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Veterans Resources

When you've decided on continuing your education you can count on Shippensburg University to provide you the resources and guidance you need to make an informed decision regarding financial aid and the options that are available to you at Shippensburg University.

Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA)

The ARNG Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) Program provides financial assistance to part-time ARNG soldiers in support of their professional and personal self-development goals.

Eligibility

  • Must have a valid expense from an accredited school.
  • For traditional part-time drilling soldiers, members on ADSW / ADT, or mobilized commissioned officers.
  • Eligible beginning the day member joins ARNG, even prior to boot camp or AIT or while yet in High School.
  • Officers must serve 4 years after course completion.
  • Enlisted must simply remain in the ARNG during term of courses.
  • Members receiving an ROTC scholarship are not eligible.

Benefit

(Effective 1 Oct 2004) - *ARNG FTA operates on a limited budget and is NOT a guaranteed benefit. It is offered on a 'first come, first served' basis.*

  • 100% of tuition and authorized fees with tuition caps of: $250 per semester hour, and $167 per quarter hour.
    • An authorized fee is a fee charged to all students for enrollment purposes or is directly related to the instruction of the course.
    • Credentials at the associate, bachelor, or master degree level and a vocational/technical certification and licensing.
  • $4,500 max per soldier, per FY, including fees.
  • High School or equivalency level may be funded at 100% of tuition and fees, but are still limited to the $4,500 annual cap.
  • May be used with the MGIB-Selected Reserve (SR) or MGIB-Active Duty (AD) for the same course based on the following;
    • MGIB-SR participants must be enrolled at least 1/2 time or more to combine benefits.
    • MGIB-AD participants who are drawing GI Bill®-Kicker benefits are NOT eligible for ARNG FTA.
  • ARNG recommends that schools apply FTA prior to Pell Grants, to allow for maximizing benefit for student financial needs.

How to Apply

All applications for FTA must be submitted to arrive at the Education Office prior to the first day of the semester.​

Effective 8 September 2023, Soldiers will no longer be able to request TA for future dated FY23 courses in ArmyIgnitED due to the Army’s fiscal year closeout. Soldiers with course start dates between 8 – 30 September 2023 must submit their TA Request in ArmyIgnitED no later than (NLT) 2000 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) 1 September 2023 to ensure their TA Request is approved prior to the closeout period. There will be no exceptions granted.

This does not impact TA Requests for courses starting on or after 1 October 2023 (FY24). Soldiers may continue to create TA Request for courses beginning in FY24, 1 October 2023 and beyond, 60 – 7 days in advance of the course start date.  However, FY24 requests are subject to the availability of funds. 

​Most veterans and their next of kin can obtain free copies of their DD Form 214 (Report of Separation) online at archives.gov.

To use the system, you must be either:

  • A military veteran, or
  • Next of kin of a deceased, former member of the military.

The next of kin can be any of the following:

  • Surviving spouse that has not remarried
  • Father
  • Mother
  • Son
  • Daughter
  • Sister
  • Brother

If you are not the veteran or next of kin, you must complete the Standard Form 180 (SF 180), Request Pertaining to Military Records, which may be downloaded from the web site listed above.

To initiate a request for Military Personnel Records using the National Archives web site, click on the web page and the "Request Military Records" button at the bottom of the page. This will launch a separate window. You will then enter the required information in the system to create a customized request form. The form must be printed, signed and dated, then submitted via fax or mail.

(The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, requires that all requests for records and information must be submitted in writing.)

AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR GUARD AND RESERVE PERSONNEL

National Guard and Selected Reserve students should contact their unit of assignment, education office, or personnel office to determine the web sites where they can obtain copies of DD-214s and Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE) forms. Each service component maintains a different system where students can find personnel documents which may be used to verify or substantiate eligibility for Veterans education benefits.

Veterans Preference Registration (Scheduling) Policy

Act 46 of 2014 requires public institutions of higher education in Pennsylvania to provide veteran students, as defined in the Act, with preference in course scheduling. Non-compliance may be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Education by submitting the Higher Education Student Complaint form found at www.education.state.pa.us.

Effective for the spring 2015 scheduling period, which begins in October 2014, Shippensburg University veteran students are given priority scheduling.

Veteran students (not including dependents) are defined as those students in the following categories:

  • The student has served in the United States Armed Forces, including a reserve component and National Guard.
  • The student was discharged or released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable.
  • Active duty service members.

