VETS Center

Military Benefits

You may be eligible for VA Education benefits, grants, tuition assistance, and loans to pay for your education. Eligibility for each program depends on a variety of factors including the length of service, the branch you served in, the type of school you attend, and more.

Toggle through each card to learn more about the benefits available to you.

Montgomery GI Bill®-Active Duty (Chapter 30)

Veterans and service members with at least 2 years of active duty service may be eligible for this type of aid, which provides educational benefits for 3 years and varies depending on whether you contributed to the buy-up program.

To learn more and see if you qualify, click here.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits can be found at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Next up: Montgomery GI Bill®-Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)

Montgomery GI Bill® -Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)

If you currently serve or were honorably discharged from the Selected Reserve, including Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard or Air National Guard, you may be eligible for up to 3 years of educational benefits. Eligible participants must have a 6-year enlistment, or reenlistment, beginning on or after July 1, 1985. Before beginning your education, you must have a high school diploma or GED and completed your initial date active training.

To learn more about this program, click here.

Next Up: Montgomery (MGIB) & Post 9/11 GI Bills®

Montgomery (MGIB) & Post 9/11 GI Bills®

The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) will state the student's benefit award, the percentage, if applicable, and the delimiting date that the benefit can be used.

Fill out the application to apply for those benefits.

Next Up: Survivors’ & Dependents Educational Assistance Program (DEA / FRY Scholarship)

Survivors’ & Dependents Educational Assistance Program (DEA / FRY Scholarship)

Students who are a spouse or dependants of service members who are 100% disabled or died while on active duty due to service-related conditions may be eligible for assistance through this program. Dependents or the spouse of a person listed as a POW or MIA are also eligible.

Next Up: The Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon Program

SNU proudly participates in the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Yellow Ribbon Program. The scope of benefits provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and the Yellow Ribbon Program make an SNU education accessible to eligible veterans, regardless of socioeconomic status. Undergraduates and graduate students can participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Next Up: Veterans Readiness & Employment (Chapter 31)

Veterans Readiness & Employment (Chapter 31)

We can support you in the Veterans Readiness and Employment program. This provides qualifying veterans with assistance in training for a job, making accommodations for work, help with resume updating, and guidance in their job search!

Next Up: Military/Civilian Tuition Assistance (TA)

Military/DOD Tuition Assistance (TA)

Military tuition assistance is a Department of Defense program that varies by branch of service and organizational units. Ask your education service officer about available assistance and application forms. Tuition Assistance (TA) DECIDE is a new tool the Department of Defense developed to help you understand these benefits.

Back to the Beginning

Financial Aid FAQs

Have questions about you military education benefits? Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we hear form our service member and veteran students.

I am about to be honorably discharged. How do I get my VA Education benefits started?

You must apply for your educational benefits through the VA in Muskogee, OK online at gibill.va.gov. You can also call the VA Education Hotline for assistance at 1-888-442-4551.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

I have a parent who is a veteran. How can I receive VA education benefits from their service time?

For information visit the following sites:

Chapter 35 Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program at https://www.va.gov/education/transfer-post-9-11-gi-bill-benefits/

Chapter 33 Transfer of Eligibility for Depenents and Spouse at https://www.va.gov/education/transfer-post-9-11-gi-bill-benefits/

How long does it take for me to start receiving money from my VA benefits?

The VETS Center certifies students' enrollments to the VA in the order we receive the students' course confirmation forms for every term. After your sheet is date stamped in our office, it takes approximately 30-45 days for us to certify it to the VA. After we certify your enrollment with the VA, it take the VA an additional 30-45 days to award your GI Bill money.

I need to make changes to my course schedule. What do I do?

Remember, a change in your class schedule may affect your VA benefits. Frequent changes of schedule often can cause a student veteran to have an overpayment of benefits where the VA will require you to pay it back. Notify the VETS Center at SNU of all course schedule changes as you work with your admission advisors. When you are adding a new course, a new course confirmation form, approved by your college on campus, is required before the adjustment can be reported to the VA.

I’m about to start classes, how do I apply for Military/DOD Tuition Assistance and what steps do I need to take?

It is important that the military service members or DOD civilian employees who wish to apply for DOD tuition assistance to help pay for their classes, take these steps prior to enrolling to ensure there are DOD tuition assistance funds available and to get the application process moving forward to ensure DOD tuition assistance is approved prior to the start date of any class the military service member/DOD civilian employee wishes to use DOD TA towards. The DOD will not approve tuition assistance for any class that has already begun.

