Military-Connected Educational Benefit Information

There are a variety of educational benefits available for many military-connected students, including veteran, active duty military, veteran dependents/spouses, and ROTC members of our campus community. Please explore some of the resources below for information on the different benefit types and how to apply. Please also see information for new and current students interested in using benefits once enrolled.

  • New Military-Connected Students

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    Welcome to Governors State University! To get started with applying your benefits at Govstate, we will request a few documents to have on file.

    • A copy of your DD214 (or the DD214 of the person you receive benefits from)
    • A certificate of eligibility for the benefit(s) you will be using at GovState

    If you do not have copies of the documents listed above, please let us know. We can assist you obtaining all documentation you need to get started! Once you have the documents listed above submitted to us, then you can proceed to the step below for current students. If you still need to apply for benefits, please explore our benefit information on this page for links to what you may qualify for.

  • Current Military-Connected Students

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    Veterans Benefit Form Processing

    Veterans Benefit Forms must be completed each term to apply your educational benefits. They are completed via DocuSign, and must be sent to you directly via your GovState student email account. Please contact us at veterans@govst.edu for a copy of the form. 

    Important notes about the form:

    • When you open the landing page for the form, you will need to enter your academic advisor’s email address. Please be sure to only enter your academic advisor’s email address when prompted, and not the veterans@govst.edu address as this will result in a misdirection of the form and will prevent it from being processed. If you are not sure what your academic advisor’s email address is, you can find it in the GovState staff directory: https://www.govst.edu/employee-directory/
    • Veterans Benefit Forms are processed for upcoming academic terms once the current term is concluded.

  • Federal Veterans Education Benefits

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  • Illinois State Veterans and Dependent Benefits

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  • Tuition Assistance for Active Duty Military Students

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    Please note:Active Duty Military Service Members should speak with their Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within their Military Service prior to enrolling in the institution. Your ESO can guide you when applying to use your Tuition Assistance.

     

    TA Refund Policy: Per Department of Defense (DOD) policy, Governors State University must return any unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through at least the 60 percent portion of the period for which the funds were provided. Unearned funds are returned to the DOD based upon when a student stops attending, and can result in a debt to the university once benefits are prorated.

    • Air Force ROTC at GovState (100% Tuition Waiver Available)

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      The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) is a leadership development program that prepares college students to become officers in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Through hands-on training, academic coursework, and physical fitness, cadets develop the skills necessary to lead and commission as officers upon graduation.

       

      The Governors State University AFROTC program is hosted by Detachment 195 at the University of Chicago. Learn more about the program and take your first step as a GSU student toward a future of service and leadership by visiting the detachment’s website at https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/afrotc.

    • Military-Connected Scholarship Information

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      Click here for scholarship information for military-connected students, including the Veteran's Emergency Fund.

    • Important Information for All Military-Connected Students

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      Our tuition and fee rate for GovState can be found here:

      Tuition and Fees rates for GovState

       

      Student Veteran Attendance or Participation in Courses Pending VA Payment in Compliance with 38 USC 3679(e):

      In Compliance with 38 USC 3679(e), Governors State University will not take any of the four following actions toward any student using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while their payment from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs is pending to the educational institution:

      • Prevent their enrollment;
      • Assess a late penalty fee to;
      • Require they secure alternative or additional funding;
      • Deny their access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

      However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

      • Produce the VA’s Certificate of Eligibility by the first day of class;
      • Provide written request to be certified;
      • Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment

       

      Helpful GovState Contacts:

      Veterans Resource Center: veterans@govst.edu or call 708.235.7597

      Financial Aid Office: faid@govst.edu or call 708.534.4480

      Career Services Office: career@govst.edu or call 708.235.3974

      Access Services for Students with Disabilities Office: assd@govst.edu or call 708.235.3968

      To find your Academic Advisor, please see the listing on the Academic Advising webpage.