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Department of Veterans Affairs educational benefits are welcomed and can be used through Extended University, but the Cal Vet Fee Waiver (CVFW) offered through the state of California Veteran Affairs cannot be used.

For more information about VA benefits and your eligibility, please visit the .

Table of Contents

• Educational Benefits
• MyCAA / Spouse Works Scholarship for Military Spouses
• Military Tuition Assistance
• Ordering Military Transcripts and Military Service Records (DD-214)

CI Benefits Timeline

Late Requests for VA educational benefits: If you are requesting the use of your VA educational benefits after the add/drop period for the semester, you will need to also submit a "Late Submission to Request Certification of VA Educational Benefits", located in the Late Submission Froms for VA Educational Benefits.

Important: In order to use your Department of Veteran Affairs educational benefits through 91³Ô¹Ï's Extended University, you must be in an approved Certificate, Credential, or Degree Program. We cannot approve you for select Certificates and/or Professional Certificate offered through Extended University. Classes taken through Open University are not approved to be used with the VA educational benefits as these are single courses and not part of a declared Certificate, Credential, or Degree Program. Please inquire with the Veteran's Advisor/VA School Certifying Official before enrollment to make sure you can use your VA educational benefits.

• Chapter: 30, 33, 35, 1606, & Fry Scholarship - To ensure timely reporting of your enrollment to the VA, please submit/upload via your myCI portal your Certificate of Eligibility (first page only) and the veteran's DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (all veterans and only dependents using Chapter 35) (DD-214 must show Social Security Number)
  
  • Each semester after you have registered fore classes you will need to request certification of your classes to the VA. To do that, use the steps at the "Request Certification of VA Benefits" button below. (The upload of documents is a one-time submission, they do not need to be uploaded every semester).
  • Once you have self-certified, please email the Veteran's Advisor/VA School Certifying Official
  • New veterans (Army, Coast Guard, Marines, & Navy) to CI's Extended University will need to submit a . U.S. Air Force and Space Force will need to submit a .

Note: In order to receive your full monthly housing allowance or stipend, you need to be taking 12 units or more if you are an undergraduate or 8 units or more if you are a post-graduate. If you are using Chapter 33 or Fry Scholarship, it is imperative that you are in at least one in-person or hybrid class. Extended University offers several only online degrees, therefore, these programs will not allow you to take an in-person class to qualify for your full housing allowance. Refer to our FAQ section for additional answers to your questions.

• Chapter 31, Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) - Your VA VR&E counselor will submit all documents via the Tungsten Portal System.
  • Please contact your counselor to make sure they have submitted a valid Purchase Order (PO) number via the portal system.
  • Each semester after you have registered fore classes you will need to request certification of your classes to the VA. To do that, use the steps at the "Request Certification of VA Benefits" button below. (The upload of documents is a one-time submission, they do not need to be uploaded every semester).
  • Once you have self-certified, please email the Veteran's Advisor/VA School Certifying Official
  • New veterans (Army, Coast Guard, Marines, & Navy) to CI's Extended University will need to submit a . U.S. Air Force and Space Force will need to submit a .

  Note: To maximize your monthly housing allowance if you're approved for Chapter 33, you must enrolled in 12 units or more if you are an undergraduate or 8 units or more if you are a post-graduate. It is also imperative that you are in at least one in-person or hybrid class. If you are in Chapter 31 and receiving the subsistence allowance, you are allowed to take all online classes. Refer to our FAQ section for additional answers to your questions.

• Cal Vet Fee Waiver (CVFW)
  
  • The CVFW cannot be applied/used for any courses or degree programs through CI's Extended University*.
  • This benefit only applies to state-funded programs and covers only tuition, unfortunately programs offered through CI's Extended University are not state-funded, therefore, the State of California will not cover the tuition. 
  • The CVFW can only be used through the regular state-funded Cal State University Channel Islands, which includes Fall, Spring and now Summer school semester.

• Note: All documents uploaded will be reviewed by the Veteran's Advisor/VA School Certifying Official (SCO) before initial certification with the VA can occur. Be sure to check your myCI email for updates or notifications from the SCO.

* Please refer to our FAQ section for further questions you may have. If you have other questions or concerns, feel free to contact the Veteran's Advisor/VA School Certifying Official (SCO). Make sure you let the SCO know that you are an Extended University student and the type of class(es) you plan to take or taking, to make sure you receive the correct information to your questions.

VA School Certifying Official: Robert C. Felix, email: robert.felix@csuci.edu

• Request Certification of VA Benefits

Educational Benefits [top]

Chapter 33: Post-9/11 GI Bill® & Fry Scholarship

If you have at least 90 days of aggregate active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001, and are still on active duty, or if you are an honorably discharged Veteran or were discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days, you may be eligible for this VA-administered program. Purple Heart recipients, regardless of length of service, are qualified for Post-9/11 benefits at the 100% level. Certain members of the Reserves who lost education benefits when REAP was sunset in November 2015, may also be eligible to receive restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. Lastly, if you are a dependent child using benefits transferred by a qualifying Veteran or service member. You may be eligible if one of the above requirements are met.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® also offers some service members the opportunity to transfer their GI Bill® to dependents. Transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill® can occur if the active duty member has completed at least 6 years of service when the request is approved, the military member agree to re-enlist for four more years of service, and the person receiving the benefits is enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).