Immediately talk with your Education Services Officer at your respective military installation education office, or if a DOD civilian employee, speak with your DOD employer’s education liaison. The installation education office/DOD employer education liaison will provide the necessary paperwork, status of funds, and information requirements respective to that military service branch for the service member to start the application process.
The service member/DOD civilian employee, to include National Guard/Reserve service members, will then access his/her military service branch’s respective education portal to complete and submit his/her application for requesting DOD tuition assistance and receiving DOD approval.
1. US Army Service Member: AI portal for Army service members: AI Portal website: https://aiportal.army.mil (Edge and Firefox are the preferred browsers). If a user needs assistance, users may contact the BAM Helpdesk Email: army@bamtech.net or BAM Technical Issue Phone: 276-231-0938.
2. US Air Force Service Member: Air Force Virtual Education Center at https://afvec.us.af.mil/afvec/public/welcom
3. US Navy Service Member: Navy College Program at https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/sailors/tuition-assistance-ncpace.htm
4. US Marine Corps Service Member: Marine Corps Voluntary Education Center at https://usmc-mccs.org/articles/how-do-i-apply-for-tuition-assistance
5. US Coast Guard Service Member: Education and Training Quota Command Portal at https://www.forcecom.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/FORCECOM-UNITS/ETQC/VOLUNTARY-EDUCATION/Tuition-Assistance
When applying for DOD tuition assistance through your military service branch education portal, make sure you are providing the correct course numbers (i.e., BIOL-3274, etc.), costs, and class dates for timely processing of the paperwork (for SNU professional and graduate studies students, class dates should be listed as per course/module and not by semester).
Once the service member/DOD civilian employee receives his/her DOD TA approval letter, provide a copy of this approval letter to the following departments at SNU for required filing and for proper processing towards the student’s SNU account:
1. SNU Bursar’s Office (if a Professional Graduate Studies student) or SNU Business Office (if a Traditional Undergraduate student) so the DOD TA funds will be applied towards the student’s account.
2. SNU Financial Aid Office at pgsfinaid@snu.edu for filing requirements with the student’s assigned Financial Aid Counselor.
3. SNU VETS Center at veterans@mail.snu.edu for filing requirements with the VETS Center’s School Certification Official.
All DOD tuition assistance requests must be submitted and approved 7 days prior to the start of any class the service member wishes to use DOD tuition assistance funds towards. If the application is not received and approved 7 days prior to a class start date, the service member is at risk for not getting the TA approved by the DOD.

When do I apply for Military/DOD tuition assistance?

As soon as a military service member and/or DOD civilian employee decides he/she will want to take college level courses and use DOD tuition assistance to help pay for the course costs, the individual should immediately contact his/her military installation education office, or DOD employer if a DOD civilian employee, to begin the process for applying for DOD TA funds. All DOD tuition assistance requests must be submitted and approved 7 days prior to the start of any class the service member wishes to use DOD tuition assistance funds towards. If the application is not received and approved 7 days prior to a class start date, the service member is at risk for not getting the TA approved by the DOD. The service member/DOD civilian employee will submit his/her DOD TA application through the appropriate military service branch education portal at one of the following:

US Army Service Member: AI portal for Army service members: AI Portal website: https://aiportal.army.mil (Edge and Firefox are the preferred browsers). If a user needs assistance, users may contact the BAM Helpdesk Email: army@bamtech.net or BAM Technical Issue Phone: 276-231-0938.
US Air Force Service Member: Air Force Virtual Education Center at https://afvec.us.af.mil/afvec/public/welcom
US Navy Service Member: Navy College Program at https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/sailors/tuition-assistance-ncpace.htm
US Marine Corps Service Member: Marine Corps Voluntary Education Center at https://usmc-mccs.org/articles/how-do-i-apply-for-tuition-assistance
US Coast Guard Service Member: Education and Training Quota Command Portal at https://www.forcecom.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/FORCECOM-UNITS/ETQC/VOLUNTARY-EDUCATION/Tuition-Assistance

When do I file the FASFA?

