Veteran Affairs (VA) Funding

Aberystwyth University's Penglais Campus from an aerial view

Aberystwyth University is able to process applications for the US Department of Veteran Affairs funding (also known as GI Bill) and can complete and submit certificates of enrollment to the VA.

Notice:

Please note that the US Department of Veteran Affairs have advised that current Program Approval processing times are currently taking in the region of 60 days. We cannot guarantee that your chosen programme of study will be approved and should your request be denied, you will be responsible for payment of tuition fees.

Before Applying

To apply for VA funding at Aberystwyth, you must first make an application directly to the VA. Please visit the department of Veteran Affairs website and consult their information about foreign programmes.

Once you have applied the VA will give you a Certificate of Eligibility.

 

Please be aware it can take a long time to receive VA funding so you should not rely on VA benefits to fund a course deposit, or fees and living expenses early on in your course.

Getting your Course Approved

Please follow the process below for getting your course approved:

  1. Check the list of already approved courses, your chosen course might already be on there!
  2. If your course is not listed in our list of approved courses, you can request approval by filling this form.

 

If your course is approved, please fill out our US Veteran's Affair Education Benefits Form.

 

Applying

  • Ensure your course is approved: Either by following our 'Getting your Course Approved' list or using one of the already pre-approved courses.
  • We will contact you via email for a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE).

 

We will not proceed with a course approval without a Certificate of Eligibility.

 

  1. Complete our VA Funding Form to ensure we have the information we need to certify your enrolment to the VA.
  2. Once we have your COE we will put in a course approval and notify you via email. If the course is approved or rejected we will notify you again. Please allow 60 days after our original notification to you.
  3. Once you are enrolled and on campus we will enrol your course for the term. You will be notified once this is completed.
  4. If you are eligible to receive a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA), the VA requires that you verify your enrolment each month to confirm that you remain enrolled on the same course. Information on how to do this can be found on the Enrollment Verification page of the VA's website.

 

How much will I receive?

The VA do not share their calculations with us so we cannot predict how much you will receive. You should be able to get a good idea by checking the current benefit rates, but please be aware that the amount you will receive depends on your individual benefit entitlement and enrolment details.

If you are eligible for education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you should be aware that tuition benefits at foreign schools are capped at $29,920.95 per year (in 2025-26). Depending on your benefit entitlement and course fees, the VA will pay the University up to this capped amount. If your annual course fee exceeds this amount, you will be responsible for paying the difference. Further the US VA handle calculations of exchange rates and send tuition in US Dollars (USD). It then must be converted to pounds (GBP). This often creates a deficit for students with tuition payments. Please keep track of the amount of tuition being paid as you will be responsible for any tuition deficit.

Receiving VA Funding

You may consider using other funding, such as a US federal or private education loan to cover the financial declaration and expenses early on in your course and then use the VA funding to repay the loan when it arrives.

Enrolment happens in early October once we confirm your arrival. After enrolment, payments can take up to a month to be received.

List of Approved Courses

Approved Programs and Qualifications for VA Funding