Resources for Veterans

If you have not processed VA benefits at Illinois Tech before, please complete the following steps:

1. Apply for VA benefits with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (if you have already not done so) and obtain your certificate of eligibility. For more information on how to apply, please visit the Department of Veterans Affairs website
2. Earn admission to Illinois Tech and enroll in courses
3. Send a digital copy of your certificate of eligibility via email to Christopher Lee at clee106@iit.edu

If you have any questions about processing your benefits, please email Christopher Lee at clee106@iit.edu.

After a student has used benefits for their first semester, students will be certified automatically for proceeding semesters by the school certifying official unless the certifying official is notified otherwise.

If there is a semester that you do not want to process benefits, please email Christopher Lee at clee106@iit.edu to request that your enrollment not be certified.

Students eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill®—either active duty (Chapter 30) or selected reserve (Chapter 1606)—are eligible to process veterans benefits at Illinois Tech. Students need to be accepted by Illinois Tech and be cleared by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs before receiving benefits.

Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) Active Duty—Chapter 30

The MGIB program provides up to 36 months of education benefits. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training, and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances. Generally, benefits are payable for 10 years following your release from active duty. This program is also commonly known as Chapter 30.

Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)—Chapter 1606

The MGIB-SR program may be available to you if you are a member of the Selected Reserve. You may use this education assistance program for degree programs, certificate or correspondence courses, cooperative training, independent study programs, apprenticeship/on-the-job training, and vocational flight training programs. Remedial, refresher, and deficiency training are available under certain circumstances. Eligibility for this program is determined by the Selected Reserve components. You may be entitled to receive up to 36 months of education benefits. Your eligibility for the program normally ends on the day you leave the Selected Reserve.

The Post-9/11 Yellow Ribbon Program allows eligible beneficiaries to attend Illinois Tech at little to no out-of-pocket tuition cost. Both undergraduate students and graduate (full-time and part-time) students are eligible to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Yellow Ribbon Processing at Illinois Tech

Yellow Ribbon benefits cover the majority of the tuition expenses that an Illinois Tech student will have. Each year the VA sets a threshold for the maximum amount of tuition that the Post-9/11 GI Bill will cover. These rates can be found on the VA’s website. Once this amount is maximized, the Yellow Ribbon program and Illinois Tech will cover the remaining charges on your account for the term.

The Yellow Ribbon program and Illinois Tech will cover a portion of the remaining benefits up to:

All tuition and fees are subject to revision by Illinois Tech’s Board of Trustees.

Service members enrolled in the Post-9/11 GI Bill program can transfer unused education benefits to their spouses or children as of August 1, 2009. Families looking to apply for TEB must visit the milConnect website.

Upon approval, family members may apply to use transferred benefits with the United States Department of Veteran Affairs by completing VA form 22-1990e. VA form 22-1990e should only be completed and submitted to the VA by the family member after the U.S. Department of Defense has approved the request for TEB. Do not use the VA form 22-1990e to apply for TEB.

Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) is a United States Department of Defense education benefit program designed to provide educational assistance to members of the reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency (contingency operation) as declared by the president or Congress. This program makes certain reservists who were activated for at least 90 days after September 11, 2001, either eligible for education benefits or eligible for increased benefits.

Survivors of Dependents Assistance (DEA) provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of certain veterans. The program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training. If you are a spouse, you may take a correspondence course. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.

The Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) is available to veterans who elected to make contributions from their military pay toward the VEAP program while enlisted. You may use these benefits for degree, certificate, correspondence, apprenticeship/on-the-job training programs, and vocational flight training programs. In certain circumstances, remedial, deficiency, and refresher training may also be available.

Benefit entitlement is one month to 36 months, depending on the number of monthly contributions. You have 10 years from your release from active duty to use VEAP benefits. If there is an entitlement not used after the 10-year period, your portion remaining in the fund will be automatically refunded.

The Vocational Readiness and Employment program is a service for veterans who have a service-connected disability. Education and vocational counseling is available for eligible service members, current beneficiaries of GI Bill programs, and veterans and qualified dependents who are eligible for educational assistance under any of the GI Bill programs.

A veteran student who qualifies for United States Department of Veterans Affairs educational benefits will have all VA benefits applied to the student account in accordance with the rules established by the VA and the U.S. Department of Education.