Frequently Asked Questions

For more information on Education and Training, please visit www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/. There you will find information on choosing a school, processing times and other available benefits.

Cuyamaca College processes the following programs for education benefits. Click the link that applies to your program to find out more. 

Post 9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 33

Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty, Chapter 30

Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP)

Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA), Chapter 35

Veterans Readiness and Employment (VRandE), Chapter 31

Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)

Remedial and deficiency courses offered as independent study (online) cannot be approved and cannot be certified to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Remedial and deficiency courses are designed to correct deficiencies in basic mathematics, English, and reading at the elementary or secondary level. These courses can be certified, but only it has been established through assessment AND are taking the course residentially (on campus).

Advance payment is only available to Chapter 30, 32, and 1606.  Students who have been out of school for over 30 days and new students must request to receive Advanced Payment at least 30 days before the semester begins. Check with Debbie Ayers  for requirements, and dates in which to apply for Advance Pay.

Advance payment is Not available under Chapter 33 (Post 9/11) and Chapter 1607.

While receiving VA Educational benefits, students may be concurrently enrolled at another college or university. Veteran students must request a Parent School Letter from Debbie Ayers. This letter states that the courses taken at the Supplemental School will be credited toward the current major at Cuyamaca College. Veteran students are responsible for informing the Supplemental School's Veterans' Office where their Parent School is located. The Supplemental School will complete the certification for the benefits form (VA form 22-1999). 

Veteran students who receive benefits under Chapter 30, 33, 34 and 1606, must verify their enrollment each month. These students will receive an award letter from the VA Regional Processing Center in Muskogee, OK. Once this is received, the student can self certify. To insure prompt payment of benefits please self certify every month. The earliest this can be done is the last day of the month. Monthly verification ( self certification ) can be done via one of the following two ways:

Telephone - Using Interactive Voice Response (IV)
1-877-823-2378

Internet - WAVE (Web Automated Verification of Enrollment).
https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave/

Failure to self-certify will cause your benefits to stop. You must do this every month or you will not get paid!

Federal holidays may delay receipt of the Student Verification of Enrollment and/or your check.

Direct deposit of VA educational benefits payment is available for all VA educational  recipients. This program speeds up education and work study payments. It also decreases chance of missing, lost, or stolen checks.

The VA will require students to provide their VA file number, bank routing number, and checking/savings account number.

Tutorial assistance helps the student pay for necessary tutoring and is a supplement to the student's regular education benefit.

Tutorial Assistance may be paid to students under Chapters 30, 33, 35 and 1606. Tutorial assistance is not authorized for Chapter 1607. 

If eligible for tutoring benefits under a GI Bill®. The monthly rate may not exceed the cost of tutoring or $100. The maximum amount payable is $1200 per student per benefit program. For additional information go to: https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/tutorial_assistance.asp

Rates depend upon amount contributed and/or length of time in service (Number of months of contribution), as well as enrollment status. Inquire at the Admissions and Records Office for current pay rates for each particular GI Bill.

Undergraduate Enrollment Status by Number of Credits