VETERAN & MILITARY RELATIONS and BENEFITS

American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service, Inc. (AAMI) is pleased to assist Veterans in making a smooth transition from military life to that of a student. We are dedicated to providing you with the tools and services you need to succeed at AAMI. Here you will find detailed information regarding procedures and requirements related to utilizing GI Bill® benefits to help you attain your educational goals. To further enhance your experience at AAMI, we have provided links and contact information for numerous resources that may be of benefit to you.

We are committed to providing our military community a high quality education in a flexible, military-friendly learning environment. We are approved for veteran training, and eligible students may receive financial assistance as provided for by the Veterans’ Readjustment Benefits Act and the War Orphans’ Assistance Act. Under the regulations of the Department of Veterans Affairs, benefits accruing to the student vary with the course load. Determination of the benefits a student is eligible for is made by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

*Military servicemembers please click the following link to view further information.

http://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/

If you have any questions not addressed on this website please contact AAMI’s Office of Financial Services.

VA CHAPTERS

All class work must meet the program requirements of American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service, Inc. (AAMI). You should report any changes in your class load to the AAMI’s Office of Financial Services to avoid over payments. Other questions? Ask AAMI’s Office of Financial Services or your VA Regional Office that serves your area.

AAMI offers many programs to assist veterans and their dependents to attend college. Their benefits and requirements are described below.

CHAPTER 30 (Montgomery GI Bill®-Active Duty):

(If you paid the required amount to the program while on active duty)

How to Apply

Step One: Apply to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for your education benefits. The application, VA form 22-1900, is available on the Veterans On-line Application (VONAPP) website.

Step Two: Provide your confirmation number and subsequent Certificate of Eligibility to AAMI’s Financial Services Office. Also, if you have a Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE), give AAMI’s Office of Financial Services a copy.

The school’s VA Certifying Official will certify your enrollment to the VA.

Step Three: On the last calendar day of the month, you must verify your enrollment to the VA via the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) or by calling the toll free Interactive Voice Response line at 1 (877) 823-2378.

Monthly benefits are paid directly to you to use at your discretion. If your enrollment has been certified 30 days prior to the start of the term, the first benefit should be expected to arrive in the month following the first full month of school. For example, if you start school in the fall, your first benefit should be expected to arrive in October, assuming an August start date.

CHAPTER 31 (Ch31) Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E):

How to Apply

When applying for vocational rehabilitation benefits, contact the Regional Office of Veteran Affairs in your area to work directly with a local VA counselor. The application, VA form 22-1900, is available on the Veterans On-line Application (VONAPP) website. You may choose to print VA Form 28-1900, Disabled Veterans Application for Vocational Rehabilitation, from the Forms page, complete it, and mail it to the VA regional office that serves your area.

Once your vocational rehabilitation benefits have been approved, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will send an authorization form to AAMI so that you may receive benefits.

Once you are enrolled, AAMI’s VA certifying official will certify your enrollment to your VA counselor.

You must inform AAMI’s Financial Services Office if you increase or reduce your credit load and fall under a different payment rate category.

For more information from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) about Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits, please visit the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service webpage or call the VA toll free at 1 (800) 827-1000.

CHAPTER 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill®):

(If you have 90 days or more of aggregate service on or after September 11, or were discharged with a service-connected disability for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®)

The GI Bill® may be able to be transferred to dependents.

How to Apply

Step One: To initiate your benefit or elect to switch to Chapter 33 benefits, you must submit an application to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The application, VA form 22-1990, is available on the Veterans On-line Application (VONAPP) website.

Step Two: Provide your confirmation number and subsequent Certificate of Eligibility to AAMI’s Office of Financial Services. Also, if you have a Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE), give AAMI’s Office of Financial Services a copy.

The school’s VA Certifying Official will certify your enrollment to the VA.

The tuition and fees benefits are paid directly to the school in an amount not to exceed the maximum in-state tuition and fees at a public Institution of Higher Education. An annual books and supplies stipend is paid proportionately based on enrollment.

A monthly housing allowance based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents at the location of the school. Input the year, zip code of your school location, and an E-5 pay grade into the Department of Defense Basic Allowance for Housing Rate Query in order to obtain an estimate of what this payment might be.

If you are still in the military, you will not receive the housing allowance. Additionally, if you are enrolled exclusively in distance learning you will receive have the national average for the housing allowance.

If your enrollment has been certified 30 days prior to the start of the term, any benefits paid directly to you should be expected to arrive in the month following the first full month of school. For example, if you start school in the fall, your first benefit should be expected to arrive in October, assuming an August start date.

