The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) announced new guidance for the accepted uses of student veteran benefits for study abroad with an effective implementation date of August 1, 2020.
NAFSA members may review the transcript from the Collegial Conversation on January 30, 2020 regarding changes to veteran benefits for study abroad.
NAFSA's understanding of the new guidance is as follows:
Tuition Benefits
| Use of Chapter 33 | Courses | Billing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchanges |
No |
Home institution does not own the courses | May/may not be billed through home institution |
| Faculty Led | Depends | If home institution teaches/owns all courses - YES | If home institution bills the student tuition and gets funds from the VA - YES |
| Program Providers | No | Home institution does not own the courses | Program providers are not able to be certified to accept VA funds |
| Direct Enroll | Depends | If host institution is in the WEAMS database - possible (transfer credits back to home institution) | If direct enroll institution is in the WEAMS database and tuition is billed to that institution from the VA - possible |
Please note that more information will follow as the VA provides new training and handbook materials for campus certifying officials.
Housing
Some instances will now allow student monthly housing allowances to reflect the national average for foreign programs instead of the in-state maximum.
Recommendations for Education Abroad Offices
- Contact your campus's School Certifying Official (SCO) and Veterans Services office to discuss the new guidance.
- Review the programs in your portfolio to determine which would be impacted by this new guidance. Key to this review should be an assessment of who owns the credit and who bills the student on any given program.