30) or Selected Reserves (CH1606):
- The VA only pays a monthly housing allowance directly to the student. Please keep in mind all other expenses charged by Charleston Southern University are the responsibility of the student.
- For Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E-CH 31):
- VR&E pays very similar to Post 9/11; however, eligible veterans must complete the process through their Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC).
- They should contact that office first at: 803-719-2950.
- Once approved, the VRC will send documents to Military Services, notifying the approval. Charleston Southern will invoice VR&E for tuition and fees.
- Students are responsible for submitting bookstore receipts for reimbursement to Military@csuniv.edu. An email receipt from the bookstore can be forwarded to the military email with a message acknowledging the supplies have been received, or you can email a picture of the signed receipt to the military email.
- For Post 9/11 (CH 33):
For all applicable chapters, monthly stipends will be paid in arrears and payments are prorated according to the amount of school days in the month. To find MHA rates, click here and type in ‘Charleston Southern University’.
What is the process for reporting enrollment to the VA Education Office?
- Once Military Services receives your benefits authorization form, provided that your schedule is finalized, your hours will be reported to the VA.
- For Post 9/ll students, hours will be reported first. Then after the last add/drop date, tuition and fees will be reported. The 2-step process lessens the chance of student debt if changes are made to their schedule during that time.
- For VR&E, once the hours are reported, the VRC will receive an invoice from the school on your behalf. That invoice will be paid once hours and program of study has been verified by VRC.
- For all other chapters, once your schedule is finalized, your hours will be reported to the VA Education Office. Any changes to your schedule that change your enrollment to or from full-time status will be reported.
What do I do if I drop a class or withdraw from the term or semester?
Dropped courses or withdrawals need to be reported to Military Services immediately, as this could result in a debt or overpayment.
Do students have to verify attendance each month?
Students using Post 9/11 GI Bill or Montgomery GI Bill benefits will need to verify their enrollment each month. There are a few ways this can be done on the VA website.
How do I find out how many months of entitlement (benefits) I have left?
Students can call the VA Education Office at (888)442-4551 to speak with a representative that will be able to answer that question for you.
Service members using Post 9/11 can log into their va.gov accounts to see how much entitlement they have remaining.
What happens to my benefits if I fail a class (using Post 9/11 or CH 35)?
The VA pays for failed classes, but not dropped classes nor classes with failure due to absence. They will also pay for a class to be retaken if it was failed previously. They will not pay for a class to be retaken if it was not failed. For more information, click here.
If I’m a 100% permanently and totally disabled veteran, does my child get free tuition at Charleston Southern University?
While students who qualify for Chapter 35 may be eligible for free tuition at public universities and technical colleges in the state of South Carolina, because we are a private school, students using Chapter 35 at CSU are not eligible for tuition waiver.