Veterans Educational Benefits
Easy to follow steps to utilizing VA benefits at Kirtland:
Military Tuition Assistance (TA) – through your military branch
Information regarding the TA program is located at:
https://www.military.com/education/money-for-school/tuition-assistance-ta-program-overview.html
Each Service has its own criteria for eligibility, obligated service, the application process, and restrictions.
Please refer to your respective military branch to apply for tuition assistance:
- Service members are required to contact their Education Service Officer, military counselor, or Service before enrolling in classes to seek approval for funding. Also, permission to attend the course needs to be granted from the Unit Commander.
- TA requests should be submitted no later than 10 days prior to the class start date.
- For assistance with submitting a degree plan, a phone appointment can be made with your academic advisor by calling (989) 275-5000 ext. 280.
- For assistance with computing tuition costs per class, please email: [email protected] or call Student Financial Services at (989) 275-5000 ext. 257.
- Once the service member receives approval and meets the branch’s specific requirements, they are allowed to enroll in the approved classes. Please submit the authorization to the Student Financial Services Office at Kirtland.
- The TA program only covers tuition. Fees and textbooks/supplies are not covered.
- Approvals are granted on a course-by-course basis. Service members will be solely responsible for all tuition costs without prior approval by the deadline or for any non-eligible courses.
- If the service member wishes to change classes or their degree program, a new TA approval is required.
- Prior to withdrawing from a course, contact Student Financial Services in order to determine how it could impact your TA award and potential repayment obligations. The College must comply with the Return of Unearned TA Funds Policy.
- If students receive other tuition specific benefits, such as GI Bill® or financial aid awards, the TA amount or other resources could be reduced.
Military Spouse Career Advancement
Unofficially referred to as Spouse Tuition Assistance, the Department of Defense recently expanded Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program can provide up to $4,000 of Financial Assistance for military spouses. Visit www.military.com/education for more information and links to apply.
Additional Funding for Veterans/Dependents
Michigan National Guard State Tuition Assistance (MING-STAP)
State Tuition Assistance is available to active Soldiers and Airmen of the Michigan National Guard currently in good standing. Students must apply no later than the first week of classes. A GPA of 2.0 must be maintained. To apply, go to www.michigan.gov/mingstap
Michigan Children of Veterans Tuition Grant (CVTG)
The State of Michigan offers the CVTG to children of deceased or disabled members of the armed forces. To be eligible, a student must be the natural or adopted child of a Michigan veteran, be older than 16 and less than 26 years of age who have been Michigan residents for 12 months prior to applying. Stepchildren of the veteran are not eligible. The veteran must have been a legal resident of Michigan immediately before entering military service and must not have later resided outside of Michigan for more than two years, or the veteran must have established legal residency in Michigan after entering military service. Full-time students can receive up to a maximum of $2,800 per academic year.
Michigan Veterans Trust Fund Emergency Grants
Temporary assistance granted by the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund (MVTF) for emergencies or hardships is available to eligible wartime veterans and their families, residing in the State. For more information contact the State at (517)284-5299 or go to Michigan Veterans Trust Fund Emergency Grants online.
National Guard Grant
Kirtland awards a small grant based on fees for eligible Michigan Air and Army National Guard members if the student owes after using all of the MING-STAP benefit. The application is listed on the Important Forms page.
Children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen
This scholarship is for the children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen pursuing post-secondary education at any accredited school—whether that be a career training, trade school, community college, or four-year university. This is a financial need scholarship and will be awarded to every eligible applicant.
The scholarship application is open year-round for students pursuing a career and technical education programs less than 12 months in length. Students can apply at www.mcsf.org. For programs longer than 12 months, the application is open from January 1 to March 1 each year. If you would like to print materials or more information about the program, please visit www.mcsf.org or e-mail [email protected].
VA Application Process
The VA encourages all applicants to apply online a https://www.va.gov/education/. This is the quickest way to have your eligibility determined. The application process can take 8 to 12 weeks so students should apply a full semester before they intend to enroll in college. For questions on how to apply for benefits or what benefits each program offers, call the VA at 1-888-442-4551.
Certification of Enrollment
After registering for classes, a Veterans Benefits Certification Request form should be completed and given to your academic advisor. The advisor confirms all courses pertaining to the student’s declared program of study and forwards the form to the Student Financial Services Office. Enrollment and tuition are generally reported to the VA no later than the third week of the semester.
Paying for Classes
Chapters 30, 35 & 1606 pay a monthly stipend directly to the student. Students utilizing these programs are solely responsible for payment by the due date. A FAFSA application should be completed to determine eligibility for grants & loans. A monthly payment plan is also available but payments to the College need to begin prior to receiving the VA stipends.
Other programs such as Chapter 33, MING-STAP, CVTG will pay tuition directly to the College. If eligible for grants & loans, they can be used in addition to a VA benefit to help cover other educational expenses.
Contact Us
Student Financial Services Office
Kirtland Community College
4800 W 4 Mile Road
Grayling, MI 49738
989-275-5000 ext. 257
Fax: 989-275-6789
[email protected]
Service Members Opportunity College (SOC)
Kirtland Community College is designated as a Service Members Opportunity College (SOC). The designation means the college understands service members’ special needs and is receptive to working with them. The college also participates in the Concurrent Admissions Program (ConAP) as future students enlist in the U.S. Army.