There are a variety of options for military-affiliated students to finance their education. Some benefits are earned by serving on active duty and some benefits can be transferred to eligible dependents of servicemembers. Explore your options below for financing your education.
Questions?
- Questions about your VA Education Benefits?
- Contact VA Education Hotline: 1-888-442-4551 OR use Ask VA.
Additional Resources
The application and awarding processes are administered by ODU’s Financial Aid Office. For assistance with this program, please contact Sheila Johnson at sp1johns@odu.edu
The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) provides education benefits to spouses and children of military service members killed, missing in action, taken prisoner, or who have been rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as totally and permanently disabled or at least 90 percent permanently disabled as a result of military service. Military service includes service in the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces Reserves, or the Virginia National Guard.
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is responsible for managing the program and collaborates with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and Virginia's public colleges and universities to assist spouses and children of qualified military service members and Veterans in attaining their educational goals. (See the Code of Virginia, Section 23-7.4:1.)
This program does not have a separate application; students must complete the FAFSA or VASA application to be considered. The application and awarding processes are administered by ODU’s Financial Aid Office.
The Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP) is an incentive to financially needy students who attended a Virginia Elementary and Secondary institution to consider higher education an achievable objective in their future. The law requires that the awards to undergraduates be proportional to need so that the students with the greatest need receive the largest awards.
**Chapter 33 Post 9/11 federal GI Bill benefits are considered a financial resource in a student's financial aid package and can impact eligibility for other financial aid. Please be aware that accepting Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP) can impact payments of the Chapter 33 GI Bill benefit. Your amount of eligible tuition and fees to be reported to the VA will be reduced by the corresponding amount of that monetary award. It will not increase the amount of funds that you receive, and you will not receive the amount of the VGAP award back as a refund.
This program does not have a separate application; students must complete the FAFSA or VASA application to be considered. The application and awarding processes are administered by ODU’s Financial Aid Office.
The Virginia Commonwealth Award is to assist undergraduate students with financial need and graduate students to pay part of their college costs. Funds may be used for need-based grants to Virginia resident undergraduates or for grants or assistantships to graduate students (both in-state and out-of-state). The law requires that the awards to undergraduates be proportional to need so that the students with the greatest need receive the largest awards.
**Chapter 33 Post 9/11 federal GI Bill benefits are considered a financial resource in a student's financial aid package and can impact eligibility for other financial aid. Please be aware that accepting The Virginia Commonwealth Award can impact payments of the Chapter 33 GI Bill benefit. Your amount of eligible tuition and fees to be reported to the VA will be reduced by the corresponding amount of that monetary award. It will not increase the amount of funds that you receive, and you will not receive the amount of the Commonwealth award back as a refund.