Course Scheduling Preference

Students who are given priority-scheduling privileges are permitted to start registering for courses three days prior to the start of the regular scheduling windows as defined by the Office of the Registrar. If a student misses their initial priority registration window, the student will have another opportunity to register during a two-week registration cleanup period that occurs shortly after initial registration windows close.

Process

Students receiving VA benefits through the university's Office of Veteran Services will automatically be coded within the registration system to receive priority registration.  Students who qualify, based on the definition provided in this policy, but are not receiving VA benefits through the university's Office of Veteran Services must visit this office and submit proof of military status (e.g. DD214, military ID, etc.).  Upon receipt of proof, students will be coded within the registration system to receive priority registration.  This coding will be used to select qualifying students for priority registration.  Students will be notified approximately 2 ½ weeks prior to the start of their registration period.

The registration windows available to all students are assigned by the Office of the Registrar and communicated prior to the beginning of the registration period for the next semester. All students are sent email notification with instructions on how to access their registration windows through the myShip portal. The University registration system is configured to allow course registration for students who are given priority registration privileges.  Prior to being able to register, the so designated student must meet with his/her academic advisor for advisement and to obtain their registration PIN.

Awareness and Accessibility

Information concerning this policy is available on the Office of the Registrar website, University Catalog and the Office of Veterans Affairs.

All inquiries related to the priority scheduling privileges should be directed to the Office of the Registrar in Old Main 111 or the Office of Veteran Affairs in Old Main 210.

Award Letter

An award letter is the official written notice from the Department of Veterans Affairs to a student of his or her monthly rate of payment, the inclusive dates of payment, delimiting date, and remaining entitlement at the end of the award period. An award letter is sent to a VA student whenever VA awards or changes the student's education benefit.

DD Form 214

The Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty that is prepared at the time an individual completes a period of active duty in one of the Armed Forces. Veterans should be advised to submit copy number 4 of their DD Form 214 with a claim for VA benefits. A certified copy may also be submitted.

Delimiting Date

The first day after a claimant's period of eligibility expires. Benefits are not payable on or after the delimiting date. Generally, the delimiting date is ten years and one day from the veteran's last release from active duty date (RAD). Chapter 1606 is ten years from the date of eligibility if eligibility was established before October 1, 1992 and fourteen years after October 1, 1992. The expiration date for those under Chapters 35 is computed differently. Delimiting dates can be extended for those who were ordered to active duty as a member of the Selected Reserves or National Guard.

File Number

The Social Security Number (SSN) is the VA file number for most veterans. If a veteran was assigned an old seven or eight digit file number, the veteran's SSN will cross reference the seven or eight digit file number. A dependent's SSN will not cross-reference a veteran's record. To access a dependent's record, the file number of the veteran must be provided.

Kicker

Additional money added to an individual's education fund by the Department of Defense to encourage enlistment or retention in the Armed Forces. The kicker is added to the individual's normal education benefit. Kickers are used for chapters 30 and 1606. Individuals who become eligible for Chapter 1607 may receive kickers from their former benefit.

NOBE

Members of the Selected Reserve are given a Notice of Basic Eligibility (DD Form 2384, commonly referred to as a NOBE, pronounced no-be) by their National Guard or Reserve unit stating they are eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill®--Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606). The primary source VA uses to establish chapter 1606 eligibility is a Department of Defense (DOD) computer link, the chapter 1606 DOD Data Record. The NOBE is an alternative or supplemental document for establishing eligibility that's primarily used to verify eligibility for 120 days after the date it's issued.

WAVE (Web Automated Verification of Enrollment)

WAVE is an Internet program used by Chapter 30 and 1606 students to verify their enrollment. Verification is required monthly. Students can also use WAVE to change their address and direct deposit information.​ Call 1-877-823-2378 for monthly verification.

Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill® Web Site

Web Automated Verification of Enrollment

Montgomery GI Bill® Web Sites

Veterans Affairs & Benefits

Contact Sites for Military Benefits

Education

Employment & Training

Financial Aid

Military Services

Telephone Numbers

  • Questions/Inquiries About GI Bill® Benefits and Status of Claims: 1-888-442-4551
  • Student Verification of Enrollment: 1-877-823-2378 or  https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave
  • Direct Deposit (Chapter 30, 31, 32, 1606, 1607): 1-877-838-2778
  • General Information on VA Benefits: 1-800-827-1000
Contact the Veteran Services Office Mowrey 207   1871 Old Main Drive   Shippensburg, PA 17257 Phone: 717-477-1710
Monday- Friday 8:00AM-4:30PM