Military & Veterans

If you have specific questions regarding Geneva's policies for veterans, please review the policies below:

• Dependent Students Living on Campus: When combined, Veteran's Benefit funds (tuition benefit only), Geneva funds (including scholarships), and state and federal grants shall not exceed the cost of tuition, fees, room and board. VA Housing Allowance funds are not considered in the calculation and are to be used by the student for personal expenses.

• Dependent Students Living at Home: When combined, Veteran’s Benefit funds (tuition benefit only), Geneva funds (including scholarships) and state and federal grants shall not exceed the cost of tuition and fees. VA Housing Allowance funds are not considered in the calculation and are to be used by the student for personal expenses.

• Dependent Students Living Off Campus: When combined, Veteran’s Benefit funds (tuition benefit only), Geneva funds (including scholarships) and state and federal grants shall not exceed the cost of tuition and fees. VA Housing Allowance funds are not considered in the calculation and are to be used by the student for personal expenses.

• Independent Students: When combined, Veteran’s Benefit funds (tuition benefit only), Geneva funds (including scholarships) and state and federal grants shall not exceed the cost of tuition and fees. VA Housing Allowance funds are not considered in the calculation and are to be used by the student for personal expenses.

Note: For information about applying for VA benefits or estimating housing allowance, please visit  http://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/ or schedule an appointment with our Military Specialist at 724-847-6534 or veterans@mblayst.com to review your individual situation.  

Military personnel who receive Tuition Assistance (TA) or Veterans Benefits have additional processes available.

• Students may submit a grievance through the Postsecondary Education Complaint System when his/her school fails to follow the Principles of Excellence established by Executive Order 13607. Additional information is available at the Military One Source website.
• Students using the GI Bill can submit a complaint with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs due to a school or employer’s failure to follow the Principles of Excellence using the VA GI Bill Feedback Tool. 

Military Enrollment Specialist
Phone: 724-847-6534
Email: veterans@mblayst.com

1. Initiate VA benefits at http://www.va.gov/education 
   (See specific chapter options on this page below for additional information)
2. Provide your Certificate of Eligibility to Geneva's Enrollment Specialist  
3. Complete Geneva College’s Certification Authorization Form provided via email by the School Certifying Official at Geneva College. 
4. Review your monthly enrollment verification obligation.

For all chapters, if you are unsure of what you are eligible for, please visit www.vets.gov.

Tuition Assistance is available to service members in a variety of ways:

Educational Assistance Program (EAP): This program provides tuition assistance for students who enter into a service commitment with the Army or Air Force Pennsylvania National Guard (All questions about this program should be directed to the service member's education officer).

Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA/TA): This program provides financial assistance to part-time Army Reserve and/or National Guard soldiers (All questions about this program should be directed to the service member's education officer).

Military service members currently serving may choose to use Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA/TA) to fund their education. The Armed Forces Tuition Assistance Programs include:

• Army Tuition Assistance Program
• Navy Tuition Assistance Program
• Air Force Tuition Assistance Program
• Marine Corps Tuition Assistance Program
• Coast Guard Tuition Assistance Program

For questions regarding the use of your Tuition Assistance benefit at Geneva, please contact 724-847-6534, or veterans@mblayst.com. 

The eligibility requirements for Chapter 30 are as follows:

• Entered active duty after June 30, 1985.
• Completed 2 or more years of active duty in any military branch.
• Received an honorable discharge.
• Received high school diploma or equivalent.
• Contributed to the Buy Up Program

Eligibility Requirements

Active Duty Service Members are eligible if they:

• Expect to receive an honorable discharge upon separation from active duty
• Obtain a memorandum rating of 20% or more from the VA
• Apply for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) VetSuccess services

Veterans are eligible if they:

• Have received, or will receive, a discharge that is anything other than dishonorable
• Have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10%, or a memorandum rating of 20% or more from the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA)
• Apply for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) VetSuccess services

Apply for Chapter 31 benefits at Veterans Readiness and Employment. After approval, you will be contacted by your specific vocational rehabilitation counselor.

Chapter 33 - Post-9/11 GI Bill^®

The Post-9/11^® is an education benefit program for individuals who served on active duty after September 10, 2001 (“GI Bill^®” is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill).

You may be eligible if you have at least 90 days of aggregate active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001, and are still on active duty, or if you are an honorably discharged Veteran or were discharged with a service-connected disability after serving 30 continuous days following September 10, 2001. Purple Heart recipients, regardless of length of service, are qualified for Post-9/11 benefits at the 100% level. Certain members of the Reserves who lost education benefits when REAP was sunset in November 2015 may also be eligible to receive restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill^®.

If you have eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill^® and any other GI Bill program you must make an irrevocable election of the Post-9/11 GI Bill^® before you can receive any benefits. For more information see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) at the VA Website.

Benefits and Eligibility

For approved programs, the Post-9/11 GI Bill^® provides up to 36 months of education benefits. 

If your release from active duty was before January 1, 2013, there is a 15-year time limitation for use of benefits.  For individuals whose last discharge date is on or after January 1, 2013, the time limitation has been removed. 

Geneva College is a proud participant in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program). The Yellow Ribbon Program is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning (degree-granting institutions) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed either the annual maximum cap for private institutions or the resident tuition and fees for a public institution. Geneva College contributes up to 50% of those expenses and the VA will match the same amount as the college. For clarification of the details of the Yellow Ribbon program, contact our Military Enrollment Specialist at veterans@mblayst.com or 724-847-6534.

"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 www.benefits.va.gov/gibill

Chapter 35 - Survivor's and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program

There are two main GI Bill® programs offering education assistance to survivors and dependents of Veterans:

• The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) is available for children and spouses of Service members who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001.
• The Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) Program offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of Veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition or of Veterans who died while on active duty or as a result of a service-related condition.

For more information, please visit Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance.

Eligibility Requirements

• You must have a 6 year obligation to serve in the Selected Reserve or National Guard.
• Complete your Initial Active Duty for Training (IADT).
• Serve in a drilling selected reserve unit and remain in good standing.
• Must have a High School diploma or equivalent.