Students

New students

First-time student's guide to GI Bill® and VA education benefits

You must request the usage of your benefits every semester and be admitted to a degree program at UAF.

To begin your benefits, you must first complete the application for the VA educational benefit you are requesting. This application can take 30-90 days for the VA to process. If you are an active service member interested in transferring benefits to a dependent, please go to milConnect and choose “Transfer my education benefits.”

Submit all previous academic transcripts to the Office of Admissions. If you are former military, you must apply your Military Transfer Credit to your degree program.
Your UA username and password will be your key to access many of the services available to UAF students and UAOnline — your student portal for registration, financial aid, housing and more. If you need assistance logging in, follow the instructions for claiming or resetting your information. For more assistance, contact the OIT Support Center at 800-478-8226, 907-450-8300 or helpdesk@alaska.edu.

Only the classes that are required for your degree program can be certified for VA benefits. You should work with an academic advisor and refer to Degree Works to confirm that classes are required for your program.

Useful links:

  • Course Schedule
  • Course Catalog
    * Register for classes as early as possible. If you are using VA education benefits, you are able to register before other students to ensure there is time to process your benefits.

The Department of Military and Veteran Services (DMVS) will need a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or a Statement of Benefits from the VA eBenefits website no later than your first day of class to guarantee certification by the add/drop date.

Submit a DD214 or show your military ID to Admissions when you submit your Application for Resident Tuition Assessment in order to ensure you receive in-state tuition as a military/veteran student.

Complete the Certification Request Form (CRF) (Docusign version or PDF version) and return it to the DMVS. The School Certifying Official processes requests within 7-10 business days after they are turned into the DMVS, in the order they were received. The CRF can be turned in as soon as you register for classes but must be turned in by the first day of class to guarantee processing by the add/drop date. The DMVS will send an email to your alaska.edu email if a class cannot be certified for any reason. The VA will send you a confirmation email when they receive our certification.

 As long as we have a Certificate  of Eligibility or a Statement of Benefits on file, you will receive a deferred payment until the VA pays. However, you must submit your Certification Request Form in order to receive the deferment until the VA pays and all of your classes must be eligible for certification . If you are a chapter 30, 35 and 1606 student, you are responsible for ensuring your bill is paid or arrangements are made with the business office by normal fee-payment deadlines.

This form needs to be turned in each semester to let the university know you plan to use your VA educational benefits for the upcoming semester. 

If you add or drop a class, fill out a Certification Adjustment Form (CAF) (Docusign version or PDF version) so the DMVS can adjust your certification before overpayments or debts occur. This includes adding classes, dropping classes, swapping classes, wait-listed classes and total withdraws. Changing from an eligible class to an ineligible class could result in an overpayment, and you will be responsible for any ineligible classes. You will receive a confirmation email from the VA when this adjustment is submitted by UAF. Requests are processed within 7-10 business days.

The VA must be informed when any funds arrive to pay all or a portion of your tuition and fees. This may include tuition waivers from departments, the Army, Air Guard, MyCAA, or another source that offers assistance for your TUITION and/or FEES. Please understand that the Post 9/11 Bill is the LAST payer, and failing to notify the School Certifying Official in advance may create an overpayment.
Maximize all sources of funding by completing a FAFSA application and UAF Scholarship application. Don't forget to check out the scholarships you might be eligible for on our Military and Veteran Services scholarship page as well.
The VA does not pay for on campus housing. You are responsible to pay for any meal or housing plans on the standard residence life timeline.
Your UAF email address will be used for all business with UAF, Confirmation of certifications, issues with class certifications, newsletters and other important, time sensitive information will be sent to your email address only.

Connect to us on Facebook or Veteran Services on Blackboard. Come visit us any time! The DMVS is located in 104 Eielson building on the UAF Fairbanks campus. You can reach us over the phone at 907-474-7400 or email uaf-veterans@alaska.edu.

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 https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.