Frequently Asked Questions

A VASCO (Veterans Affairs School Certifying Official) is the designated official at an educational institution responsible for certifying student enrollment and training time to the VA for education benefit purposes. VASCOs ensure accurate reporting of enrollment status, credit hours, and program information to facilitate proper benefit payments to eligible students.

VASCO Assistant is designed for Veterans Affairs School Certifying Officials at colleges, universities, vocational schools, and other educational institutions that serve students using VA education benefits. Our free resources are also valuable for students, VA counselors, and anyone involved in the VA education benefits process.

No, VASCO Assistant is an independent platform created to help VASCOs and students navigate VA education benefits. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. All information is based on publicly available VA guidelines and regulations.

To certify enrollment, you must submit VA Form 22-1999 (or 22-1999b for amendments) through the Enrollment Manager system within 30 days of the start of the enrollment period. Include accurate information about credit hours, training time, program length, and expected graduation date. Always verify the student has a valid Certificate of Eligibility before certifying.

Initial enrollments must be certified within 30 days of the start of the term. Changes to enrollment (drops, adds, withdrawals) must also be reported within 30 days of the change. Late certifications can delay student payments and may result in compliance issues.

Training time is calculated based on credit hours relative to your institution's definition of full-time. For undergraduate semester programs: 12+ credits = Full-Time (100%), 9-11 credits = 3/4 Time (75%), 6-8 credits = 1/2 Time (50%), less than 6 = Less than 1/2 Time. Use our free Training Time Calculator for quick calculations.

You must report the drop to the VA within 30 days using VA Form 22-1999b. Include the course information, number of credits dropped, new training time, and the effective date of the change. Failure to report drops can result in overpayments that the student will have to repay.

No, you should only certify students who are actually enrolled and attending classes. Certifying students before they begin attending can result in overpayments and compliance issues. Wait until you can confirm attendance before submitting the certification.

Initial certification (VA Form 22-1999) is submitted when a student first enrolls in a new term or program. An amendment (VA Form 22-1999b) is used to report changes to an existing certification, such as drops, adds, withdrawals, or corrections to previously reported information.

Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) pays tuition directly to the school plus a housing allowance to the student. Chapter 30 (MGIB-AD) pays a fixed monthly stipend to the student who then pays tuition. Chapter 33 typically provides more generous benefits, especially at higher-cost schools, but Chapter 30 may be better for students at low-cost institutions.

No, students cannot receive payments from multiple VA education programs simultaneously. They must choose one benefit program per enrollment period. However, students may be eligible for multiple programs and can switch between them (though some switches are irreversible, like Chapter 30 to Chapter 33).

After initial certification, students typically receive their first payment within 4-6 weeks. Delays can occur if certifications are submitted late, if documentation is missing, or if there are issues with the student's eligibility. Encourage students to certify their enrollment early and ensure all documentation is complete.

The Yellow Ribbon Program is an agreement between the VA and participating schools to fund tuition costs that exceed the Chapter 33 private school cap. Schools contribute a certain amount, and the VA matches it, helping to cover the gap between actual tuition and the VA's maximum payment.

Yes, VA benefits can be used for summer terms if the student is eligible and enrolled in VA-approved courses. Summer term usage counts against the student's total entitlement (typically 36 months). Some students strategically use summer terms to accelerate graduation while they have remaining benefits.

If a student receives a punitive grade (F, 0, etc.) due to poor academic performance, they generally retain the benefits for that course. However, if they receive a non-punitive grade (W, I, NP) or fail due to non-attendance, it may be considered an overpayment. The student may have to repay benefits and could lose future eligibility for that course.

Yes, dependents may be eligible for Chapter 35 (if the veteran is permanently disabled or deceased) or transferred Chapter 33 benefits (if the veteran transferred benefits to them). Chapter 35 provides a fixed monthly payment, while transferred Chapter 33 works similarly to the veteran's benefit.

Enrollment Manager (VA Online Certification of Enrollment) is the web-based system that schools use to submit enrollment certifications to the VA. VASCOs must have access to Enrollment Manager to certify students. Access is requested through the VA's ELR (Education Liaison Representative).

Contact your regional VA Education Liaison Representative (ELR) to request Enrollment Manager access. You'll need to complete required training and obtain necessary credentials. Your ELR can provide specific instructions for your region.

WEAMS (Web Enabled Approval Management System) is the VA's database of approved programs and schools. VASCOs can search WEAMS to verify that programs are VA-approved before certifying student enrollment. Only programs listed in WEAMS can be certified for VA benefits.

The VA provides Enrollment Manager for free, which is the minimum requirement. However, many schools use additional software to streamline workflows, track certifications, and integrate with their Student Information System (SIS). Our premium VASCO Pro Software automates many manual processes and reduces certification errors.

Students should provide you with their Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA. You can verify the information matches what the student is claiming and check the benefit type and available months of entitlement. The VA also sends confirmation when you submit certifications through Enrollment Manager.

VASCO Pro Software includes automated enrollment certification, SIS integration, compliance monitoring, reporting dashboards, student communication tools, training time calculators, deadline tracking, audit trail management, and dedicated support. It streamlines the entire certification workflow and reduces manual data entry.

Our free tools provide individual calculators and educational resources for anyone to use. The premium VASCO Pro Software is a comprehensive management system that integrates with your school's systems, automates workflows, tracks all certifications, monitors compliance, and provides institutional reporting. It's designed for VASCOs managing multiple students and certifications.

Yes! We offer a 30-day free trial with full access to all features. No credit card is required to start your trial. This allows you to test the software with your actual workflows and data before making a commitment.

Yes, VASCO Pro Software integrates with major SIS platforms including Banner, PeopleSoft, Colleague, Jenzabar, and others. We can also build custom integrations for proprietary systems. Integration allows automated data synchronization, reducing manual data entry and errors.

Pricing is based on your institution size and number of VA students. Plans start at $299/month for schools with fewer than 100 VA students, up to $1,299/month for larger institutions. Enterprise plans with custom features are available for schools with 2,000+ VA students. View our full pricing page for details.

All premium plans include email and phone support, onboarding assistance, training resources, and access to our knowledge base. Professional and Enterprise plans include priority support, dedicated account managers, and custom training sessions. We also provide ongoing updates and regulatory guidance.

Yes, we take data security seriously. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest, we maintain SOC 2 compliance, regular security audits are performed, and we follow FERPA guidelines for student data protection. Your institution's data is never shared with third parties.