FAQ

See the Applying for Admission Page and you can also download this helpful Transfer Student Checklist for easy reference. 

Please visit the E-benefits online portal. It can take the VA 6-8 weeks to process your application.  Once your application has been approved, you will receive a Certificate of Eligibility.  You will need to submit this document to the MVSS office at Loyola University Chicago. 

Loyola University Chicago requires two documents in order to process your VA Education benefits. We need:

• Proof of VA Education Benefits via a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (Letter of Approval for Chapter 31/VR&E benefit) only one time for your first semester of using benefits.
• Confirmation of advisor approved courses via the VA-REC form. We need this form every single semester you wish to use benefits, signed by you and your academic advisor. Submission of this document after the first day of classes may result in late fees or delayed benefits.

Loyola University Chicago utilizes a 2-step (initial and secondary) certification process for every academic term.  

• Initial certifications can begin up to 30 days before the start of the term. During which, the # of credit hours and dates (duration) of the course(s) are reported to the VA. This allows the VA to begin processing the housing, books & supply stipends, if eligible. Any eligible anticipated aid is posted to the student's financial account. Any remaining charges are the student's responsibility.

• Secondary certifications occur after the last day to drop classes without a W passes. Course credit hours are verified and tuition and MANDATORY fees are reported to the VA. 

• 6-8 weeks for the VA to process your initial application and send you a Certificate of Eligibility (COE).

• School Certifying Officials begin initial enrollment certifications up to 30 days before the start of the term and finalize after the add/drop period of the term.

• 4-6 additional weeks for VA to process enrollment certifications and send payments.

You will automatically be considered for academic scholarships during the admission process. It is recommended that you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online to determine your eligibility for federal and state grants.  For more information about applying for financial aid, please visit: http://www.luc.edu/finaid/apply_assistance.shtml. 

The Office of Registration and Records will review all your transcripts, including Joint Service Transcripts to determine if you will be offered any transfer credit for classes taken while in the military. 

Yes. However, the VA uses a credit equivalent formula to determine fulltime course loads during the summer. Below you can find what is considered fulltime during Loyola's summer terms. 

• Early Summer: 4-Week Course- 3 Credits
• Session A & B: Each 6-Week Courses- 4 Credits
• Session C: 8-Week Course- 6 Credits 

Example: Taking one 3-credit course during Session A, would make a student eligible to receive 3/4 or 75% of the housing stipend.

Here are some Summer Registration Slides for a further explanation on how to break down benefit usage during the summer terms. 

Students can use the charge authorization to add Rambler Bucks to their student account.  Students can authorize up to $800 each semester to purchase books in the Loyola University Chicago bookstore. Please note that the charge authorization adds a charge to your university account, and must be repaid. 

The VA-REC can be found in the "Current Students" tab as a drop down option or if you click directly on "Current Students" and scroll down to the bottom. It can also be found in "VA Educational Benefits" under the drop down option of "LUC Certification Process". There are also links to the secure upload portal in those instructions as well. Finally, the forms/links can be found on Loyola's Financial Aid website (From the Financial Aid homepage: Resources > Forms > [School Year], Veterans Benefits Forms).

Upon completion, this document should be uploaded by the student via their Secure Upload Portal (From Financial Aid homepage: maroon box at top of page > secure upload). This will also be where a Certificate of Eligibility should be uploaded upon initial use of benefits.

If dropping a class before the last day to drop classes with a 'W', your benefits will not be impacted. If you are considering dropping a class after the last day to drop a class with a 'W', please be aware that your benefits may be impacted and should be discussed in detail with our office to understand your specific circumstances prior to dropping the course. 

If maintaining full-time status Your benefits will not be impacted.

• Undergraduate Semester: 12+ credits
• Graduate Semester: 8+ credits
• Graduate Business Quarter: 6+ credits

If dropping below full-time status The mandatory tuition and fees must be recalculated and submitted to the VA. This charge per credit hour is substantially lower than the flat rate of full-time enrollment tuition, resulting in substantially less coverage by the VA. The student will be responsible for the difference in what the VA now covers and the total/remaining charges on their Loyola account. 

• If withdrawal is necessary, please be aware that while not commonly granted, mitigating circumstances can be submitted directly to the VA via AskVA.gov. 

If you wish to reserve your VA Education benefits for a semester and not have your courses submitted to the VA, the only thing you need to do is NOT submit a VA-REC form. If we do not receive that form from you for a semester, we will not submit your courses to the VA meaning you will not receive any VA education benefits (and related housing stipends if using Chapter 33 or 31) for that time period. You can continue using benefits at any time by submitting that form via your Secure Upload Portal.