To learn more about required qualifications and the benefits provided, please visit the Post 9/11 GI Bill® website or call the VA at 1 (888) GI-BILL-1.

Submitting a Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill®) Transfer Request

1. Use your Common Access Card (CAC), DoD Self-Service Logon (DS Logon), or DFAS Account (myPay) to sign in to the milConnect portal application: http://milconnect.dmdc.mil

When the milConnect Home page displays, select Education → Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) from the menu bar.

When the TEB page displays, your family members are listed in the table under the List of Family Members section.

Note: If a family member is not eligible for DEERS benefits, and thus is not eligible to receive transferred benefits, the word “ineligible” will display in the Relation column to the right of your relationship to that family member.

2. To transfer benefit months to a family member, do the following:

• Locate the name of the appropriate family member in the table.

• From the Months drop-down list, select the number of months (0 to 36) to transfer.

• Optionally, enter an End Date in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Repeat this process for each family member.

3. Once transfer Months have been assigned to your family members, you must submit your transfer request for approval by doing the following:

• Select the “Post-9/11 GI Bill® Chapter 33” radio button in the Select the educational program from which to transfer benefits section.

• Select all the boxes in the Transferability of Education Benefits Acknowledgements section to indicate that you have read and understand each statement.

• Click the Submit Request button.

If the submission is successful, a Confirmation message displays.

After you have submitted your transfer request, the Sponsor information section at the top of the TEB page updates to show that the Status is now Submitted. The Status Date is blank and will remain blank until a Service Representative approves, rejects, or sets your request to a pending status.

To track the status of your request, you will need to return to the TEB page to check the “Status” in the Sponsor information section. Once your transfer request is approved, the status will be updated to Request Approved and the approval Status Date will be set to the date the Service Representative approved the request.

4. Once your transfer request is approved, your request data is sent to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). Each family member must first apply for a certificate of eligibility from the DVA before they can use their transferred benefits. Once the DVA receives the request data and VA Form 22-1990E, they will be able to process your family members’ requests to use their benefits. The application for the certificate of eligibility (VA Form 22-1990E) can be found through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ VONAPP Web Site (http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp). A paper form is also available at http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-22-1990e-ARE.pdf. Or you can call the DVA for Education Benefits information at 1-888-GIBILL1.

5. After receiving their certificates of eligibility from the DVA, your family members must provide the certificates to the school.

6. If your family members do not receive their certificates of eligibility from the DVA before they enroll in school, they should ask the veterans’ certifying official at the school to submit to the DVA an enrollment certification for the academic term.

Tuition will be sent directly from the DVA to the school. Children are eligible for the monthly living stipend and/or the books and supplies stipend while you are serving on active duty. Your spouse is eligible for the books and supplies stipend, but not the monthly living stipend, while you are on active duty, because both you and your spouse are already receiving the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). If you are not currently serving on active duty, then both your spouse and children are eligible for the monthly living stipend and/or the books and supplies stipend.

Note: If you are an active duty Service Member, you and your spouse can continue to use the benefit for up to 15 years after you are last released (discharged or retired) from active duty. If you are a Selected Reserve Service Member, you and your spouse can continue to use the benefit for up to 15 years after you are released from your last active duty period of at least 90 consecutive days. Children can use their benefits until their 26th birthdays.

CHAPTER 35 Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program:

How to Apply

Step One: Apply to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for your education benefits. The application, VA form 22-5490, is available on the Veterans On-line Application (VONAPP) website.

The school’s VA Certifying Official will certify your enrollment to the VA.

Monthly benefits are paid directly to you to use at your discretion. The VA mails monthly benefit checks to the address given them on the application form.

If your enrollment has been certified 30 days prior to the start of the term, the first benefit should be expected to arrive in the month following the first full month of school. For example, if you start school in the fall, your first benefit should be expected to arrive in October, assuming an August start date.

CHAPTER 1606 Montgomery GI Bill®-Selected Reserve Educational Assistance Program:

(If you commit to a 6-year enlistment in the Military Reserves or National Guard)

How to Apply

Step One: Apply to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for your education benefits. The application, VA form 22-1900, is available on the Veterans On-line Application (VONAPP) website.

The school’s VA Certifying Official will certify your enrollment to the VA.

Step Three: On the last calendar day of the month, you must verify your enrollment to the VA via the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) or by calling the toll free Interactive Voice Response line at 1 (877) 823-2378.

CHAPTER 1607 Reserve Educational Assistance Program:

(If you were activated after September 11, 2001)

How to Apply

Step One: Apply to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for your education benefits. The application, VA form 22-1900, is available on the Veterans On-line Application (VONAPP) website.

The school’s VA Certifying Official will certify your enrollment to the VA.