Stanford
Student Services

Veterans & Military Benefits: Certification

Certification

Stanford’s VA Certifying Officer certifies enrollment to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) quarterly, using a two-step certification process. Up to 30 days prior to the start of the quarter, students enrolled full-time per their degree program will be certified for the Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). See the Stanford Academic Calendar for exact dates in each quarter.

After the Final Study list deadline, Stanford’s VA Certifying Officer confirms student enrollment and completes the certification for tuition and fees. Students are certified based on the terms indicated in the VA Education Benefits Enrollment Application that must be submitted annually. Should an adjustment need to be made, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the VA Certifying Officer at vabenefits@stanford.edu as soon as possible to provide an update.

Stanford receives tuition, fee, and Yellow Ribbon (if applicable) payments directly from VA for Chapter 31 and Chapter 33 recipients. All other funding is paid directly from VA to the beneficiary.

Programs Subject to Restriction

Note that the following programs cannot be certified due to VA and federal regulations:

  • Certificate programs for non-matriculated students: The VA defines “matriculated” as having been formally admitted to a college or university. Per VA, educational benefits cannot be paid to “non-matriculated” college or university students. Hence, any certificate program that does not officially admit its students into Stanford University cannot be certified. All Stanford approved certificate programs are listed via the Web Enable Approval Management System (WEAMS).  

  • Visiting Students Programs: Stanford cannot certify visiting students unless they meet one of the following conditions:

  1. The student has an approved parent letter from the home institution which guarantees the courses can be transferred back to their original program.

  2. The student is pending admission to a Stanford degree program and is required to take a prerequisite course(s). In that case the student can be certified for two terms.

  • Medical Residencies/Fellowship programs that are not certified by the ACGME: these residencies are not allowed to be certified as on the job training. This is according to VA guidelines and the Federal Code of Regulations. See the School of Medicine for a full list of the fellowship/residency programs.

All students eligible to receive Veterans education benefits while attending the University are urged to complete arrangements with the appropriate agency in advance of enrollment.