New Students

Your first step is to complete the admissions process. Before you begin that process, discuss your options with your Educational Services Officer or counselor within your branch of service before enrolling at Ole Miss. Next, you need to determine whether to apply as a freshman or transfer student.

When applying for admission to the university, the two options available to most incoming student veterans are traditional Freshman admissions and Transfer admissions. To see which category best describes your situation, please see the information below.

Freshman: Students who are high school graduates and have not enrolled in any college or online institution since high school. If you graduated high school, enlisted in the military and have not enrolled in a college, university, or online institution to complete courses, you are considered a Freshman.

• Freshman Guide to Admissions
• Transfer Student Guide to Admissions

If you have questions about your status please check the Office of Admissions website or call 662-915-7226.

Orientation and Registration

After you have been admitted to Ole Miss, attend one of the Office of Admission and Enrollment Orientation Sessions available at the beginning of each semester. Like “Reception” or “Welcome Aboard Briefs,” these sessions provide “how to” information on registering for classes, taking placement tests, obtaining a student ID and setting up your email account. You will also be able to meet with an academic adviser and other representatives from your college/school and learn about the resources and activities available to you on campus.

If you have been admitted as a veteran, you’ll need to provide a scanned copy of your DD214 to Veteran and Military Services to certify your status as a veteran. You can email the DD214 to veterans@olemiss.edu, but you must do this prior to attending Orientation. This gets you access to the Veterans Resource Center, as well as early registration to classes.

For more information and to register for one of the various orientation sessions, please visit the Orientation Programs website.

Certificate of Eligibility

Eligible veterans and service members on active duty or in the reserves who have never received VA education benefits must complete a  VA form 22-1990, Application for VA Education Benefits, and be prepared to provide a copy of his or her DD214/Member 4 or Notice of Basic Eligibility form and other required documents. This can be completed at va.gov/education/eligibility.

Transfer students who have received VA education benefits at other institutions must complete a VA form 22-1995, Request For Change of Program or Place of Training, and be prepared to provide other required documents. This can be completed at va.gov/education/eligibility.

Eligible dependents using the Post 9/11 transfer of entitlement, who have never received VA education benefits, must complete a VA form 22-1990e, Application for VA Education Benefits, and be prepared to provide other required documents. This can be completed at va.gov/education/eligibility.

Eligible dependents using the Survivor and Dependent Assistance program , who have never received VA education benefits,  must complete a  VA form 22-5490, Application for Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance, and be prepared to provide other required documents. This can be completed at va.gov/education/eligibility/.

Dependent transfer students who have received VA education benefits at other institutions must complete a VA form 22-5495, Request for Change of Program or Place of Training Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance, and be prepared to provide other required documents. This can be completed at va.gov/education/eligibility.

Certification of enrollment hours will be submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs two to three weeks prior to the start of class for all chapters. Generally, it takes the VA two to four weeks to process that certification.

For chapters 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill students, eligible in-state tuition and mandatory in-state fee are reported after the 10th class day to the VA.  Normally those funds are sent to the school two to four weeks after receipt of the certification with the reportable tuition and fees amount. The reason tuition is reported after the tenth class day is to ensure a student’s schedule is solidified before requesting tuition and fees be paid. If a student adds or drops a class during the add/drop period and tuition has already been paid, students would be required to pay back the VA for courses dropped that had already been paid. To ensure families are not inhibited with reimbursing the VA for classes that were already paid and then dropped, VMS waits until after the add/drop period to ensure a debt is not incurred.

If you are experiencing difficulties or need help with the certification process, please contact Veteran and Military Services at 662-915-2854.

VA Benefit Certification

After meeting with an academic adviser and registering for classes in a degree-seeking program, it’s time to get certified for your Department of Veterans Affairs educational benefits. Please visit our Required Documents page for a list of all documents required for your certification.

Chapters of VA Education Benefits

Federal Benefits

The following are thumbnail descriptions of the various programs. Detailed descriptions of programs and eligibility requirements are available at the GI Bill website.

Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (Chapter 30)

This program, commonly known as Chapter 30, provides up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible active duty service members or veterans. MGIB-AD eligibility requirements include at least two years of continuous active duty service. If you are on active duty, consult with your base Education Services Officer (ESO) before submitting an application for VA benefits. The ESO will discuss the various educational assistance opportunities available. Federal law prohibits concurrent payment of tuition assistance by the military service and VA educational assistance for pursuit of the same class. Students who are on active duty or terminal leave are eligible for reimbursement for tuition and required fees only. For detailed information, see the VA’s Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty pamphlet.

Vocational Rehab and Employment (Chapter 31)

This program pays tuition and fees, cost of required textbooks and supplies, a monthly stipend and assistance with employment. You may be eligible for benefits under this chapter if you have a service-related disability. You must meet with a vocational rehabilitation counselor who will determine your eligibility. Visit the website.

Effective August 1, 2011, if you are also eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill (chapter 33), you may choose the Post-9/11 GI Bill monthly housing allowance instead of the Vocational Rehab subsistence allowance.

Post 9/11-GI Bill (Chapter 33)

The Post 9/11-GI Bill pays a percentage of tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance if your rate of pursuit* exceeds 50%, and a stipend for books and supplies. The $600 buy up payable under the Montgomery GI Bill and REAP is not payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

You may be eligible for these benefits if you:

• served at least 90 aggregate days on active duty after September 10, 2001, and
• are still on active duty; or
• were honorably discharged from active duty; or
• were released from active duty and placed on the retired list or temporary disability retired list; or
• were released from active duty and transferred to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve; or
• were released from active duty for further service in a reserve component of the Armed Forces; or
• were discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability and you served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001.

*Rate of pursuit applies to Post-9/11 GI Bill only and refers to the number of credit hours you are taking divided by the number of credits considered full-time by the university (rounded to the nearest tenth). The VA considers any rate of pursuit higher than 50% to be more than half time. Effective August 1, 2011, monthly housing allowance benefits are prorated based upon rate of pursuit, rounded to the nearest tenth.

Post 9/11-GI Bill (Transfer of Entitlement)

The Department of Defense determines whether or not you can transfer benefits to your family members. Get more information on determining eligibility and the process for transferring benefits, click on this link: Post 9/11 GI Bill TOE

Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (DEA or Chapter 35)

This program pays a monthly benefit based on enrollment status. These benefits are available to dependents of:

• a veteran who died or was permanently and totally disabled while serving on active duty, or who died from any cause while so disabled;
• a service member missing in action or captured in line of duty; or forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power;
• a service member hospitalized or receiving outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged from service for that disability.

For more information, see the VA’s Survivors and Dependents Assistance pamphlet or view the Chapter 35 FAQ

Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)

This is an educational program for active members of the Selected Reserve. Eligible recipients receive a monthly stipend based on enrollment status. Chapter 1606 eligibility is determined by the Department of Defense. Basic eligibility requires a six-year obligation to serve in the Selected Reserve and satisfactory participation in required Selected Reserve training. You must be a drilling reservist or guardsman to receive this benefit, as it is only extended to those members of the Armed Forces currently serving in one of those statuses. For more information, see the VA’s Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve pamphlet.

Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP or Chapter 1607)

This educational benefit is for certain Reservists who were activated after September 11, 2001. Eligible recipients receive a monthly stipend based on enrollment status and period of service. To be eligible, you must be a member of a reserve component and have performed active service for a minimum of 90 consecutive days. Additional benefits may be available under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Visit the REAP website for more information.

If you have questions or need help with the certification process, please contact Veteran and Military Services at 662-915-2045 or email at veterans@olemiss.edu.