It’s important that you understand your tuition & fees charges and the payments associated with your VA benefits.
Tuition & VA Payments
VA Exemption Tuition Status (in-state tuition)
Students who are eligible for VA education benefits under Ch 30 MGIB – Active Duty, Ch 31 VR&E, Ch 33 Post-9/11, or Ch 35 DEA will be assessed in-state (resident) tuition. When your tuition status is updated, an email will be sent to your hawaii.edu account. No further action is required by you.
If you applied for financial aid, revisions to your aid may be required. Please contact Financial Aid Services if you have questions.
If you are eligible for VA benefits under Ch 1606 MGIB – Selected Reserve, please contact a Residency Counselor at the Office of Admissions regarding your residency status.
Financial Aid & VA Benefits
In addition to utilizing your VA education benefits, you may also apply for financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA will determine your eligibility for all federal, state, and institutional funding. More information about completing the FAFSA, scholarships, and important deadlines can be found at the Financial Aid Services website.
Financial aid awards are disbursed up to 10 days prior to the start of each semester. VA payments for tuition and fees may arrive before or after financial aid is disbursed:
- If your VA payment is posted to your account before financial aid disburses, it will be immediately applied to your tuition and fees. If the VA payment is enough to cover the entire cost of your tuition and fees, then the entire amount of financial aid will be disbursed directly to you.
- If financial aid disburses before your VA payment is posted to your account, financial aid will be applied to your tuition and fees first. Once VA payment is received, the Cashier’s Office will refund you the financial aid that was previously applied to your tuition and fees during the initial disbursement period.
Contact the Cashier’s Office (QLC 105, Phone: (808) 956-7554, billpayment-l@lists.hawaii.edu) if you have any questions about getting a refund and the refund schedule.
Payment Information by Benefit Type
The VA pays you based on your enrollment status. As a reminder, the VA will only send payment for the dates you enrolled in classes, so if classes begin or end in the middle of the month, the VA will send a prorated monthly payment.
You can check on the status of your payment(s) by contacting the VA’s Education Call Center.
Ch 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill
Net Tuition & Fees
The VA pays net in-state tuition and mandatory fees up to your entitlement percentage directly to UH Mānoa. Per VA regulations, the VA is the “last-payer” for tuition and fees. To understand how your tuition and fees will be reported to the VA, visit How are net tuition and fees calculated?
Fees that are covered by the VA include: mandatory student fees, required course fees, and the graduation fee.
Timeline: Payment is sent directly to UH Mānoa within 2-3 weeks of the certification being submitted. In the event that you are certified for classes with varying start dates, the VA will distribute the tuition payments closer to the date of the class(es) beginning.
Books & Supplies Stipend
You should expect to receive a book and supplies stipend from the VA to help cover the cost of books and supplies, including any IDAP charges. If your entitlement percentage is 100%, the stipend will be based on $41.67 per credit hour, not to exceed more than $1,000 per academic year. If your entitlement percentage is less than 100%, then you are eligible for a percentage of $1,000 for the year (e.g., a student who is 80% eligible can receive up to $800 in book stipends for the academic year.)
Timeline: If you have been certified prior to the start of the semester, payment for books and supplies is sent to you via direct deposit before or near the beginning of the semester.
Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA)
You are eligible for MHA if you enroll in classes more than half-time and are not on active duty (including spouses of someone on active duty).
MHA payments are based on these factors:
- Your entitlement percentage (e.g., 100%, 80%)
- Your rate of pursuit – how many credits you are certified for per semester/term, compared to full-time enrollment
- The zip code of the campus location where you physically attend the majority of your classes. Visit the in-person requirement for monthly housing allowance
Timeline: MHA payments are distributed at the end of each month via direct deposit. Bank payment processing times may affect when MHA payment is reflected in your account.
Verify Your Enrollment
Section 1010 of Isakson and Roe (PL 116-315) requires you to verify your enrollment with the VA each month in order to receive a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). If you fail to verify your enrollment for two consecutive months, your MHA/kicker payments will be withheld.
Visit Verify School Enrollment for instructions on how to verify your enrollment with the VA. You may also watch How to Verify Enrollment.
Ch 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)
Each semester, obtain VR&E authorizations from your Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) to have the VA pay for your tuition & fees, books & supplies, and parking (if applicable).
Tuition & Fees Authorization
The VA pays net in-state tuition and mandatory fees directly to UH Mānoa. Per VA regulations, the VA is the “last-payer” for tuition and fees. To understand how your tuition and fees will be reported to the VA, visit How are net tuition and fees calculated?
Obtain a Tuition and Fees authorization from your VRC.
- The dates of the enrollment period must begin on or prior to the start of the semester, and end on or after the end of the semester
- If your VRC is authorizing IDAP charges, IDAP must be included on the authorization
- You must upload a copy of your Tuition and Fees authorization to your Enrollment Certification Request Form (ECRF) each semester. To protect your information, we do not accept authorizations via email
- You can expect a VA award placeholder to be applied to your account by Third Party Billing at the Cashier’s Office. This allows us to clear your applicable tuition and mandatory fees balance prior while we await the funds to arrive from the VA
| Authorization Type | Vendor ID | Email used by VRCs to produce an authorization | Submission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees
(including IDAP charges) |
99-600035441 | uhmva@hawaii.edu | Upload the authorization to your ECRF each semester |
Books/Supplies Authorization & Parking Authorization
You should submit authorizations for books/supplies and parking (if approved) via email (preferred) or in-person directly to the offices below.
| Authorization Type | Vendor ID | Submission | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Books and Supplies | 99-600035441 | bkstrfis@hawaii.edu | UH Bookstore’s Information Desk |
| Parking | 99-600035441 | auxfis@hawaii.edu | QLC Room 014 |
If you are unable to locate or reach your VR&E Counselor, please contact UH Mānoa’s VetSuccess on Campus Counselor (VSOC).
Ch 35 Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program & Ch 30/1606 Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty or Selected Reserve
Benefit Stipend
A monthly stipend is sent directly to you to help cover educational costs. The payment is based on your training time (eg., full-time, ¾-time, half-time). For information on payment rates, visit the Current VA Education Benefits Rates website.
- The VA does not pay for your tuition and fees. You are responsible for paying your tuition and fees in full by the payment deadlines published on the Academic Calendar or you may set up an installment payment plan in MyUH Services or with the Cashier’s Office.
- The VA does not pay for on-campus housing. You are responsible to pay for any meal or housing plans on the standard residence life timeline.
Timeline: Generally, you should receive a stipend on or after the first day of the month for the previous month’s enrollment via direct deposit. (Subject to change based on VA’s payment schedule.) Bank payment processing times may affect when your stipend is reflected in your account.
Verify Your Enrollment (Ch 30 & Ch 1606 only)
The VA requires you to verify your enrollment online or by phone each month in order to continue to receive your benefit stipend.
Visit W.A.V.E to verify your enrollment with the VA. You may also view the VA’s GI Bill WAVE FAQs.