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Education and Training

Enrollment Verification

Post-9/11 GI Bill® students who receive Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) and/or kicker payments are required to verify their enrollment to continue receiving their payments. Read below to learn more about the enrollment verification requirement and verification methods.

I need to verify my enrollment. What should I do? Image of hands holding cell phone.

What is enrollment verification?

Enrollment verification is a requirement for Post-9/11 GI Bill students to verify that they have remained enrolled in the same courses or training each month. Students who receive MHA/kicker payments will have their payments withheld if they fail to verify or report that they are no longer enrolled in their courses or training. To streamline the process, VA is providing the options to verify enrollment easily and securely via text message, email, and online at VA.gov. 

This requirement is only for Post-9/11 GI Bill and does not impact other benefit programs, such as the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC), Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA), Veterans Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP), or the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship.  

This requirement also does not currently apply to GI Bill students attending half-time or less or those in on-the-job, apprenticeship, flight, or correspondence training.

If you are an MGIB student or participate in the STEM or VET TEC programs, this new requirement does not represent a change for you, as you are already required to verify enrollment.

When does enrollment verification start?

Students will need to verify at the end of each month once their courses or training starts.

For example, if your term starts in August, you will need to begin verifying at the end of August.

How do I verify enrollment?

You can verify enrollment via text, email, or online at VA.gov.  See more details below:

If you need to verify your enrollment and are looking for instructions on how to do it, check out the How to Verify Enrollment for Post-9/11 GI Bill Students video.

By Text Message:

  • Opt in: Students with a U.S. mobile phone number (including Puerto Rico) can use text messages as a simple, quick option for verifying monthly enrollment. As your enrollment approaches, you will receive a text informing you that you’ve been registered to receive texts for enrollment verification. Then, about 24 hours later, you’ll receive the following opt-in text: “Post-9/11 GI Bill housing and kicker payments now require monthly enrollment verification. Would you like to submit yours via text? Please reply YES or NO.” Reply “YES” to opt in. The text message conversation will expire after 14 days, so please respond within that time frame.
  • Verify: After opting in, you can verify your enrollment every month simply by responding to the following text message from VA: “GI Bill. Did you remain enrolled in your courses in MON YYYYY as certified? Please reply Yes or No. If you have dropped any of your courses, you must reply No. Visit the following link to view your information: https://www.va.gov/education/verify-school-enrollment/." Reply "YES" to verify enrollment for the previous month. If you don't reply within 6 days, the conversation will expire and you will need to verify your enrollment on VA.gov or by utilizing Ask VA.

NOTE: When responding to opt-in or verification texts, it may take up to a day to receive a confirmation text in response.  Be assured that your response has been received. Texts will be sent from 44354.

Enrollment verification via text message is safe and secure. VA will never ask for your personal information, such as social security number or bank account information, via text.  VA strongly recommends text message verifications for verifying your renrollment.

By Email:

  • If you opt out of text messages, can’t verify by text, or do not have a U.S. mobile phone number, you will be automatically enrolled in email verification at the email address on file with VA.
  • After being opted into email verification, you will receive an email from do-not-reply@notifications.va.gov with the subject line, "Confirmation: You've been enrolled into VA's email verification!"
  • On the last day of each month, you will receive an email with the subject line, "Action Required: Verify Your Monthly Enrollment" Select "Yes, my enrollment is the same" to verify your enrollment. If your enrollment status has changed, select, "No my enrollment has changed." If your enrollment has changed, you should contact your SCO to ensure your enrollment record with VA has been adjusted.
  • After selecting your response, you will be taken to a confirmation page thanking you for verifying your monthly enrollment.
  • If you don't select a response within 14 days, the links in your email will expire and you will need to verify your enrollment on VA.gov or by utilizing Ask VA.

Online at VA.gov

  • If you can't verify by text or email, your text or email verification link expires, or you prefer to verify on VA.gov, you can utilize online verification.
  • To use online verification, you will need to have a verified VA.gov account through ID.me or Login.gov.
  • Log on to VA.gov/education and then select "Manage your Veterans education benefits."
  • Once you are at that section on the page, select "Verify your enrollment."
  • If you are missing any enrollment verifications, you will see a box with a note stating, "We're missing one or more of your enrollment verifications."
    • Select the "Verify all enrollments" link or scroll down the page and find the month you are looking to verify for and select the "Verify all enrollments" link under that month.
    • The next screen will show the enrollment information that VA has on file for you and underneath it, you will select "Yes, this information is correct" to verify before selecting "Continue"
    • On the next screen, you will have an opportunity to review your verifications, and if everything looks correct, select "Submit your verifications."
    • Then, you will be taken back to the enrollment verification main page where you will see a note letting you know that you're up to date with your monthly enrollment verifications.
  • If your enrollment status has changed, select "No, this information isn't correct."
    • On the next screen, you will have an opportunity to review your verifications, and you will see a note stating that "If you submit this verification, we'll pause your monthly education payments. "You will need to work with your School Certifying Official (SCO) to ensure your enrollment record with VA has been adjusted. If everything looks correct, select "Submit your verifications."
    • Then, you will be taken back to the enrollment verification main page where you will see a note letting you know that we've paused your monthly education payments until you update your enrollment information.

NOTE: If you are opted into text or email verification and verify on VA.gov prior to receiving the verification text or email at the end of the month, you will still receive a notfication on the last day of the month.

By Phone

Phone verification is the least recommended option, but if you are unable to verify via text, email, or online, you will need to contact the Education Call Center (ECC) at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) domestically or 001-918-781-5678 internationally and ask a representative to verify your enrollment.

NOTE: ECC wait times may be high due to the number of students verifying enrollment each month.

What happens if I fail to verify my enrollment?

If you fail to verify enrollment for two consecutive months, your MHA/kicker payments will be placed on hold. To have your payments released, you will need to use online verification, Ask VA or call the ECC to verify your enrollment.

Why am I being required to verify my enrollment?

By regularly verifying your enrollment, you protect your GI Bill entitlement by preventing charges for classes or training you did not attend. Though this requirement is an additional step, enrollment verification is easy to do and will help you better manage and access your earned benefits, as well as help prevent overpayments.

Where can I find information on VA’s privacy policy and mobile terms and conditions for text messages?

To learn more about how VA is protecting your information, visit our text message terms and conditions.

Get more information

To learn more, please visit the following resources:
   ●  Frequently Asked Questions
   ●  Video: How to Verify Enrollment for Post-9/11 GI Bill® Students
  

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