Service Hours and Availability
Our normal office hours are 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. Please call our main office line at 303.315.7300, send an email to vmss@ucdenver.edu, or make a Navigate Appointment with our staff for assistance outside of these hours. Thank you!
Make an AppointmentVeterans Affairs & Military Education Benefits
You've made the important decision to continue your education. Whether you're an undergraduate student or graduate student, attending college for the first time or continuing your studies, there's a lot to understand and organize when it comes to using your VA education benefits.
It's important to know what your benefits are and how to use them, to know what forms are required and to be sure you submit them on time, and to know what the processes are for students at CU Denver.
We've outlined all the details here, from an explanation of benefits, to a checklist of the steps to take throughout the process, and an overview of residency requirements. So, start here and become familiar with the procedures and requirements. Then, if you have questions, reach out to our VMSS staff for the answers at VMSS@ucdenver.edu.
How Your Benefits Work
You’re ready to begin your college career or continue it. You’ll be using VA Education Benefits. So, before you even start going to class, there’s a lot for you to learn about how your benefits work and the policies and procedures you'll follow to successfully access and use your benefits.
You’ll need to know the requirements for your specific benefit. And, as you’re navigating through forms and procedures, you’ll be hearing some terms that might be new to you. Among other items, you’ll want to understand certification requests, financial aid, sponsor payments, and eligibility percentage. Undergraduate students who are Colorado residents may qualify for the College Opportunity Fund.
Take a look through the details provided, then check in with your VMSS staff with any questions at VMSS@ucdenver.edu.
The College Opportunity Fund (COF) is a tuition stipend available to undergraduate students who are residents of Colorado.
Post 9-11 GI Bill®
- For students 100% eligible, accepting COF reduces the amount of tuition and fees billed to the VA
- For
students 90% eligible and below, accepting COF reduces the amount of
tuition and fees billed to the VA and lessens the amount that is the
student’s responsibility
- 60% eligible without COF – If tuition and fees total $1000, the amount billed to the VA is $1000 and the student’s responsibility is $400
- 60% eligible with COF - If tuition and fees total $1000 and $400 is received for COF, the amount billed to the VA is $600, making the student’s responsibility $240
For students using other types of Military Education Benefits who only receive a monthly stipend, accepting COF reduces your tuition and fees.
If the student is obtaining a degree from CU Denver, the "host" school, and taking classes for that degree at another "guest" school:
- The student should fill out the VMSS CU Denver | Anschutz Supplemental Certification Form
- A CU Denver or CU Anschutz Advisor must sign off on the Supplemental Certification Form, verifying the courses at the outside school is part of the student's CU Denver degree plan and all credits will be accepted by CU Denver
- The name and email address of the Guest School's certifying official is required
- The Supplemental Certification Form must be emailed to VMSS@ucdenver.edu. A VMSS Certifying Officials will verify and sign the document and email it to the outside school's Certifying Official so they can certify the student as a "Guest Student"
If the student is obtaining a degree through another "host" school, and taking classes for that degree program through CU Denver or CU Anschutz Medical Campus as a "Guest" student:
- The student should obtain a Supplemental Certification Form or Parent/Guest Letter from the outside school to indicate classes being taken at CU Denver are part of the outside school's degree plan and the CU Denver credits will be accepted by the outside school
- The outside school's Supplemental Certification Form or Parent/Guest Letter should be signed off by an Advisor and Certifying Official from the outside school
- The outside school's Supplemental Certification Form or Parent Letter should be sent to CU Denver's VMSS Certifying Official via email at VMSS@ucdenver.edu
- The CU Denver VMSS Certifying Official will then certify the student as a "Guest" student
Practical training is required for some programs to complete a degree. Practical training includes:
- Internships
- Clinicals
- Rounds
- Rotations
- Residency
Practical training can be reported for a course as either credits or Clock Hours. A Clock Hour is one hour of practical training and can be reported by submitting the VMSS Clock Hour Form.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and fees are submitted for the Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) to the VA after the census date. Census is the last day to drop/add classes and can be found in the CU Denver or CU Anschutz academic calendars. Submitting after census ensures that all fees and charges have been posted to student accounts. This also allows students to change their schedules as necessary before the VA is billed for tuition and fees to prevent payment issues. It can take anywhere from three to six weeks for the VA tuition and fee payment to be processed and posted to the student account.
