Military Benefits

Follow These Steps

1. Go to the GI Bill® Comparison Tool to calculate your benefits and research approved programs.
2. Apply to the VA to establish your eligibility for education benefits. Once the VA has processed your application, you will receive notification stating what you are eligible for.
3. Apply to Baker University.
4. Submit the Military Supporting Documentation form.
5. Submit the Enrollment Certification Request for VA Education Benefits form.

When your enrollment is certified to the VA, you will receive an email confirmation of receipt from the VA.

Eligibility & Rate of Pursuit

• Baker University does not determine your eligibility; VA officials determine the type and amount of benefits for which you may qualify.
• Baker University does not determine the rate of pursuit for undergraduate students; VA officials do.
• Baker University does, however, determine the rate of pursuit for graduate students based on VA-approved calculations. For an estimate of what your rate of pursuit will be, enter the dates of your nonstandard terms in this credit hour equivalency form.

Verifying Attendance to the VA

Attendance Verification Requirement

Students using the following programs must report school attendance to the VA on the last day of each month in order to receive payment.

• Montgomery GI Bill® – Active Duty | CH.30
• Montgomery GI Bill® – Selected Reserve | Ch. 1606

Verify attendance online or call 1.877.823.2378.

No Attendance Verification Requirement

You are not required to verify monthly attendance if you are using one of the following programs:

• Post 9/11 GI Bill®  (CH.33)
• Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance (CH. 35)
• VA Vocational Rehabilitation (CH. 31)

Schedule Changes for Current Students

The following changes to your schedule must be reported to the VA:

• Add or drop courses
• Change cohorts (SPGS/GSOE students)
• Withdraw from Baker

Changes in enrollment can result in an overpayment that will be determined by the VA.

All VA students who make a schedule change must complete the
 Schedule Change form.

This is in addition to all other enrollment change or withdrawal policies and processes in place at Baker University.

VA Education Payments

If you received VA education benefits, the VA will determine your payment rate based on the following:

• Type of benefit for which you are eligible
• Length of enrollment period
• How many hours you are enrolled in

Basic Rates of Pay | CH. 30, CH. 1606, CH. 35

View the basic payment rates. These do not include kickers, buy-up or additional programs. CH. 33 and CH. 31 pay tuition and fees directly to Baker University. Get more information about benefit comparisons.

Basic Rates of Pay | CH. 33

Under CH. 33 you will receive the following:

1. A tuition and fees payment (paid directly to Baker University) not to exceed $20,235.02 per academic year beginning on August 1.
2. An annual book stipend of up to $1,000 paid proportionately based on enrollment.
3. Baker participates in the Yellow Ribbon program. Students who are using CH.33 benefits may qualify for $1,000 to $4,000 per year in Yellow Ribbon benefits.
4. A monthly housing allowance based on the basic allowance for housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. Determine the BAH for your ZIP code. Choose one of the following ZIP codes depending on the campus you are enrolled at:
   ZIP Code 66210
   • Overland Park
   • Topeka (SPGS/Graduate SOE)
   • Wichita

   • Online

     ZIP code 64153 | Kansas City, Mo., Lee’s Summit
     ZIP code 66006 | Topeka (School of Nursing), Baldwin CityOverland Park

CH. 33 and CH. 31 pay tuition and fees directly to Baker University. Get more information about benefit comparisons.

Payment Guidelines

• It can take the VA several weeks to process your initial application and up to 10 weeks to process enrollment certifications.
• Generally, the VA education benefit payments are made at the end of each month you attend school.
  For example, if classes start in August and your certification has been completely processed by the VA, the payment for that month will be received in the first 10 days of September.
• The VA pays you for attendance in class.
  If you stop attending a class and do not officially withdraw from it and receive a failing grade, Baker University is required to report this information along with the last day of attendance in that class to the VA. The VA will consider this a reduction in enrollment and charge an overpayment against your VA education benefits.

Contact your Education Center for eligibility requirements or visit MyArmyBenefits.

