Veterans Affairs Education Benefits

If you—or a spouse or parent—served on US active duty, you may be eligible for education benefits offered by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Victoria University of Wellington accepts students who are eligible for US Veterans Affairs Education Benefits, including the:

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for educational and housing expenses to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service after 10 September 2001, or individuals discharged with a service connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honourable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

If you are currently serving in the US military, you may be eligible for funding offered through the US Department of Defense Tuition Assistance programme. Check with your service whether you are eligible and the amount of funding you qualify for before applying to study at Victoria University of Wellington.

If you are the spouse or child of a service member who is serving on US active duty Title 10 orders in the pay grades of E1-E5, 01-02, or W1-W2, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the US Department of Defense for education, training, and/or the occupational license and credentials necessary for a portable career. If you are the spouse or child of a service member, you may be eligible for the transfer of the service member’s Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to you.

Use the GI Bill Comparison tool to compare the benefits of each loan.

Important information

  • The US Department of Veterans Affairs will pay eligible student education benefits for approved programmes of study only.
  • Victoria University of Wellington will not act as a guarantor to confirm Veterans Affairs funding tuition and fees to be paid at a later stage.
  • The amount you receive might not cover your entire tuition fee. If the benefits you qualify for are insufficient to meet your expected costs, then you can apply for a Sallie Mae private loan.
  • It can take four to eight weeks for funding to arrive at the University from the date of disbursement. It is your responsibility to contact Veterans Affairs and confirm the expected arrival date of your funds, then to email Student Finance at the University to arrange an agreement if these funds will not arrive by the end of the first week of trimester.

How to apply for a Veterans Affairs Education Benefit

1. Check that your degree is an approved programme

You can check whether your degree is approved by entering the following details in the Department of Veterans Affairs portal:

  • Institution name: Victoria University of Wellington
  • Program type: Institution of Higher Learning
  • Yellow Ribbon school: (leave this field blank)
  • Country: New Zealand

If your degree is not yet approved, email our financial administrator. The degree approval process may take up to six months, so apply as early as possible.

2. Apply online

You can check whether you qualify and apply for the Veterans Affairs Education Benefit following the instructions on the US Department of Veterans Affairs website.

When completing your application, our VA faculty code is 1-1-100599.

3. Provide confirmation

The US Department of Veterans Affairs will issue you with a Certificate of Eligibility. Email a copy of this certificate to our financial administrator.

We will certify your Veteran Affairs funding after you have fully enrolled.

Funding amounts

For 100 percent eligible students, use the Post-9/11 GI Bill Statement tool on the Veterans Affairs website to find out what funding amount you have available for education.

Exchange rates

You need to be mindful of how the current exchange rate fluctuation may affect funds received. Veterans Affairs Benefits are certified in New Zealand Dollars and disbursed in United States Dollars.

However, the University only accepts payment in New Zealand Dollars. Any disbursements will be converted from United States Dollars to New Zealand Dollars using the effective exchange rate on the day of delivery.

Revisions cannot be made to reflect any changes in the currency exchange rate. Neither the University nor the US Department of Veterans Affairs can lock exchange rates.