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Military & Veterans Benefits

If you have served our country as a part of the armed forces, you may be eligible to receive education benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Whether you have been released from active duty, currently serving on active duty, are in the National Guard or Reserves or are a spouse or dependent of a veteran, you may be eligible for these benefits. Cornerstone University also accepts up to 30 military credits to apply toward your degree completion.

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Certifying Officials

Recognized as a Military Friendly School, the certifying officials at Cornerstone University look forward to assisting you in obtaining and using your benefits to help you meet your educational goals.

Steps to Receive Educational Benefits

01

Submit Proof of Service

To receive benefits at Cornerstone University, provide your enrollment counselor with a copy of your DD214 if honorably discharged or a copy of your DD220 Active Duty Report if still serving.

02

Complete the Cornerstone VA Authorization Form

Complete and send in your VA Authorization Form to CU no later than two weeks before you start your first course. This form notes the Veterans Educational Benefits you’ll receive and lets us know what benefits to certify. You must submit this form each semester you plan to use your education benefits.

 

03

Apply Online for Education Benefits

Use the Veterans Benefits Administration’s e-benefits portal to complete your application for benefits.

A notice will come stating the benefits for which you are eligible, called a Certificate of Eligibility, which must be submitted to your Certifying Official at Cornerstone when received. Those who qualify for chapter 1606 or 1607 will need to submit a Notice of Basic Eligibility to your Certifying Official at Cornerstone.

04

Receive Certification of Your Benefits

Your Cornerstone Certifying Official will certify your benefits according to your enrollment and billed cost of tuition and required fees. This certification communicates your enrollment and expenses to the VA so they can award your eligible benefits. Expect a two-week to 10-week time frame for all benefits to be received. Chapter 33 recipients will need to verify enrollment each month to receive housing benefit payments.

If you receive Chapter 30, 1606 or 1607, you must complete a Student Verification of Enrollment on the last day of the month or first day for the previous month. This is done through the W.A.V.E. portal.

05

Receive Re-Certification of Your Benefits by Term

Your Cornerstone Certifying Official will certify your benefits by term or class in advance to ensure timely awarding of benefits. You must notify your Certifying Official of all enrollment changes as far in advance as possible. If you register for a class, drop a class or change programs, notify your Certifying Official immediately.

Resources

Forms for Veterans

Applying for Education Benefits

After completing your application for Veterans Benefits, the VA will process your application and provide you with a Certificate of Eligibility. This certificate may take several weeks to receive from the VA. Chapter 33 beneficiaries are expected to check-in with the VA monthly in order to receive housing benefits in a timely manner. Once received, provide this certificate to Cornerstone’s VA Certifying Official. If you have previously used your veterans benefits at another institution or are advancing from a bachelor’s to a master’s program, you’ll need to submit the VA Request for Change of Program of Place of Training form. This form should be sent to both the Buffalo VA Regional Benefits Office and Cornerstone University. You can also complete the electronic 22-1995 form on the Department of Veteran Affairs website.

Benefits Excluding Post 9/11 Chapter 33

If you receive benefits other than the Post 9/11 Chapter 33, you may be reimbursed through the Department of Veteran Affairs. For this plan, you will be responsible to pay Cornerstone as described on the invoice or billing statement.

Compliance Code 3679(E)

We, Cornerstone University, will permit any covered individual (a student who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits) to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the Student Financial Services Office a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 (a “certificate of eligibility” can also include a “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the Department of Affairs’ (VA) website—eBenefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates:

  1. The date on which payment from VA is made to the institution.
  2. 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.

We will not impose to a covered individual any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries or other institutional facilities. We will not require that a covered individual borrow additional funds because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to Cornerstone due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under chapter 31 or 33.

More Resources for Veterans

Info for Active Military

As a DoD personnel you are eligible for all forms of financial aid that Cornerstone offers. Your School Certifying Official (SCO) can provide information for application for federal student aid programs, scholarships, grants, loans, etc., to DoD Tuition Assistance (TA) recipients.

If you qualify for a Pell Grant through Federal Financial Aid, you will have your TA benefits applied first to your account balance prior to the application of your Pell Grant funds to your account. Unlike TA funds, which are tuition-restricted, Pell Grant funds are not tuition-restricted and may be applied to other allowable charges on the account.

Eligible Service members are to receive approval from the Cornerstone University SCO (School Certifying Official), prior to enrollment. Cornerstone University will enroll the student only after the TA is approved. Service members will be solely responsible for all tuition costs without this prior approval. CU can pre-register a Service member in a course while final TA paperwork is being processed. All Military TA must be requested and approved prior to the start date of the course each semester/term. The Military TA is approved on a course-by-course basis and only for the specific course(s) and class dates that a Service member requests via their online account.

All students, including TA eligible members are given access to a Financial Aid Specialist who can provide information on all types of financial aid. This includes federal financial aid. All students can reduce or decline their federal loan before disbursement each semester/term

Service member’s point of contact is Cornerstone’s School Certifying Official. This person can be a liaison between other offices on campus to support the student through academic and financial advising, disability services, and career counseling.

Cornerstone University has two Financial Aid professionals who are trained SCOs (School Certifying Officials) and points of contact for service members. Jana Lamberts serves as the primary point of contact. Erika Carlson serves as the assistant point of contact.

Cornerstone University will allow Service members and reservists to be readmitted to a program if they are temporarily unable to attend class or have to suspend their studies due to service requirements.

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MON - FRI: 8 a.m. - 5. p.m.
SAT & SUN: Closed

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