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How Do I Get Paid?

If you qualify for benefits under Chapter 30, Chapter 35 or Chapter 1606, a monthly benefit check is deposited monthly into your personal bank account.

Under the new Post 9/11 GI Bill®, tuition and fees are paid directly to the school at the percentage level of the entitlement. The BAH and book stipend will be paid directly to the student by whatever means you have requested.

Where do I determine the amount of benefits I have remaining?  
Log into your va.gov account. Click on Check Your GI Bill® Benefits. You can also contact the VetSuccess on Campus Counselor (VSOC) at the Military and Veterans Resource Center (MVRC) for assistance in obtaining this information.

Will I have to pay back the money if I drop a class or get a failing grade?  
If you drop a class and your status changes between full-time and part-time, yes you will. If you provide the VA with reasons for the withdrawal, you may be able to keep the money paid to you until the drop date.  

Will the VA pay for a repeated course?  
Benefits will not be paid for a course in which you already earned a passing grade. However, if during the first attempt, you were unsuccessful in the course and the course is a core requirement for, not an elective, then yes, they will pay for the second attempt.

How do I change my address or direct deposit information with the VA? 
Go to va.gov. Sign in using DS Logon, MyHealtheVet or ID.me information. This will update your direct deposit information for Compensation & Pension and Post 9/11 GI Bill® Education. Be sure to have your bank's routing number and account number available.  

Why have I not been deferred?  
If you see through your MyUWF account (under Account Balances) that your tuition and fees have not been deferred, yet you already certified with the UWF Military and Veterans Resource Center (MVRC), it is because the Cashier's Office has not updated this yet. The Cashier's Office does not update this to the school until after the drop/add week of the semester, at which time they determine who receives deferrals. After the drop/add week, it may take a week or two for your fee invoice to reflect your deferral date.   

How do I get my money?  
When you completed your application, there was a block for you to write in your financial information for direct deposit.You may have also elected to receive your benefits by mailed check. If you initially set up your benefits to be sent by check and wish to change to direct deposit, log into your va.gov account and select Update Direct Deposit and Contact Information for Compensation & Pension and Post 9/11 GI Bill® Education. Be sure to have your bank's routing number and account number available. It may take a few pay cycles before you begin receiving your benefits by direct deposit after you switch from receiving the paper check.

Why have I not been paid?  
There are many reasons why you may not have received your benefits:

  • You may not have applied for your benefits with the Department of Veterans Affairs. If you have not applied yet, you can apply on the va.gov Website. You do NOT need to apply to the VA each time you change your degree or location of schools.
  • You may not have certified with the University of West Florida (UWF) Military and Veterans Resource Center (MVRC). If this is the case, you will need to submit your VA Enrollment Certification on-line via your MyUWF account.
  • You may have certified with UWF MVRC with 30 days of the start of the semester. You may not have submitted your paperwork early enough to be fully processed. Generally, your paperwork is processed by the UWF MVRC within 10-14 business days. If your paperwork was submitted near the beginning of the semester, please allow two weeks for the UWF MVRC to process.  After we submit your certification to the Veterans Affairs (VA), it may take the VA 6-8 weeks to process your paperwork. Enrollment Manager (EM) will send an automated email to your UWF student account telling you when the enrollment is submitted.
  • Have you recently changed your direct deposit or mailing address? If you have, it will take some time for Veterans Affairs to process the change. If you receive your benefits by check, the check may have been sent to your old address. If you receive your benefits by direct deposit, Veteran Affairs may have tried to make a deposit in your previous account.