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If you have never used your Veteran’s Benefits, then you will need to initiate the process by Applying To Use Your Benefits.  You can go directly to the Education Benefits Application.  Once you are approved to use your Veteran’s Education Benefits you will receive a Certificate of Eligibility.  This will inform you on how much you qualify for and for how long.

How to Apply for Benefits

The next step is to complete the Enrollment Certification.

Once you have confirmed your eligibility you need to request that our Veteran Affairs Office certify the courses you are taking towards your degree program.  Print a Enrollment Certification Request Form and bring this to your advising appointment to be completed by your advisor.  All courses to be certified must be required for your degree of study.  Once you have completed this form send it to the Financial Aid and Veteran Affairs Office.  We can begin certifying 60 days prior to the beginning of classes.  You should turn this document in no later than 30 days prior to classes beginning. 

Enrollment Certification Request Form 

Since your Veteran Education Benefits are based on the specific courses you are taking, it is very important to inform the Veteran Affairs Office of any changes in your schedule or program of study.  If you intend to add or drop a class, or even change sections, be sure to let the Veteran Affairs Office know. We can advise you on the best course of action.

Change in Place or Program of Study Form

If you are enrolled in a course at another USC college, USCL cannot certify eligibility for that course.  You will, instead, need to request Guest Student Enrollment Certification with that college’s Veteran Affairs Office.  Here is contact information for our other USC Campuses:

• USC Columbia
• USC Beaufort
• USC Upstate
• USC Salkehatchie
• USC Union
• USC Sumter

Kenneth T. Cole, Veteran Certifying Official

Director of Financial Aid and Veteran Affairs

Office: 803-313-7068

Fax: 803-313-7168

Email: usclfa@mailbox.sc.edu

This program provides veterans educational benefits for individuals entering the military service after June 30, 1985. (Reservists and National Guard members should refer to Chapter 1606 below.)

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This program is for veterans whose VA-established, service-connected disabilities entitle them to training and rehabilitation to increase the odds for employment.

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You may be eligible if you served at least 90 days on active duty after September 10, 2001, and you are either still on active duty or were honorably discharged from active duty. Individuals eligible for the GI Bill®-Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606) and who qualify for Chapter 33 may make an irrevocable election to receive Post-9/11 benefits.

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This program is for dependents (spouses and children) of individuals who died or are permanently and totally disabled from service-connected causes.

Students receiving Chapter 35 benefits may also be eligible for free tuition from the state of South Carolina. For more information, visit the South Carolina Division of Veterans' Affairs Benefits page.

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This program is available to members of the Selected Reserves, including the National Guard. 

National Guard members may also be eligible for state tuition assistance. For more information, contact the South Carolina National Guard's Education Office.

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Guard and Reservist members an qualify to use Tuition Assistance to reduce the cost of their Tuition and Fees.

South Carolina National Guard and Reservists can also qualify for The College Assistance Program (CAP).  The

Army Reserve Financial Aid Benefits:

• The Selected Reserve Montgomery Bill (SR-MGIB) provides Army Reserve Soldiers with cash to put toward college tuition.  
• The Army Reserve Montgomery GI Bill® “Kicker” is extra money eligible Army Reserve Soldiers can add on top of their Selected Reserve GI Bill® benefits.
• The Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP) provides educational assistance to Army Reserve Soldiers called to active duty in response to war or a national emergency.
• Under the Loan Repayment Program (LRP), the Army will repay 15 percent of the outstanding principal balance on your student loan or $500 per year (whichever is greater) after you spend a year in service.
• With the Tuition Assistance program, the Army will pay $250 per semester hour of college credit.
• The Concurrent Admissions (ConAp) program allows you to earn credit towards your college degree while serving in the Army or Army Reserve.  
• The Minuteman Scholarship allows high school and college students to receive full tuition or $10,000 in room and board in return for a service commitment.

South Carolina National Guard College Assistance Program

The South Carolina National Guard College Assistance Program (SCNG CAP) established in 2007, offers financial assistance to members of the South Carolina Army and Air National Guard by providing incentives for enlisting or remaining for a specified time in either the South Carolina Army or Air National Guard (SCNG). SCNG CAP is administered by the Commission on Higher Education along with the South Carolina National Guard. SCNG CAP recipients may receive up to a maximum of four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500) for the Army National Guard and up to a maximum of nine thousand dollars ($9,000) for the Air National Guard per academic year. The cumulative total of all College Assistance Program benefits received may not exceed eighteen thousand dollars ($18,000). These SCNG CAP benefits will cover the cost of attendance as defined by Title IV regulation; however, the benefit maximum per award year may be reduced if, in combination with other financial aid, the cumulative total of all aid received would exceed the cost of attendance. A SCNG CAP recipient shall not qualify for College Assistance Program benefits for more than one hundred thirty (130) attempted semester hours or related quarter hours from the time of initial eligibility into the SCNG CAP.

This program provides for free tuition to the children of certain war veterans attending South Carolina state supported colleges and universities as well as state supported post high school technical education institutions. Certain residency requirements apply. For questions or to apply contact 803.647.2434.

Download the Application for Tuition Assistance for Certain War Veterans Children.

Students receiving this benefit may also be eligible for Chapter 35 Survivors and Dependents Education Assistance Program.  Please see the link above regarding that program.

• Application: SC Free Tuition for the Dependents of Certain War Veterans
• https://scdva.sc.gov/education

Degree-granting institutions of higher learning participating in the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) Yellow Ribbon Program agree to make additional funds available for your education program without an additional charge to your GI Bill® entitlement. These institutions voluntarily enter into a Yellow Ribbon Agreement with VA and choose the amount of tuition and fees that will be contributed. VA matches that amount and issues payments directly to the institution.

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