If there’s a balance after the payment deadline, service charges may be posted to student accounts. Emails may also be sent to students indicating a remaining account balance.
Fees that are not covered by the Post 9/11 GI Bill are:
- Course drop fees
- Service charges
- Accountable Student fee (Anschutz only)
- Student Housing fees (Denver only)
- Study Abroad fees
Don’t ignore an open balance. Provide either your COE or military-connected residency documents to VMSS@ucdenver.edu. If you are a nonresident, be prepared to pay the difference between the resident and nonresident tuition rate. Tuition and fee rates can be found in CU Denver or CU Anschutz student finances.
Certification Requests
Certification Requests should be submitted by students who are using the following benefits:
- Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30)
- Post 9-11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33)
- Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)
- Vocational Rehab (Chapter 31)
- Survivors and Dependents Assistance (Chapter 35)
- Reserve Educational Program - REAP (Chapter 1607)
For more information about these benefits, go to VA About GI Benefits.
What happens when my Certification Request is submitted?
Submit Certification Request
Eligibility Percentage
The Post 9-11 GI Bill® assigns an eligibility percentage based on a service member’s time in service. The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is used to verify a student’s eligibility percentage for Sponsor Payments (see Sponsor Payments below). Without a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) on file, a sponsor payment cannot be posted and service/late charges may apply. Please provide a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) prior to census to avoid late fees.
If you are less than 100% eligible for the Post 9-11 GI Bill®, you must pay your portion by the CU Denver or CU Anschutz due date, usually census. If the student's portion is not paid by the due date, services charges may apply. If you are not sure what your portion is, find your CU Denver or CU Anschutz tuition and fee rate and multiply it by your eligibility percentage. If you need assistance, email VMSS@ucdenver.edu.
Sponsor Payments
Sponsor Payments will be posted to eligible Post 9-11 GI Bill® and Vocational Rehab students on or around the first day of the term and once a week until census. A Sponsor Payment is a VA tuition and fee placeholder in the amount expected from the VA based on the student's eligibility percentage. The following Post 9-11 GI Bill® exceptions are not eligible for a sponsor payment:
- Students who have not submitted a Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
- Non-residents
- Students enrolled in Study Abroad
For students not eligible for a sponsor payment, the VA payment will be posted once received. This may delay the receipt of Financial aid funding.
Financial Aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be filled out each school year to be eligible for Financial Aid. Available Financial Aid will appear in the student’s portal and must be accepted by the student. Accepted Financial Aid will be posted to the student's account and applied to tuition and fees. Without authorization, Financial Aid will not be applied to mandatory fees such as:
- On campus housing
- Book store charges
- Short term loans
- Miscellaneous voluntary fees
Authorizing Financial Aid to pay all charges will allow the Bursar's office to pay all outstanding balances prior to refunding your financial aid.
To Authorize Financial Aid and avoid late fees and registration holds:
View Student Permissions
To set up direct deposit:
Direct Deposit Student Refunds
Benefits Checklist
Whether you're a first-year student, transfer student, undergraduate or graduate student, our checklist provides you with step-by-step directions to follow when using your VA education benefits at CU Denver.
Veteran & Military Residency
Military-Connected In-State Residency
Military-connected
students living in the state of Colorado may qualify for
in-state residency for tuition purposes. If you think you may qualify, please submit the appropriate document based on your
status:
- C.R.S. 2017, Title 23, Section 23-7-108.5. Tuition classification of armed forces veterans
- H.R.3230 – Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014. Section 702 The Choice Act
Documentation submission deadline:
Petition for In-state Residency
Not eligible for military-connected residency under Federal or State Law? Students are encouraged to petition for residency through the CU Denver Office of the Registrar. The In-state residency petition submission deadline is the Monday prior to the start of the semester.