For undergraduate students follow these guidelines:

Ideally, if you are an Oklahoma resident, you should complete your FAFSA by December 1st of the year before you plan to start school (academic years beginning July 1st). Some Oklahoma students qualify for the Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG) and the state deadline falls around December 1st. If you read this shortly after December 1st, complete the FAFSA as soon as possible, because the state has extended deadlines in the past.
For students who miss the deadline, or are not from Oklahoma, completing the FAFSA about two to three months prior to your enrollment will best allow SNU to process your aid for the start of your program. SNU generally begins processing aid about one to two months before your classes begin. In months that have several programs starting, usually July, September, January, and March, we may start a little earlier for those whose FAFSA information is clean.
The financial aid office cannot begin processing your aid until all of your admission requirements have been completed. Transcripts can be the most time consuming, and the least controllable portion of the admissions process, make sure and request them as soon as possible.
Filing the FAFSA is only the first step in the process. You will need to monitor your SNU email address once you have received it for updates and document requests.
Once your financial aid offer has been completed, you will receive notice via your SNU email with instructions on how to log into your my.snu.edu portal to view/accept/decline your awards.
If you plan to use Federal Student Loans:

If you have not borrowed in the last five years, you may need to complete a new Loan Agreement/Master Promissory Note. This can be done by logging into studentaid.gov with your FSA (FAFSA) ID, clicking on “Complete Award Process” in the top margin and clicking on Complete a Master Promissory Note.
If you have never borrowed a Federal Student Loan, you will also need to complete Loan Entrance Counseling from the same page.
All students who have borrowed previously will need to complete an Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement (new in 2022-2023) from the same page.

For graduate students follow these guidelines:

Graduate students should complete the FAFSA about two to three months before your enrollment begins to best allow SNU to process your aid in time for the start of your program. SNU generally begins processing aid about one to two months before your classes begin. In months that have several programs starting, usually July, September, January, and March, we may start a little earlier for those whose FAFSA information is clean.
The financial aid office cannot begin processing your financial aid until all of your admission requirements have been completed. Since getting transcripts can be the most time consuming, and the least controllable portion of the admissions process, make sure and request them as soon as possible.
The financial aid office cannot begin processing your aid until all of your admission requirements have been completed. Transcripts can be the most time consuming, and the least controllable portion of the admissions process, make sure and request them as soon as possible.
Filing the FAFSA is only the first step in the process. You will need to monitor your SNU email address once you have received it for updates and document requests.
Once your financial aid offer has been completed, you will receive notice via your SNU email with instructions on how to log into your my.snu.edu portal to view/accept/decline your awards.
If you plan to use Federal Student Loans:
- If you have not borrowed in the last five years, you may need to complete a new Loan Agreement/Master Promissory Note. This can be done by logging into studentaid.gov with your FSA (FAFSA) ID, clicking on “Complete Award Process” in the top margin and clicking on Complete a Master Promissory Note.
- If you have never borrowed a Federal Student Loan, you will also need to complete Loan Entrance Counseling from the same page.
- All students who have borrowed previously will need to complete an Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement (new in 2022-2023) from the same page.

What is SNU's VETS Center?

Whether you’re looking to move up in the ranks or start a second career, we’re here to serve you. Our Veterans Educational Transitions Success (VETS) Center can help you transition to campus life, provide career counseling, and connect you to community support.

SNU accepts ACE credit for military training and experience, and all of SNU’s adult education programs are eligible to use with VA Educational Benefits. Our full-time staff at the VETS Center are here to help make the transition into education as seamless as possible.

Our VETS Center is just one of 13 universities in the nation recognized by the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success.

The SNU VETS Center is conveniently located at our Bethany campus. Feel free to stop by, tour our campus, or schedule a visit with our VETS Center staff to meet with one of our certifying officers for a personal review of your benefits and to discuss opportunities that await you and your family!

Bethany Campus

Southern Nazarene University, VETS Center
4200 N Peniel Ave.
Bethany, OK 73008
(405) 717-6299
veterans@snu.edu

Mon. – Fri. 9 to 5 pm
Sat. & Sun. – Closed

Community Resources

Connecting you to local support and other services you may need to succeed is important to us. Click the link to find a list of resources you may need during your time as a student at SNU. If you have a need that cannot be found below, be sure to search the National Resource Directory. If you still cannot find the right support, please let us know, and we will work to connect you with the appropriate party.

Explore Community Resources link arrow

Alumni

Your connection to the SNU VETS Center community does not have to end when you graduate. When you join the SNU Veterans Alumni Association, you stay connected to a vibrant, growing network of educated and driven individuals. As a member, you will have opportunities to attend exclusive events, give back to future students, and support the national rankings of SNU.

Become a Member link arrow

SNU Supports Military Students