Chapter 33 benefits expire depending on when you were discharged from active duty.

If your service ended before January 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) benefits will expire 15 years after your last separation date from active service. You must use all of your benefits by that time or you’ll lose whatever’s left.

If your service ended on or after January 1, 2013, your benefits won’t expire thanks to a law called the Forever GI Bill® - Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act. 

Note: CSU Channel Islands submits your enrollment to the VA before the semester starts (without a Tuition & Fee amount) to expedite books and supplies stipends and monthly housing allowance benefits (if you are eligible). An accurate Tuition & Fee amount will be sent to the VA after the add/drop deadline, around the 4^th week of the semester.

Fry Scholarship

If you’re the child or surviving spouse of a Veteran or service member who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability on or after September 11, 2001, you may be eligible for the Fry Scholarship. The educational benefits are the same as Chapter 33/Post-9/11 GI Bill®

Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill®

The Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty (MGIB-AD) is a program for individuals who served at least 2 years  on active duty and who paid into an education fund for one year. This benefit started in July 1, 1985, replacing the original GI Bill®. They receive 36 months of full-time benefits. This benefit will slowly be phased out as Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 and the Forever GI Bill®) has now replaced it.

Chapter 1606: Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve

The MGIB-SR program provides 36 months of educational and training benefits to eligible members of the Selected Reserve, including the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. Eligibility for this program is determined by the Selected Reserve components and VA makes the payments.

You may be eligible for education benefits under this program if you meet one of these requirements. You have a 6-year service obligation (you agreed to serve 6 years) in the Selected Reserve, or you’re an officer in the Selected Reserve and you agreed to serve 6 years in addition to your initial service obligation. This benefit can only be used while still in the Reserves, therefore, once you leave the Reserves, your benefit expires.

Chapter 35: Dependents' Educational Assistance

offers education benefits to eligible dependents of Veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition, a Veteran or service member who died, is captured or missing while on active duty or as a result of a service-connected disability.

Dependents have a VA file number that is related to the parent or spouse under whom they are eligible. This file number will be on Certificate of Eligibility (COE) mailed to the student from the Veterans Administration. Students utilizing Ch. 35 should give the VA file number to the VA Certifying Official by uploading the COE and the veteran's DD-214  via the student's myCI portal.

Chapter 31: Veteran Readiness and Employment

Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) formerly known as Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment is for service-connected disabled veterans (of at least 10% VA rating) who have limits to work or their disability prevents them from working. This benefit helps explore employment options and more importantly address veteran's education and training needs. In rare cases, family members may also qualify for certain benefits.  For more information and to see if you qualify, visit .

MyCAA / Spouse Works Scholarship for Military Spouses [top]

CSU Channel Islands, Extended University is proud to announce approval for the acceptance of MyCAA / Spouse Works Scholarship for Military Spouses. 

The Spouse Works Scholarship, formerly known as MyCAA (My Career Advancement Account) is a War Department scholarship program that provides up to $4,000  in tuition assistance to eligible military spouses. The scholarship is similar to Military Tuition Assistance but is designed specifically to support spouses of active-duty service members, including eligible National Guard and reserve families.

Eligible spouses may receive up to $2,000 per fiscal year, with funding available for approved education and training that leads to portable career opportunities in high-demand fields such as information technology, healthcare, education, and other career-focused programs. MyCAA may be used for tuition and approved for testing fees, including national tests for course credit, but does not cover books, supplies, transportation, or courses that have already started. Scholarship funding must be used within three years from the start date of the first course. 

This program may be especially helpful for eligible active-duty spouses interested in CSU Channel Islands online programs through Extended University. 

Eligible spouses can create an account and apply through the . Spouses may also access to help explore career options, review education and training plans, and identify programs that support mobile military families. 

MyCAA / Spouse Works Scholarships is offered through the Department of War and not through CSU Channel Islands. 

Military Tuition Assistance [top]

Military Tuition Assistance (MTA) is a benefit paid to eligible active-duty and reserve service members. This benefit may pay up to 100% of the tuition expenses of its members. Each service has its own criteria for eligibility, obligated service, application processes, and restrictions. This money is usually paid directly to the college/university by the individual service branches. For additional information, contact your Base counselor/Educational Services Officer and/or follow the links below for your particular service/component.

Note: You will be responsible for the campus based fees. Please also note, depending on your branch of service, they may cover all tuition or a portion of the amount depending on how many units you are taking.

Prospective students should receive approval months before enrollment or when the semester begins from their Educational Services Officer (ESO), military counselor, or other base education personnel. For additional information, contact your ESO, military counselor, or base education personnel and follow the links below for additional information or your particular service/component.

Once you have been approved for tuition assistance from your particular branch of service and have submitted the required request online via your military branches online TA portal, please then contact CI's Veteran's Advisor/VA School Certifying Official, Robert C. Felix.

Additionally, active duty members may elect to use in addition to their service-provided TA to cover high-cost courses.

Questions regarding how approved MTA is handled at CSU Channel Islands, can be directed to the Veteran’s Advisor/VA School Certifying Official, Robert C. Felix

Ordering Military Transcripts and Military Service Records (DD-214)[top]

(Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy)

(U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force)

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government website at .