Certifying eligibility for VA Education Benefits can take from 30 to 90 days and requires action from Wake Tech, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and, most importantly, the student.

Student actions

The following actions must be completed before VA Education Benefits can be certified:

• Apply for admission to Wake Tech and complete all requirements, including providing official high school, high school equivalency and previous college transcripts.
• Apply for GI Bill® Education Benefits.
• Provide a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility to Wake Tech's school certifying official.
• Provide your DD214 (for discharged personnel) or Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE, for members of reserve forces) form to the school certifying official.
• Complete Wake Tech's Veteran Student Information and Responsibility Form (Form 418) and the VA Education Benefits request (Form 816) and submit them to the school certifying official.
• If requesting Advanced Payment, discuss it with the school certifying official and complete the Advanced Payment Request form.
• Register for classes and notify the school certifying official when your schedule is final. Any changes to the schedule, such as adding, dropping or withdrawing from a course, must be reported to the certifying official.
• Verify your enrollment at the end of every month, if required to do so by the VA. Failure to do so will delay benefit payments.

In addition to reporting any schedule changes, a student also must report any change in status to the Wake Tech Military & Veterans Services office, such as switching majors or programs of study and leaving or returning to school. Changes in enrollment or status that are not reported can result in overpayment, a lapse in payment or a reduction in benefits. Veterans should consider discussing potential enrollment changes with their academic advisor and the school certifying official.

Wake Tech actions

• Certify the classes that are required for a student's degree program.
• Take any necessary actions in response to changes to a student's schedule.
• Provide assistance as needed and answer questions about VA Education Benefits.

VA actions

• Determine a student's eligibility
• Process benefits claims in a timely manner
• The VA will not pay benefits in the following instances:
  • Courses that a student previously passed with a grade of "D" or better, unless the course description states otherwise
  • Courses taken outside of a student's program of study
  • Courses for which transfer credit has been granted or that have been passed through a proficiency exam
  • Remedial or support courses taken online

Advanced Payment requests

Advanced Payment requests are traditionally due approximately six weeks before the start of each semester. Wake Tech has no way of knowing whether the VA will grant individual requests.

If the VA does grant an Advanced Payment request:

• The VA will send Wake Tech a check in the student's name.
• Wake Tech will call the student at his or her phone number of record.
• Once notified, the student must go to Southern Wake Campus, Building L, Suite143 to pick up the check. Identification is required to sign for the check.
• Upon receipt of the check, tuition and fees should be paid to Wake Tech within 48-hours.

Students are responsible for paying tuition and fees by the due date they are given at the time they register for classes each semester.

Advanced Payment checks not claimed by the last day to add classes in each semester will be returned to the VA.