Funding for Veterans and Active Military

Harvard University Extension requires students to complete 2 or 3 prior credit prerequisite courses to qualify for admission, in order to ensure students have the foundational knowledge to succeed in our degree programs. VA benefits cannot be certified for these courses.

Visit Admissions for a full description of our course and non-course requirements for degree program admissions.

Once admitted, students may, if VA benefit-eligible, access and apply their GI Bill® benefits for the remainder of the courses required for their degrees.

Harvard University Extension will submit certified enrollment to the VA, once formally accepted into a degree program. The VA will make the final determination of eligibility and payment of benefits.

Neither participation in the Harvard Extension School professional graduate certificates nor Premedical Program constitutes participation in an approved program of study for payment of VA educational benefits.

Please make yourself familiar with the terms of your VA benefits. Information can be found on the VA’s GI Bill® website, Benefits.va.gov/GIBill/, or by contacting the VA directly at the GI Bill® Help Line (1-888-442-4551).

The VA requires the school to report a student’s enrollment by submitting an “enrollment certification” for payment of veterans’ educational benefits. To have your enrollment reported, complete the following:

• Step 1: Gain admission to either the Bachelor of Liberal Arts or a Master of Liberal Arts degree program.
• Step 2: Submit your Documentation of Benefit Entitlement. Submit only one of the items listed below. Documentation may be uploaded securely using the document upload feature in your MyDCE account , or you may email documentation to MilitaryBenefits@Extension.Harvard.edu. If you have already submitted documentation of benefit entitlement for a prior term you do not need to submit it again, unless requested. Additional documents may be required if you are attending, or have attended, other colleges or universities (see “Previous Affiliation” below), or if you have had a name change.
  • For Veteran Readiness and Employment, your case manager must authorize your funding, and it will be your case manager who submits your documentation of  benefits.
  • Post-9/11 GI Bill® Statement of Benefits. The Post-9/11 GI Bill® Statement of Benefits is a document generated through the VA.gov portal. It provides details on remaining entitlement, eligibility percentage, and benefit end date.
  • Certificate of Eligibility (obtainable from the VA)
• Step 3: Submit additional payment if necessary. If your VA benefits do not cover the full tuition charged to your student account, you will need to provide additional payment to cover any remaining balance by the payment in full deadline.

Student Financial Services (SFS) will report your enrollment to the VA for payment of benefits each term you are enrolled, until your benefits expire or until up-to-date documentation is required. If up-to-date documentation is required you will be notified. If you do not wish to use your benefits for a semester, you must send written notification to MilitaryBenefits@Extension.Harvard.edu.

SFS begins reporting enrollments after August 15 for the fall term, December 15 for the spring term, and May 20 for the summer term. Changes to student’s course schedules will be reported to the VA on a regular basis.  Please note, you must be registered for the term before your enrollment can be reported to the VA.

Only courses that count toward completion of your degree program may be reported to the VA for payment of veterans’ educational benefits.

If you are eligible to receive Post-9/11 GI Bill® or Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits, SFS will estimate your anticipated financial assistance based on your benefit entitlement level (as indicated by the VA on your documentation of benefits) and amount of tuition for the courses you are enrolled in. SFS will then post a credit of anticipated financial assistance to your student account. This credit will be used to defray your out-of-pocket tuition costs. Please note, you will need to register before you see the credit posted to your student account.

Please allow up to seven business days from the date we receive your documentation of benefit entitlement or VR&E Funding Authorization for anticipated financial assistance to be posted to your student account.

If the credit of anticipated funding posted to your student account does not cover your balance, you are responsible for the outstanding balance. Payment must be received within 10 business days of the notification of your outstanding balance, or you may be removed from your course(s).

To access a VA generated estimation of your education benefits, refer to the GI Bill® Comparison Tool on the GI Bill® website. Questions about eligibility and benefit amounts should be directed to the VA at 888-GIBILL-1 (888-442-4551).

If you have been affiliated with another institution of higher learning (IHL), there are requirements you must fulfill in order to have anticipated funding posted to your student account, and for the VA to provide educational benefits for your participation at the Harvard Extension/Summer School. These requirements depend upon your current status with the IHL previously attended. Failure to comply with the appropriate requirement may result in the VA not paying your educational benefits, in which case you will be responsible for the outstanding balance.

1. If you are currently a degree candidate at another college or university, and the Harvard Extension/Summer School course(s) you plan to enroll in will count towards your degree, you must have your primary school submit a primary school letter to MilitaryBenefits@Extension.Harvard.edu. At most schools, a primary school letter can be obtained from either your School Certifying Official or an Academic Advisor.
2. If you are not currently a degree candidate at your previous college or university and if the Harvard Extension/Summer School will be your primary school, you will need to submit a Request for Change of Program or Place of Training (VA Form 22-1995 or VA Form 22-5495) to the VA, and then notify us via MilitaryBenefits@Extension.Harvard.edu that you’ve completed the Request for Change of Program or Place of Training.

In accordance with federal regulations, 34 C.F.R. § 668.18 and the Department of Defense Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding, Harvard Extension School (HES) endeavors to promptly readmit service members who seek reentry to a degree program that was interrupted due to a uniformed service obligation.

Harvard Extension School is pleased to participate in the Post 9/11 Yellow Ribbon Program (YRP). The YRP provides funding for additional classes after a student has reached the Post-9/11 GI Bill® annual tuition cap. This assistance is available to admitted Harvard Extension School degree candidates, who are utilizing the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, and meeting VA eligibility requirements.

VA Eligibility Requirements:

• Only individuals (and their eligible dependents) entitled at the 100% benefit level may receive Yellow Ribbon Funding
  • Individuals who served at least 36 months or more on active duty
  • Individuals who served at least 30 continuous days on active duty, and were discharged due to service-connected disability
• Veterans or active-duty service members who received the Purple Heart for service after September 10, 2001, are eligible effective August 1, 2018
• FRY Scholarship recipients are eligible effective August  1, 2018
• Active-duty service members (and their eligible spouses using transferred entitlement) are eligible effective August 1, 2022
• Student must have reached the annual tuition and fees cap on Post 9-11 GI Bill® benefits for the academic school year (August 1 to July 31).
  • Cap on tuition funding for the 2023-24 academic year (8/1/2023 to 7/31/2024)  is $27,120.05
  • Cap on tuition funding for the 2024-25 academic year (8/1/2024 to 7/31/2025) is $28,937.09

The following are not eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program: 

• Individuals entitled to Chapter 33 at less than the 100% benefit level 
• Fry Scholarship recipients who attended terms that began prior to August 1, 2018 
• Active Duty service members who attended terms that began prior to August 1, 2022 
• Spouses of Active Duty servicemembers using Transferred Entitlement who attended terms that began prior to August 1, 2022 

 If tuition and fees costs exceed the annual tuition and fees benefits provided by the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, veteran students who meet eligibility requirements will be provided with Yellow Ribbon funding automatically. There is no limit on the number of students who may receive Yellow Ribbon funding.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education fully complies with Section 103.1.(b) of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018. For students who are covered under Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Chapter 33, Harvard Division of Continuing Education will not impose any penalty on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of funding from the VA under Chapter 31 or Chapter 33. Covered students will not be prevented from attending or enrolling in courses, will not be charged late fees, and will not be otherwise denied access to University services due to late payment from the VA until 90 days after the school has certified tuition and fees to the VA following the receipt of a Certificate of Eligibility or Statement of Benefits. The Certificate of Eligibility or Statement of Benefits should be provided to the Student Financial Services Office prior to the start of classes to ensure that benefits are processed in a timely manner.