Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill) – Important Information

 

Chapter 33 Facts and Helpful Information

  • The VA will pay the IN-STATE tuition and fee rate directly to the University Cashier’s Office. The monthly BAH (housing stipend) and book allowance are mailed/direct deposited directly to you.

  • Tuition and Fees – Once your semester hours and charges are certified by our office, the student accounting office will post an anticipated payment on your account based on what we anticipate the VA to pay. This anticipated payment will show on your account that is accessible through PiratePort. If you have questions about this posted amount you can contact their office by emailing: studentbilling@ecu.edu

  • Student Housing & Dining/Meal Plans  – If you are living in on-campus housing and cannot pay upfront for your housing and meal plan charges, you will need to either signup for a payment planor request a deferral. Failure to pay for all charges in excess of tuition & fees may lead to cancellation of your academic schedule.The VA housing stipend is issued directly to the student at the end of each month for the preceding month.  Currently, the BAH for our zip code pay grade E5 with dependents is $ $1,599.00 monthly.  You can find other BAH amounts by pay grade here:  https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/BAH-Rate-Lookup/.  You must be tracking with at least one main campus course (in-residence) and considered at least 51% rate of pursuit to qualify for the housing stipend. 

  •  Student Health Insurance – If you do not have your own health insurance coverage and wish to keep the ECU Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), the VA will cover the charge for you (at your percent entitlement rate). You will need to answer YES to the insurance question on the Request for Benefits form.If you currently have your own coverage, you will need to waive out of the school’s health insurance coverage.  To waive out of the coverage, please visit the Student Health Insurance webpage. If you wish to enroll in the Premium Plan, the VA will cover the cost of the Value Plan (at your percent entitlement rate) and the additional charge will be owed out of pocket or with other funding.

  •  Monthly Enrollment Verification – Chapter 33 recipients must verify their attendance with the Department of Veterans Affairs at the end of each month. Failure to do so for two consecutive months will result in a halt of your housing payments. Visit the VA webpage for information on how enrollment verification works.

  • Book Stipend – Chapter 33 recipients are eligible to receive a monthly book stipend. The stipend is paid out based on the number of courses that you are enrolled in at a rate of $41.67 per credit hour. The maximum the VA will pay per academic year is $1000.00. The VA pays this stipend directly to the student approximately 10 days prior to the start of class each semester.