How to Apply for Educational Financial Aid for Veterans

Veterans exist in a class of Americans set apart from the average person. They even have their own annual holiday. It is no surprise that there are multiple opportunities for educational financial aid for veterans and their families. Once you know where to look, you'll see that there are many scholarships that can help cover the cost of your late-career education or the education of your immediate family members.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Verify your discharge status. You will only qualify for veteran benefits of any kind if you were discharged from your military service with honorable or general status. A dishonorable discharge, a bad-conduct discharge or any discharge resulting from a federal court marshal will likely result in the stripping of your veteran benefits.
2. Determine whether you qualify for wartime-service benefits. Many financial aid programs, particularly those that are extended to spouses and dependents, require that the military member was active at his post during a wartime period.
3. Take all your important documents that prove your eligibility to the Veterans Affairs (VA) office when you go to apply for educational financial aid. This will include your discharge papers if you are the veteran applying for the financial aid. If a family member is seeking financial aid or the veteran is deceased, it will also include the marriage certificate and/or death certificate of the veteran and the birth certificates of the veteran and the veteran's children (if any).
4. Visit you local VA office for help filling out the paperwork. Not only will a representative help you collect the appropriate papers, but she may also be able to identify other financial aid resources that you may wish to try. She will also help you apply for each of the programs you choose.
5. Apply for your benefits well in advance. Some paperwork may take an extended effort to complete while others may only take a few minutes. However, many financial aid programs have deadlines that can be a full year before the start of your educational benefits.
6. Get news and further information about financial aid for veterans at VA.gov (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that wartime periods are not arbitrary dates. Instead, they are defined by presidential proclamations or laws that establish the specific chronological boundaries for wars.

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