Education Benefits | Office of Veteran and Military Services

Getting Started with VA Educational Benefits

Whether you are active military, a veteran or a dependent; have used or have never used VA education benefits before, this is where you start.

The Veterans and Military Services Office wants to help you in any way you may need. There are several steps you must complete to begin your studies at Binghamton University. Our job is to help you make that happen.

First - Apply for benefits in three easy steps

Complete a VA application.

VA Benefit	VA Application
30, 33, 1606 and 1607	Form 22-1990
Chapter 35	Form 22-5490
Chapter 31	Eligibility determined by the Veteran Readiness and Employment Office

Locate your additional supporting document. VA benefit type Include this supporting document All types, except Chapter 1606 DD-214 Military Discharge Document - Copy Member 4 Chapter 1606 DD-2384 NOBE - Notice of Basic Eligibility
Submit your application and document directly to the VA using one of the following methods:
Mail to Department of Veterans Affairs, PO Box 4616, Buffalo, NY 14240-4616.

Online at https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/(easy to do and fastest processing). If you apply online, you should receive your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA in four to eight weeks.

Second - Apply to Binghamton University

You can apply to Binghamton as a first year, transfer or graduate student before receiving your Certificate of Eligibility form or submitting your 1905 form to the VA. If you have questions about how Binghamton resources and the Veterans and Military Services staff can help you succeed, contact the Veteran and Military Services Office. Once you’ve been admitted to Binghamton, you need to start your benefits with the Veterans and Military Services Office.

Third - Get Your Benefits Started
1, Complete Veterans Enrollment Certification Form
NOTE: you MUST have a B# and BU email address to submit an enrollment form.

The online enrollment form is used to notify the Veterans and Military Services Office that you want to use VA educational benefits. You will receive a confirmation indicating you have successfully submitted the form.

So you are always in control of using your benefits, you need to submit an enrollment form for any semester for which you want to use VA education benefits.

Please Note: You can only submit an enrollment form for a semester for which you are registered.

To notify Veterans and Military Services of enrollment changes after submitting the form, resubmit the enrollment form as a revised Veterans Enrollment Certification Form.

Veterans and dependents using the Post-9/11 GI Bill®
Must send a copy of your VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or most recent letter from the VA detailing your remaining benefits to the Veterans and Military Services Office. Whenever you receive an updated COE or letter from the VA outlining your benefits, please submit a copy to the Veterans and Military Services Office using the document upload section of online Veterans Certification Enrollment Form.

NOTE: Binghamton University will not submit a certification before receiving a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or letter from the VA outlining education benefits and a competed Veterans Enrollment Certification Form.

''GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.va.gov/education/."