Veteran Benefits - Undergraduate

The university is fully approved for the education of veterans and veterans’ dependents under both federal and state programs. New students who qualify for benefits should report to the Veteran Educational Benefits Office in 223 Graff Main Hall, before or during registration. After this initial contact, registered students should keep the Veteran Educational Benefits Office apprised of their status and needs each semester.

Students must submit a Certificate of Eligibility for federal education benefits to the Veteran Educational Benefits Office and complete a certification request form (cert request) before the Veteran Service Coordinator certifies the student's credits to the federal Veterans Administration. The university certifies the credit load to the Veterans Administration (VA) based on the certification request. Only courses that satisfy degree requirements can be certified for VA educational benefits. 

Payments of veterans’ benefits depend on the number of credits carried. Students should carry at least 12 credits during the fall and spring semesters, and six credits during summer term, to receive full benefits under most programs. Payment will be awarded according to the schedule below. Contact the Veterans Benefits Coordinators for summer term rules.

Table to determine % of benefits

Undergraduate credits Enrollment/benefits status
12+ Full-time
9-11 3/4 time
6-8 1/2 time

More information can be found in the Veterans Educational Benefits Office and the Office of Records and Registration.

Veterans Choice Act Section 702 & 301 and the Colonel John M. McHugh Fairness for Survivors Act of 2021

Section 702 of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (Choice Act), requires the VA to disapprove programs of education for payment of benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® or Montgomery GI Bill®-Active Duty at public institutions of higher learning (IHLs) if the school charges qualifying veterans and dependents tuition and fees in excess of the rate for resident students for terms beginning after July 1, 2015. Section 301 modified the Choice Act to include Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) for "covered individuals" beginning after March 31, 2019. Beginning August 1, 2022: The Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-68) amended Section 702 to include Chapter 35 beneficiaries. 

To remain approved for the VA’s GI Bill programs, schools must charge in-state tuition and fee for covered individuals. A "covered individual" is defined in the Choice Act as:

  • A veteran using who lives in the state in which the IHL is located (regardless of their formal state of residence), is using Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), Montgomery GI Bill®-Active Duty benefits (Chapter 30), Veterans Readiness & Employment (Chapter 31), or Dependents Education Assistance (Chapter 35) and enrolls in the school.  
  • A spouse or child using transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill® or Dependents Education Assistance (Chapter 35) benefits who lives in the state in which the IHL is located (regardless of their formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school. 
  • A spouse or child using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship who lives in the state in which the IHL is located (regardless of their formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school.
  • A spouse or child using transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits who lives in the state in which the IHL is located (regardless of their formal state of residence) and the transferor is a member of the uniformed service who is serving on active duty.

To qualify as a covered individual, students must complete the following:

  • Submit a Certificate of Eligibility for Post 9/11 (Chapter 33), MGIB (Chapter 30), or DEA (Chapter 35) or an authorization for VR&E (Chapter 31)
  • Complete a cert request that allows certification to the VA to use benefits during that semester or term
  • Enter a Wisconsin address in WINGS

When federal payment by VR&E or Post 9/11 GI Bill is delayed

Individuals who are entitled to veteran educational assistance under Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment) or Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill ®) shall submit a certificate of eligibility (COE) and submit a written request (cert request) to use the entitlement not later than the first day of the course of education. 

While payment from the VA is pending, UWL will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or to UWL facilities, or the requirement that a student borrow additional funds because of the student’s inability to meet their financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by a federal payment (VA).

UWL may require the amount of tuition and fees owed above the expected federal educational assistance to be paid according to the UWL payment due dates.

Priority registration for service members

The State of Wisconsin grants priority registration for students who have served or are serving on active duty under honorable conditions in the United States armed forces, including Reservists and members of the National Guard. At the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, priority registration allows service members to register at the front of their class, meaning that a service member of sophomore standing will be able to register before other sophomores. To receive this benefit, a DD-214 or a Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE) must be filed with the Veterans Educational Benefit Coordinator prior to registration.