Deferred Tuition Payments for Veterans and Servicemembers
Related Pages
Under the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, schools are prevented from penalizing students using GI Bill benefits due to late payments by the Department of Veterans Affairs within a 90-day window. Schools are prevented from doing any of the following:
- Assess late fees.
- Deny access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities.
- Require the student to use or borrow additional funds to pay the institution as a result of delayed payments for educational benefits from VA.
To qualify for this protection, students utilizing GI Bill benefits must provide a copy of their Certificate of Eligibility prior to the start of the semester.
Students who submit their Certificate of Eligibility after the start of the term become subject to late fees due to the late submission of their Certificate of Eligibility. Review the academic calendar so you're familiar with the correct start of term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Columbia will expect a student to make payments on time to cover charges the VA is not responsible for covering.
Some examples include the following:
- Residential or dining charges
- Optional fees, e.g., parking
- Any unmet portion of tuition as a result of a student qualifying for less than 100% of the maximum benefit amount payable
- Any unmet portion of tuition where the VA benefit is less than the total tuition cost for the semester
As such, late fees may be charged for the student's failure to cover their responsible portion of the total charges.
No, if you have submitted your Certificate of Eligibility in support of using your GI Bill Benefits, you do not need to submit a second CoE for this legal protection.
You only need to submit a new Certificate of Eligibility if your benefits change.
Of course. You can always bring a paper copy to the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs. Here is our address:
202 Kent Hall
MC 9203, 1140 Amsterdam Ave.
New York, NY 10027
You may also fax a copy to 212-854-2818 if you have access to a fax machine.
However, please never email your CoE. For security purposes, we recommend submission using our Certificate of Eligibility form.