Certifying your Benefits

When we mention the term “certify” we are talking about the action of communicating to the VA the following information:

• You have registered for classes
• Your courses are approved
• You are not on a waitlist for the courses being certified

For Post-9/11 students, this is when we tell the VA how much they are to pay for your tuition, fees, and book payment, as well as how many credits you are taking. We are also relaying this information to the Bellevue College Finance Department so that the funds can be accounted for and your classes are not dropped for non-pay­ment.

For students using the other benefits, this is where we tell the VA how many credits you are taking so that your monthly payments can be processed.

In order for this important process to be executed properly, we need you to communicate with us. AS SOON AS YOU REGISTER, please fill out the online Enrollment Certification Request form. This will automatically notify the Veterans Services Office of your intent to use VA education benefits. Once the request is received, your enrollment will be reviewed and submitted to the VA. It’s very important that you monitor your BC email for any questions or concerns regarding your enrollment.

Be aware that you may be dropped from your classes after seven days of registering if our office is not notified, or if a tuition deferment has not been applied. We make every effort to apply tuition deferments to all veteran and dependent accounts before the start of the quarter, however it is your responsibility to check your registration and notify our office if you do not see one. This practice is in place so that you can have more time to complete things like meeting with academic advisors and getting off of registration waitlists.

Degree Requirements

All courses must be required under your current program of study in order to be certified for VA benefits. If substitutions or exceptions are being made, an education plan, approved by an Academic Advisor, will need to be provided. Prerequisites for required courses are deemed approved and do not need an education plan. See degree requirements here

You will NOT be able to receive benefits for

• Repeating a course that you have a grade of “D” or better, unless the course is a prerequisite for other required courses and department policy requires a higher grade.
• Courses which are not required for your program of study
• Courses for which you have equivalent transfer credit
• Audit classes
• Physical education classes for veterans – unless the course(s) is required for a VA approved program
• Online remedial courses (below 100 level)

Student Credit Status

For students using Post 9/11 (CH 33) benefits, you must be enrolled in at least seven credits (four credits in Summer) to receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). For most students this means you’ll need to be enrolled in at least two courses in Fall, Winter, and Spring.

If you are enrolled in all online courses, you will receive one half of the national average BAH.

See the GI Bill Comparison Tool for specific dollar amounts.

For students using other VA education benefits, your payments are based on your enrollment level. Use this table to determine your credit status. See VA Payment Rates for specific dollar amounts.

Last Updated October 20, 2022