Waivers, Scholarships and Resources

The following are DoD and VA compliance policies. Please direct any questions to mvrc@unf.edu. 

Required VA Policies 

Certificate of Eligibility (COE) Required for VA Enrollment Certification 

A Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is a letter you receive from the VA stating what educational benefit you are eligible to receive. 

How do I apply? 

You can apply online right now. Just answer a few questions, and the VA will help you get started with the education benefits form that's right for you. Select the drop-down menu "Apply for education benefits" and answer the questions as they pertain to you. The VA will then provide the appropriate application for the benefit you are eligible to receive. 

Once you receive your COE, we need a copy to be turned into University of North Florida Military and Veterans Resource Center. You may either drop by in-person, located in the Founders Hall, Building 2, Suite 1100 or email it to mvrc@unf.edu. 

Student Enrollment Verification: Isakson & Roe: Section 1010 

Educational Assistance recipients effective August 1, 2021, must verify their enrollment status each month to continue receiving their monthly housing allowance (BAH/MHA) and/or kicker payments. Students are asked to verify their enrollment status relative to what we have reported on your behalf. 

This is not attendance verification. 

Students can verify their enrollment status in one of two ways: 

Text Messaging– Students who choose VA’s “Opt-In” feature will receive a text message each month prompting them to verify their enrollment status. 

Telephone–Students may call the Education Call Center (ECC) at 888-442-4551 to verify their enrollment status. 

• If a student fails to verify for two consecutive months, the VA will withhold future BAH/MHA payments until they call the Educational Call Center (ECC) to verify. 

No Holds due to VA Late Payments-Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e) 

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), the University of North Florida adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Chapter 33 Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® or Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness & Employment-VR&E benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. 

University of North Florida will not: 

• Prevent the student’s enrollment. 

• Assess a late penalty fee. 

• Require students secure alternative or additional funding.  

• Deny their access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.  

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:  

• Provide Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® (CH33) Certificate of Eligibility (or its equivalent) or for Chapter 31 VA VR&E’s purchase order provided in Tungsten by the first day of class. 

Note:  Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® students can get the equivalent of a Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility by logging into  va.gov and requesting a Statement of Benefits.  

Chapter 31 students must get with their VA VR&E case-manager to have a Purchase Order provided to the school, public safety (parking fees), and bookstore.  

• Complete a Request for Benefits. 
• Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies 

School Versus Student Debt: Isakson & Roe: Section 1019 

Isakson & Roe: Section 1019 requires that schools and training programs be financially responsible, instead of the student, for benefits paid directly to an educational institution pursuant to the Post 9/11 GI Bill® for tuition and fees or the Yellow Ribbon program, under the Post 9/11 GI Bill®. (Authority 38 U.S.C 3685(b)) Effective January 5, 2021. 

• If there is a change of enrollment which resulted in an over payment of tuition and fees, we will receive notification from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

• You will also receive notification from VA indicating the tuition and fee debt amount to be collected. 

• The VA will not collect the tuition and fee debt from you. 

• The VA will collect this amount from your school. 

• In turn, we will require you to pay any outstanding balance for tuition and fees. The debt will be managed by our office. 
• If you have questions about how to repay this debt, please call VA Debt Management Center toll-free at 1-800-827-0648. 

Required DoD Policies  

Unearned Tuition Assistance (TA) Funds Return 

As a participant in the Department of Defense Voluntary Education Program the University of North Florida is required to return any unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending.  

Unearned TA funds that are returned to the appropriate military branch of service will become a debt that the student owes the university. This amount will be placed on the student’s account, and a hold will be placed on the student account preventing registration, grades and transcripts. If a student is eligible to receive a refund from the University for tuition and fees or other charges, the University will apply the refund against the debt that results from the unearned TA. 

Official Withdraw Date– The date the student officially withdrew from a course. 

Unofficial Withdraw Date– Students who stop attending and receive a combination of F, W, and I (Incomplete) grades, are considered to have unofficially withdrawn. UNF will use the last date of participation to determine if the service member completed at least 60% of the course. 

Return of Unearned TA Official Withdrawal Calculation 

The calculation for Return of Unearned TA is based on the percent of TA Earned using the following formula, which mirrors the Federal Return of Title IV funds formula: 

(Number of days completed) / (Total days of course (start to end date)) = Percent of TA earned 

The TA return policy is also spelled out on the UNF: Agency/Third-Party Billing website.  

No High-Pressure Recruitment 

The University of North Florida is committed to fair, transparent, and ethical recruitment practices. Veterans, service members, and their dependents will never be subject to high-pressure recruitment tactics at UNF. 

• No UNF employee receives commissions, bonuses, or other incentives for securing student enrollments, including those of veterans and service members. 

• High-pressure tactics—such as repeated unsolicited contacts (three or more by phone, email, or in person) or same-day recruitment and registration intended solely to secure enrollment—are strictly prohibited. 

If you feel pressured to enroll, please contact: 

• City of Jacksonville Military Affairs and Veterans Department at 904.255.5524, or 

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at 888.442.4551. 

UNF is dedicated to supporting military-connected students with integrity and respect, ensuring that all admissions and recruitment processes reflect our commitment to student success. 

Standards of Academic Progress 

Students using Veteran Affairs educational benefits will adhere to the University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.