• $250 per credit hour, fiscal year cap of $4,500
• Officers who use this program may incur a service obligation

Steps to using TA

• AIED 101 Training along with either Career Path Decide or Kuder Journey must be completed
• Once you are accepted to Baker and have your Baker student ID number, create an ArmyIgnitED account.
  • The preferred web browser is Firefox.
  • Soldiers with questions about ArmyIgnitED system access should contact their Army Education Center.
• Complete the Virtual Benefits Training
• Create your Educational Goal
• Upload your EDP (Contact your advisor with questions.)
• Submit your TA request (TAR). Manually enter your courses in ArmyIgnitED.
  • Double check that you list the exact start and end dates for each class.
  • Command approval is required for all FTA requests (at least 5 days prior to course start date)

How to find or contact your Education Center in ArmyIgnitED 2.0

• Log in to view your Ed Center’s contact info (click “view details” in the upper right quadrant of ArmyIgnitED dashboard).
• You can also submit a message to your Ed Center by clicking the email icon on the top menu bar.

Issues? Please contact the ArmyIgnitED help desk at 1-800-817-9990.

More information is on the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC) portal or at your base Education Center.

• Up to $250 per credit hour, fiscal year cap of $3,750

How to get a degree plan: Contact your advisor.

Degree program and courses:

• Manually enter your courses in AFVEC.
  • Double check that you list the correct course dates.
• Can’t find your Baker degree program in AFVEC? Contact the SCO to get it loaded for you.

More information is on the Navy College Program portal or at your base Education Center.

• Up to $250 per credit hour, fiscal year cap of $4,500
• Must have a minimum of three years of time in service

Applying (more details at Navy College):

• Inform your command.
• Complete required training.
• Receive Navy education counseling; establish an education plan.
• Submit education plan; review with Navy College counselor.
• Submit TA/NCPACE application in MyNavy Education.
• Generate TA/NCPACE voucher and send to academicrecords@bakerU.edu.

Visit the Marine Corps Tuition Assistance (TA) page for more information.

• Up to $250 per credit hour, fiscal year cap of $4,500
• Reservists are only eligible if they are on continuous active duty or have been ordered to 120+ days active duty.
• First-time users must complete a TA Orientation Course before using TA.

Documents needed:

• Degree plan: Contact your advisor.
• Itemized bill: Contact the Business Office.

Once you have your TA voucher, send it to academicrecords@bakerU.edu.

More information is on the Coast Guard portal or with your Education Service Officer.

• Up to $250 per credit hour, fiscal year cap of $4,500.

Applying

• Visit the ETQC page for steps.
• After you have TA approved through your education center, print, sign, and forward the authorized/funded TA voucher to academicrecords@bakerU.edu.

Please request that your official transcript be sent directly to Baker University at the following address:

Baker University | School of Professional & Graduate Studies
7301 College Blvd.
Overland Park, KS 66210

Baker University | College of Arts & Sciences
Office of Admissions
PO Box 65
Baldwin City, KS 66006

Baker University | School of Nursing
Pozez Education Center
1505 SW Eighth Ave.
Topeka, KS 66606

JST is the Joint Services Transcript that has replaced the Coast Guard Institute Transcript, the Army/American Council Transcript (AARTS) and the Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART). JST is an academically accepted document approved by the American Council on Education (ACE) to validate a service member’s military occupational experience and training along with the corresponding ACE college credit recommendations.

To learn more about the JST and to request your official transcript be sent to Baker University, visit https://jst.doded.mil/jst/

We cannot accept personal copies of transcripts for credit transfer purposes. The JST makes your official transcript available for retrieval by Baker’s designated official.

If you don’t qualify for a transcript we may still be able to evaluate your military training for college credit. In this instance, we can use copies of your military training records to assess the value of your courses. Your DD Form 214 (Discharge Certificate) may contain useful information that will aid us in determining your credit award. Please forward a copy of your records to the PLA Center for evaluation.

If you have misplaced your military records, duplicate copies may be requested directly from the National Personnel Records Center by completing a Standard Form 180: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/standard-form-180.html

The completed form must be mailed or FAXED to:

National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100
FAX: 314.801.9195
Additional information is available at www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel