FAQs and Guidelines on Deployment

What is the tuition rate?

• As a veteran or active military service member you will always pay the in-state tuition rate, regardless of using benefits or not.

What does my benefit pay?

• Post 9/11 GI Bill® pays for tuition & fees. You also receive a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and a book stipend.
• Chapter 35 Dependents does NOT pay for tuition and fees. You only receive a monthly stipend.
• The National Guard pays for your tuition but NOT your fees. You do NOT receive a BAH.
• Tuition Assistance pays for your tuition and fees. You do NOT receive a BAH
• Vocational Rehabilitation pays for your tuition and fees. You also receive a BAH and a book stipend.

What is the BAH Rate?

• Depending on the benefit and service time, the full BAH will be different
• Please use the GI Bill® Comparison search: click here
• For Post 9/11 GI Bill®, the BAH is around $3,800
• There may also be a books/supplies stipend

What if I'm a veteran but not using benefits?

• Even without benefits, as a veteran you have access to all the resources CVSS has to offer. You will still be coded under our department and we will be available for any assistance you may need. A copy of your DD214 or JSTs as proof of serving for our records will be required.

How do I certify my benefits?

• Every semester an Online Certification form is sent out to active students. Once you are registered for classes, you have to fill out the form. Our Certifying Official will then certify you for your benefits through VA ONCE.

How do I apply for my benefits?

• For Chapter 31, Chapter 33, Chapter 35, and Chapter 1606 you apply on eBenefits
• Army Tuition Assistance is through Army Ignited
• The National Guard is through your unit.

Do I get priority registrations?

• Yes, as a veteran you have priority registration. If you have issues registering on the first day of registration please contact us so we can fix any issues

How many credits is considered full time?

• For Undergraduate, full time is 12+ credits
• For Graduate, full time is 9+ credits.

What happens if I change my status from full time to part time and vice versa?

• Your tuition will still be paid however your BAH will change. If you become a full time student you will get the full BAH. If you become a part time student you will get paid depending on your credit load.

What if I have more than one monetary benefit?

(Ex: Ch 33 Post 9/11 + Ch 31 Vocational Rehab)

• VA needs all students to consolidate their payments into one direct deposit account to help protect from fraud and to ensure VA pays Veterans on time, every time, without error
• If you’re a GI Bill® beneficiary who also receives other benefits, you need to ensure you have a single bank account selected for direct deposit by April 20
• When updating or receiving communications about direct deposit information, ALWAYS go to the official va.gov website found here: www.va.gov/change-direct-deposit

N.J.S.A. 18A:62-4.2 now state:

1.  a.  A service member or dependent of the service member, enrolled in a public institution of higher education who is unable to complete a course due to an unplanned deployment, mobilization, reassignment, or other military obligation of the service member, shall be entitled to the options set forth in this section with respect to the service member's or dependent's grade for the course.

     b.    A service member or dependent who has completed at least 55 percent of the course duration may choose, subject to approval from the faculty member, the department, the registrar, or the appropriate office at the institution, as applicable, to:

               (1)   receive a letter grade if the faculty member teaching the course determines that the service member or dependent has completed sufficient work, and there is sufficient evidence of progress toward meeting the requirements of the course, to justify the grade; 

               (2)   receive a grade of pass or fail based on whether the faculty member teaching the course determines that the service member or dependent has completed sufficient work and there is sufficient evidence of progress toward meeting the requirements of the course, to justify the grade; 

               (3)   receive a grade of incomplete; 

               (4)   withdraw from the course;

               (5) receive a temporary grade, if applicable; or

               (6) transfer into an equivalent online section of the course, if available, with appropriate approval.

     c.     A service member or dependent who has completed less than 55 percent of the course duration may choose, subject to approval from the faculty member, the department, the registrar, or the appropriate office at the institution, as applicable, to:

               (1)   receive a grade of incomplete if the faculty member teaching the course determines that the service member or dependent has completed sufficient work, and there is sufficient evidence of progress toward meeting the requirements of the course, to justify the grade; or

               (2)   withdraw from the course; or

               (3) transfer into an equivalent online section of the course, if available, with appropriate approval .

     d.   A grade of incomplete shall remain valid for a period of one year after the service member or dependent returns to the public institution of higher education.

     e.     A service member or dependent who chooses to accept a grade of pass or fail may, within one year after returning to the public institution of higher education, contact the faculty member who taught the course, the academic chair of the department offering the course, the registrar, or the appropriate office at the institution to establish a plan to receive a letter grade for the course by completing the work required for the course, in which case the letter grade shall replace the pass or fail grade as the service member's or dependent's grade for the course.

     f.    A service member or dependent who chooses to withdraw from a course shall receive a full refund of tuition and fees attributable to that course.

     g.    A service member or dependent who has paid amounts for room, board or fees shall, except as provided in subsection f. of this section, receive a refund of that portion of those amounts attributable to the time period during which the student or dependent did not use the services for which payment was made.

     h.     Any refund payable to a service member or dependent who is a financial aid recipient shall be subject to the applicable State and federal regulations regarding refunds.

     i.     As used in this section:

               "Dependent" means an individual who is the dependent child or spouse of a service member. 

               "Service member" means an individual who is serving as a member of a Reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, or as a member of the National Guard, or on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States.

     2.  This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full academic year next following the date of enactment.

The State of NJ does provide guidelines for soldiers who are deployed while enrolled. These guidelines are provided below. For Kean University, faculty have academic freedom in their respective courses and can utilize the guidelines or create an academic plan to finish the course successfully. To this end, both the faculty and the student should be in communication and agreement to the decision made.

Rights of Students Called to Active Duty

A student of a New Jersey public institution of higher education who is unable to complete a course because the student is called to partial or full mobilization for State or Federal active duty as a member of the National Guard or a Reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States shall be entitled to the options set forth in this section with respect to the student's grade for the course.

A student who has completed at least eight weeks of attendance in a course may choose to:

• Receive a letter grade, or
• Receive a grade of PASS (P) or FAIL (F), or
• Receive a grade of INCOMPLETE (IN), or
• Withdraw from the course.

A student who has completed less than eight weeks of attendance in a course may choose to:

• Receive a grade of INCOMPLETE (IN), or
• Withdraw from the course.

A student who chooses to withdraw from a course shall receive a full refund of tuition and fees attributable to that course.

A student who has paid amounts for room, board or fees shall, except as provided above, receive a refund of that portion of those amounts attributable to the time period during which the student did not use the services for which payment was made.

Any refund payable to a student who is a financial aid recipient shall be subject to the applicable State and Federal regulations regarding refunds.

A letter grade or a grade of Pass (P) shall only be awarded if, in the opinion of the faculty member teaching the course, the student has completed sufficient work, and there is sufficient evidence of progress toward meeting the requirements of the course, to justify the grade.

A grade of Incomplete (IN) shall remain valid for a period of one year after the student returns to the New Jersey public institution of higher education.

A student who chooses to accept a grade of PASS or FAIL may, within one year after returning to the institution, receive a letter grade for the course by completing the work required for the course, in which case the letter grade shall replace the pass or fail grade as the student's grade for the course.

A copy of your orders MUST be submitted to the Center for Veterans Student Success (CVSS) as soon after you receive them as possible.

Should it be necessary to withdraw from all classes, the CVSS and Registrars Office should be contacted, and a Leave of Absence taken. If time does not permit doing so, please have a family member contact the CVSS at 902-737-0483 or at veteran@kean.edu and we will process the Leave of Absence. However, a note from the student is REQUIRED requesting a leave due to activation.

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 Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.