Veteran Admissions and Certification
Welcome to Montana State University Billings!
While enrolling in college courses for the first time can be intimidating, below are some directions and links to help simplify the process. If at any time you have questions, or feel overwhelmed, please do not hesitate to contact the Military and Veterans Success Center. We are here to help you achieve your educational goals as smoothly as possible.
Getting Started
Veteran admissions are the same for all students with one major difference, veterans that have never used their benefits should apply for their GI Bill® prior to registering for classes. The reason for this is so that your benefits will be "active" before you start attending courses. Failing to do so can result in out-of-pocket expenses (as there is no way to confirm that the veteran is entitled to GI Bill® benefits) and delays in payment. Montana State University Billings does not make any determination on eligibility. MSU Billings and GI Bill® applications can and should be done simultaneously.
All newly enrolled veterans are also required to fill out a New Veteran Student Intake Form and a prior learning assessment form. Both of those forms, along with their GI Bill® certificate of eligibility, can be sent or dropped off at theMilitary and Veterans Success Center.
GI Bill® benefits cannot be processed until students have applied and been approved for education benefits. If you have additoinal questions about the next steps, you can download the Veteran Enrollment Checklist or contact the Miliary and Veterans Success Center.
For questions about your student account, course information, book ordering, and more, please see the New Veteran Guide, or contact the Military and Veterans Success Center.
If students have not previously applied for GI Bill® benefits, they can do so by utilizing the links below.
If you have previously used education benefits, you can print a copy of your Post 9/11 Statement of Benefits at Post-9/11 GI Bill Statement Of Benefits | Veterans Affairs (va.gov), or by contacting the GI Bill® hotline at 1-888-442-4551.
Apply For Education Benefits (Service Member) (login not required)
Apply For Education Benefits (Transfer Benefits) (login required, contact us for assistance if you are unable to navigate the authentication and need to submit a paper application)
Apply For Education Benefits (DEA Benefits) (login not required)
All Students
Students utilizing education benefits are required by law to send their transcripts,including military training transcripts, to their educational institutions. The reason for this is that VA education benefits cannot pay for courses previously taken, this includes non-restricted electives. If you have attended a previous college or academic institution, please contact your pior institution for transcript requests. Students that were erroniously certified for courses they have already taken will risk a VA and/or MSU Billings debt.
All academic transcripts must be official and should be sent to MSU Billings at the following address;
Office of Admissions
Montana State University Billings
1500 University Drive
Billings, MT 59101-0298.
Military transcripts can be found at the links below.
If you served in the Army, Marines, Navy, or Coast Guard, we will order your Joint Service Transcripts. However, if you wish to order your official copy, or view your unofficial copy, you can do so at https://jst.doded.mil/jst/
Air Force students must contact the Community College of the Air Force Transcript Request in order for their transcripts sent to the Office of Admissions, we cannot request them on your behalf.
CCAF transcripts should be sent to;
Office of Admissions
Montana State University Billings
1500 University Drive
Billings, MT 59101-0298.
No doubt you have questions about residency. If the statements below do not answer your questions, please feel free to contact the Military and Veterans Success Center.
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- If you live in the state of Montana, and are using VA education benefits, we will change your residency to in-state during the certification process. Please note, you may still show as out of state until your certification is compete.
- As long as students remain continuosly enrolled, they will continue to recieve resident rates, even after they stop using their education benefits.
All Students Using Benefits
Prior to each semester, GI Bill® students must contact the Military and Veterans Success Center in order to request certification. This is simply an email or phone call to confirm that you want to use your benefits and verify that you are done registering for the upcoming term.
Note- All students must confirm their attendance in MyInfo before the add/drop period to avoid being automatically withdrawn. Business Services, Confirm Attendance
Additionally, Chapter 30, 33, and 1606 students must verify their enrollment with the VA every month in order to avoid suspension of their stipends.
Effective December 2021 (Spring 22' semester), you must self-verify enrollments monthly with the GI Bill® Hotline 1-888-442-4551. (See Chapter 33 Enrollment Verification for more options)
Two consecutive months of not doing so, will result in the suspension of your housing stipend.
The MVSC cannot verify your enrollment for you.
You must self-verify enrollments monthly by contacting the GI Bill® Hotline at 1-888-442-4551, or by logging intothe WAVES website.
The Yellow Ribbon Program is used to offset the cost of non-resident tuition for out of state students. If you are an out of state student utilizing the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, please contact the Military and Veterans Success Center for more information.
We are pround to say that we do not utilize a Yellow Ribbon cap, and all eligible students that do not meet Choice Act residency, will be enrolled in the Yellow Ribbon program.
If you have questions about the current payment rates and what benefits are included, you can find details at Comparison Chart/Payment Rates - Education and Training (va.gov) or at GI Bill® Comparison Tool | Veterans Affairs (va.gov).
If you have questions about transfering your Post 9/11 GI Bill®, please visit Transfer Your Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits | Veterans Affairs (va.gov).*
*Service members must have opted into Transfer benefits while they were in service, as it is a retention tool for mid-career service members. (DoDI 1341.13)
Montana State University Billings accepts both DoD Tuition Assistace and MyCAA federal funding. If you plan to use either of these benefits, please contact the Military and Veterans Success Center to coordinate funding.
You may want to consider applying for financial aid. In most cases FAFSA is not impacted by your GI Bill® and awards can be utilized for education or living expenses.
Veterans rated Total and Permanent may qualify for a once in a life time discharge of their federal student loans. This includes Parent Plus loans.
To find out more, please visit Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Discharge (disabilitydischarge.com)
For questions regarding your GI Bill®, or any payments not covered by your GI Bill® please contact Renee with Business Services or the Military and Veterans Success Center.
Renee Haefer can be reached at (406) 657-1707 or renee.haefer@msubillings.edu
McMullen Ground Level West
Montana State University Billings works with individual students for issues related to military orders, deployment, weekend drill, annual training, and other service related obligations.
The Registrar, Student Accounts, and faculty will work together to do what is in the best interest of the student with regard to academic and financial implications.
Advanced notification and a copy of your orders (or other documentation of your service obligation) would normally be required.
