Receiving Your Benefits

All new VA students (including dependents) must apply to activate their benefits online at www.va.gov. Click on the “Apply for education benefits” link under Education. On the next page, click on “Select Correct Form” and answer the questions. Continue until you receive a confirmation number. The VA may request additional information, such as your DD-214, in order to process your application.

Once you have been admitted to MECC, talk to an advisor and select a program of study. Request transcripts from all previous educational and military training and have them evaluated for possible credit toward your program prior to enrolling in classes.

Students and their families can compare the following across multiple financial aid offers by visiting, Know Before You Owe.

For more information about GI Bills & Programs that are available to qualifying students, visit GI Bills & Programs

For more information about receiving your benefits and payment deadlines, visit Receiving Your Benefits & Payments

The Veterans affairs office is located on the MECC campus on the first floor of Robb Hall, Room 106. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and can be reached by phone at 276-523-9028. For more information, visit Veterans Benefits

The purpose of this policy is to define prohibited student recruitment practices.

In accordance with 38 US Code 3696, Mountain Empire Community College does not provide commissions, bonuses or any other form of incentive payment based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollments or financial aid (including tuition assistance funds) to any persons or entities engaged in student recruitment, admissions activities or making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance.

Mountain Empire Community College also refrains from high-pressure recruitment tactics, such as making multiple unsolicited contacts (3 or more), including contacts by phone, email, or in-person, during any 1-month period.  Contact from Mountain Empire Community College will be made in response to a student-initiated inquiry, application or other form of request.  Mountain Empire Community College also refrains from same-day recruitment and registration for the purpose of securing service member enrollments.  Mountain Empire Community College’s open-access mission may allow prospective applicants with a desire to do so to apply and register quickly when the applicant’s desired term is open for enrollment, but Mountain Empire Community College’s rolling admission puts the applicant in control of the timeframe in which they choose to register for courses.

  1. Click here to log in to MyMECC.
  2. Click on the SIS tile.
  3. Click on the Student Records eForms tile.
  4. On the left, click the tab for Military Benefit Certify eForm.
  5. Fill out the information on the form to the best of your knowledge and click the blue Submit button at the bottom of the page when finished. If there are any issues with your form, an error message will pop up when you click Submit. You must correct all errors before the form is complete.
    Note: If you would like to save your progress and come back later, you may click Save instead.

Click here for the JST Transcript Release Form.

To join MECC Student Veterans of America, contact lgrace@mecc.edu.

Like us on Facebook at MECC Student Veterans of America

Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions

Receiving Payment

Upon completion of enrollment, VA Recipients are required to submit the Certification Request for VA Educational Benefits form (instructions below) to your VA certifying official (VACO) each term you enroll. Your VACO will then certify your enrollment with the VA Regional Processing Center in Buffalo, NY.

  1. Click here to log in to MyMECC.
  2. Click on the SIS tile.
  3. Click on the Student Records eForms tile.
  4. On the left, click the tab for Military Benefit Certify eForm.
  5. Fill out the information on the form to the best of your knowledge and click the blue Submit button at the bottom of the page when finished. If there are any issues with your form, an error message will pop up when you click Submit. You must correct all errors before the form is complete.
    Note: If you would like to save your progress and come back later, you may click Save instead.

Priority deadline for Summer is April 20th, Fall is July 1st & Spring is December 1st :  After this date, you should expect your Ch. 33 book stipend to arrive after classes have begun.

New applicants may take longer to receive benefits from the date your application for benefits and your certification of enrollment were processed by the college to receive your first check. You will be paid retroactively from the first day of class. Once you receive your first check, subsequent checks should arrive near the end of each month if you remain continuously enrolled.

Students may inquire about the status of a pending claim by calling the VA national call center at 1-888-442-4551 Monday through Friday, during the hours 10-6 Eastern.

Paying your MECC Tuition

Under all VA programs other than Ch 33, Ch 35 and Voc Rehab, the student is responsible for all up-front costs. This means your tuition must be paid by the payment due date. You may be eligible to receive financial aid to cover these costs. Submit an application at https://studentaid.gov/ to see if you qualify.

You have the option to request an Advance Payment of your GI Bill. Please see your VACO after you have registered for classes, but no later than 31 days before the start of the term. If approved, your first payment will be mailed to the college, in your name, and you will have to sign to pick up that check.  This may help alleviate some of the initial expense, but you should be aware that you will not receive any additional payments until you have completed 3 months of schooling.

Attending Full-Time vs. Part-Time

You may take as many or as few courses as you feel you can comfortably manage.  Your monthly payment will be determined by the number of credit hours in which you are enrolled, and the length of your courses.

For instance, if you are a full-time student taking 12 or more credits, you will receive full-time benefits for each month that you continue attending full-time.  If you are a part-time student taking less than 12 semester hours, your monthly benefit check will be reduced by 1/4 or 1/2 as appropriate.  Accelerated courses (e.g. 8-week classes) sometimes are paid at a higher rate based on a different method of measurement used to calculate training time.

You must be enrolled at least half-time to receive a monthly payment from the VA.  If you are enrolled for less than half-time, or if you are on active duty, you will receive a lump sum payment of the tuition cost, or the amount on your monthly benefit, whichever is less.

Please note: Students receiving Ch. 33 benefits must be training at a rate of at least 51% (generally 7 credits) to receive any BAH.

Continuing your Benefits

You must submit a Certification Request of VA Educational Benefits Form each time you register for classes.

  • Click here to log in to MyMECC.
  • Click on the SIS tile.
  • Click on the Student Records eForms tile.
  • On the left, click the tab for Military Benefit Certify eForm.
  • Fill out the information on the form to the best of your knowledge and click the blue Submit button at the bottom of the page when finished. If there are any issues with your form, an error message will pop up when you click Submit. You must correct all errors before the form is complete.
    Note: If you would like to save your progress and come back later, you may click Save instead.

Then, the VACO will review your program of study and confirm that the courses you are taking are required in that program. Certification of Enrollment will then be sent to the Regional Processing Office in Buffalo, NY.

If you completed at least 20 months of a two-year enlistment, or 30 months of a three-year enlistment, you are typically entitled to 36 months of full-time educational benefits. Your training time will be deducted from your 36 months as it is used. For example, if you are taking 6 credits, which qualifies you as a half-time student, the VA will deduct 1/2 of a month of entitlement for each month you are in school. In this example, you could continue going to school half-time for a total of 72 months. If you increase your training time, your monthly pay will increase, and your 36 months of eligibility will be depleted faster.

If you are eligible for more than one educational benefit, it may be possible to receive benefits for up to 48 months. Please discuss your situation with the VACO at your school.

You have 10 years from the day you were separated from active duty to use your benefits. Under Ch 33, this time period has been extended to 15 years. The new Forever GI Bill® recently signed into law may remove the 15-year time limit for veterans who exited service in 2013 or later. For the most up-to-date info regarding this change, please refer to www.gibill.va.gov/GIBILL/ForeverGIBill.asp.

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 www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.