The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Education Service provides benefits and resources to help US service members, Veterans and their eligible dependents pay for their education.
If you are eligible for VA educational assistance, you may be able to use your Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) or Survivors and Dependents Education Assistance (Chapter 35) benefits at the University of Manchester.
The University of Manchester is approved by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to process VA Benefits for students studying on campus in Manchester. Eligibility for GI Bill benefits is determined by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
As a foreign school, there are some important exceptions to the use of your benefits at the University of Manchester including the specific programme of study that you'll be studying with us, needs to be approved by VA.
The University of Manchester's school page can be found on the VA website here.
Register with https://www.va.gov/education/ to determine your eligibility for benefits and to check if your programme of study is on the VA approved list for the University of Manchester.
If the programme is showing on VA systems as approved, follow the guidance for in the How to use your VA benefits at the University of Manchester section.
It is important that you contact us as soon as your Certificate of Eligibility letter is sent to you, as the VA will not inform the University of Manchester. In addition, to receive VA funding for studying overseas, the programme of study you are applying for needs to be approved by the VA. The list of programmes already approved at the University of Manchester can be found in the Current Approved Programmes section below.
It is important to note that while some programmes may have similar names and/or content, each specific programme must be individually approved.
Please note that if studying a degree that lasts multiple years, you'll need to confirm before each year of study that you want to continue using your VA benefit entitlement.
If your programme of study is not listed on the VA website as approved, we can request approval provided that you hold an offer to study at the University of Manchester. You must contact us as early as possible to ask us to proceed with the programme approval process.
The VA advise that their approval process is taking up to 6 months for new programmes to be added to their approved list. We strongly advise that you do not start your programme of study until the VA has granted approval.
Without formal VA programme approval, you will become liable for tuition fee payment at the start of your studies. The delay in processing new programme approvals is not restricted to the University of Manchester - all Foreign Schools are experiencing the same delays and difficulties.
You can use private or Federal loans to pay your tuition if your programme is not approved on time. Any additional funds paid to your tuition fees can be refunded to you when your VA benefits are received by the University of Manchester.
Step 1 - Check your eligibility for VA funding.
Step 2 - Submit your application on the VA Website. If your application is approved, the VA will send you a Certificate of Eligibility letter.
Step 3 - Check whether the programme you plan to study is listed in our Currently Approved Programmes above. If not, please see the guidance in the section.
Step 4 - Ensure that your programme of study is 100% based in Manchester and does not include any off-campus periods for placements/study abroad or online elements.
Step 5 - Email your Certificate of Eligibility (issued by VA) to us. Include your SSN and UoA applicant/student ID number in the message.
Step 6 - If your programme is approved by the VA and you have completed the University of Manchester registration process, we will submit a Certification of Enrolment using VA systems. It is important to note that Certifications can take several weeks to process through the VA at peak times.
Please note that if studying a degree that lasts multiple years, you'll need to confirm before each year of study that you want to continue using your VA benefit entitlement.
You must notify the University of Manchester if you make any changes to your study pattern, programme of study or attendance.
Once your attendance at the University of Manchester has been confirmed at the start of the academic year, we will submit an enrolment certificate to the VA.
The VA does not provide a timeframe of when students will receive their funding once the enrolment certificate has been submitted. Due to data protection laws, the VA will never share your funding details with the University of Manchester. As such, we will not be able to assist you if you have specific queries about your funding.
If you have any questions about the payment of your benefits, you will need to contact the VA directly.
The VA can only pay your personal maintenance benefits into a US bank account. It will be your responsibility to transfer them to a UK bank account so that you can access them while at the University of Manchester.
If you receive financial support for tuition, your tuition payments will be made directly to the University of Manchester by the VA. They will convert the GBP amount into USD using the rate provided by Convera at the time the funds are received.
You will be regarded as personally responsible for tuition fee payment and your tuition fee charge invoiced to you directly. The VA will pay tuition fees directly to the University after the Certificate of Enrolment has been processed:-
There is a maximum dollar value that the VA will pay for tuition and after conversion to £GBP, the value that they pay may not cover the full cost of your tuition charges. In all cases, where there is a shortfall it is your responsibility to pay the outstanding balance.
The GI Bill Comparison Tool (new window) can help you estimate how much you could receive. To find out exactly what you are entitled to, please contact the VA directly.
Chapter 33 benefits may include financial support for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and housing.
The VA sets a maximum value for the tuition fee contribution each year. Further information about benefits can be found here https://www.va.gov/education/benefit-rates/post-9-11-gi-bill-rates/future-rates/
Chapter 35 benefits are a monthly payment made directly to the dependent (spouse or child) of a US Veteran. They do not cover tuition fees.
(University Switchboard)
+44 (0) 161 306 6000
The University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