Veteran & Military Tuition Assistance
Tuition Assistance (TA) is a benefit to active duty military, reservists, and the National Guard. TA is processed by the Bursar’s Third Party Billing department. To use TA, students should go to the appropriate TA platform and apply. The following information will be required to be approved for TA:
- Contact your Base’s Education Office or go to the appropriate website listed in the chart below.
- Upload your Degree Plan (commonly known as your Degree Audit)
- When you run your Degree Audit, expand all sections of the audit, go to Print the page, then change the Printer to Save as PDF. (Can we make this a question mark that students can click on to get this additional info?)
- Update copy annually to verify that the class you are attempting to use TA Funding for will progress your degree.
- When you run your Degree Audit, expand all sections of the audit, go to Print the page, then change the Printer to Save as PDF. (Can we make this a question mark that students can click on to get this additional info?)
- Complete a CU Denver Third Party Student Agreement Form.
There is more information about the process to utilize TA at Third-Party Billing's Website. Any questions about CU Denver’s processes for using TA Funding should be directed to thirdpartybilling@ucdenver.edu.
| ARMY | NAVY | AIR FORCE | SPACE FORCE | MARINES | COAST GUARD | NATIONAL GUARD | |
| Website | Army IgnitED | MyNavy Education | Air Force Virtual Education Center | Air Force Virtual Education Center | Marines TA | Coast Guard TA | State TA |
| Type of Tuition Assistance | Federal Tuition Assistance | Federal Tuition Assistance | Federal Tuition Assistance | Federal Tuition Assistance | Federal Tuition Assistance | Federal Tuition Assistance | State Tuition Assistance |
| Amount per Credit Hour | $250 | $250 | $250 | $250 | $250 | $250 | 100% tuition after COF |
| Annual TA Cap | $4,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 | $4,500 | $4,500 | $2,250 | $5000 per Semester |
| GPA Requirements (Undergrad) | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 |
| GPA Requirements (Grad) | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| TA Application Window | No later than 10 days before class start date | 60 to 15 days before class start date | 45 days to 7 days in advance | 45 days to 7 days in advance | 60 days in advance, must be approved prior to start date | 90 days to 14 days in advance | Apply during Application period on Website below for each Term |
| Credit Caps (Undergraduate) | 130 | 120 Lifetime | 128 | 128 | *TA will be authorized for your FIRST Bachelor’s Degree | 130 | 132 Lifetime |
| Credit Caps (Graduate) | 39 | 120 Lifetime | 42 | 42 | *TA will be authorized for your FIRST Master’s Degree | 40 | 132 Lifetime |
CU Denver Land Acknowledgement
Acknowledging that we reside in the homelands of Indigenous Peoples is an important step in recognizing the history and the original stewards of these lands. Land acknowledgments must extend far beyond words, the United States has worked hard to erase the narratives of Indigenous Peoples over time. Land acknowledgment statements can help to remind us of the history, the contributions and the sacrifices Native peoples have made.
We honor and acknowledge that we are on the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Ute nations. This area, specifically the confluence of the Platte and Cherry Creek Rivers was the epicenter for trade, information sharing, planning for the future, community, family and ally building, as well as conducting healing ceremonies for over 45 Indigenous Nations, including the Lakota, Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, Shoshone, Paiute, Zuni, Hopi among others.
We must recognize Indigenous peoples as the original stewards of this land and as these words of acknowledgment are spoken and heard, remember the ties these nations still have to their traditional homelands. Let us acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory and pay our respect to the diverse Indigenous peoples still connected to this land. Let us also give thanks to all Tribal Nations and the ancestors of this place.
Gracie RedShirt Tyon, Lakota, Director, American Indian Student Services
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)