Financial Aid Resources for Active Military and Veterans
St. Mary’s University offers numerous incentives to active and former military members. For more information, contact Andrew Lyons, Coordinator of Veteran and Military Affairs, at alyons1@stmarytx.edu.
This page details the aid specific to military and veteran students. VA students and their dependents can qualify for additional financial aid. Learn more by visiting the St. Mary’s University Financial Aid page.
Helpful Links
Requesting Military Records
The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) Registrar’s Office provides two types of academic documents: resident foreign language course transcripts and DLPT/OPI ACE credit recommendation reports.
Benefits Requirements
| Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) | Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR & E; Chapter 31) | Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (Chapter 30) | Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 1606) | Reserve Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 1607) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in its entirety | X | X | X | X | |
| DD Form 214 | X | X | X | X | X |
| Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE) | X | X | |||
| VA Form 22-1995-Change of Program (Required if benefits were used at another school) | As needed | As needed | As needed | As needed | |
| 28-1905 (Received from Voc Rehab Counselor) | X | ||||
| DD-2384 -1 (NOBE) | X | ||||
| Military Transcripts | X | X | X | X | X |
| Certification of Enrollment Form | X | X | X | X | X |
For Veterans
| Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) | Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA)-Widow/Child (Chapter 35) | Fry Scholarship | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in its entirety | X | X | X |
| Sponsor’s DD Form 214 | X | X | |
| VA Form 22-1995-Change of Program (Required if benefits were used at another school) | As needed | ||
| 22-5495- Change of Program (Required if benefits were used at another school) | As needed | As needed | |
| Certification of Enrollment Form | X | X | X |
For spouses and dependents
Rate of Pursuit
Chapters 30, 35, 1606, and 1607: VA Benefits are paid based on training time. In a standard semester, VA measures training time as follows.
| Credit hours | Enrollment status |
|---|---|
| 12 hours | Full-time |
| 9-11 hours | 3/4 time |
| 6-8 hours | 1/2 time |
| 4-5 hours | < 1/2 time |
| 1-3 hours | < 1/4 time |
Undergraduate Rate of Pursuit
| Fall/Spring | Summer | 8-week classes | Enrollment status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8+ hours | 3+ hours | 6+ hours | Full-time |
| 5-7 hours | 2 hours | 4-5 hours | 3/4 time |
| 4 hours | N/A | 3 hours | 1/2 time |
| 1-3 hours | 1 hour | 1-2 hours | < 1/2 time |
Graduate/Ph.D. Rate of Pursuit
| Fall/Spring | Summer | Intersession | Enrollment status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ hours | 3+ hours | 4 hours | Full-time |
| 6-9 hours | 2 hours | N/A | 3/4 time |
| 5 hours | N/A | 1 hour | 1/2 time |
| 1-4 hours | 1 hour | N/A | < 1/2 time |
Law school Rate of Pursuit
Post-9/11 GI Bill®
If you were on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, you may be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. The Post-9/11 GI Bill® (effective Aug. 1, 2009) makes the following educational benefits available:
- Tuition and fees paid directly to the school are capped at $27,120.05 for the 2023-2024 academic year. For more information, see VA – GI Bill® Benefits
- A monthly housing allowance based on the rate of an E-5 with dependents at the location of the school
- A stipend for books and supplies of up to $1,000 a year
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Yellow Ribbon Program
St. Mary’s University is a Yellow Ribbon School for the eligible 100% Post-9/11 students and may fund the tuition and fee expenses that exceed the VA national annual maximum allotted to private institutions.
What is the Yellow Ribbon Program?
The Yellow Ribbon Program allows private schools to enter into an agreement with the VA to fund the tuition and fee costs that exceeds the yearly national cap of $24,476.79 for students enrolled in private institutions (after August 1, 2019). The Yellow Ribbon Program is utilized in conjunction with student’s Post-9/11 GI Bill® and funds are paid directly to the school when the enrollment certification is processed. St. Mary’s will match the 50% VA contribution and fund 50% of the remaining unmet tuition & fee charges for all eligible students.
How do I qualify?
- Must be using Chapter 33 Post-9/11 Benefits at 100% eligibility
- Must have remaining time/months of benefits. Yellow Ribbon does NOT cover tuition/fees if benefits are exhausted/expired.
- Registered for Fall/Spring/Summer and total yearly tuition cost
- NOT Active Duty personnel or spouse of active duty sponsor*
*Current active duty personnel or their spouses are not eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program until August 1, 2022, with the exception of Purple Heart Recipients, who are eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program regardless of their active duty status.
Please note:
- Awards are made to qualified applicants.
- The amount each student will receive from St. Mary’s will vary according to the cost of their degree program and any tuition specific scholarships or grant they may have been awarded. The Yellow Ribbon Program award cannot be combined with other University of the St. Mary’s institutional awards to result in a surplus for the student.
- Yellow Ribbon contributions will not be adjusted after the last day to drop classes without a W assigned. Any costs accrued due to adding or dropping classes after that date each semester will be the responsibility of the student.
- Once St. Mary’s receives the Yellow Ribbon funding from VA and has been posted to the student’s account, the St. Mary’s Office of Financial Aid will add the matching amount. Please be aware, the standard processing time for the VA is 4-6 weeks.
- Once selected for the Yellow Ribbon Program at St. Mary’s, students will be funded each year they are in their current program of study as long as St. Mary’s continues and is approved to renew its agreement with the VA each academic year. St. Mary’s has the right to reduce awards or discontinue the program at the end of each academic year.
Chapter 31: Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)
To view program requirements and to apply, visit www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre. If you are accepted into the Chapter 31 program and registered at St. Mary’s University, you will need to submit the following forms:
- St. Mary’s University request for Certification of Enrollment (every term/semester)
- VA Case Manager sends PO Authorization to School
- Military Transcript
- Send all official academic transcripts to Admission
Book and Supply Voucher for VR&E Students
Ch. 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) students are the only students provided with book and supply vouchers. Book vouchers are sent directly to the Barnes & Noble Bookstore at St. Mary’s. Please contact the Business Office or review your Student Account in Gateway to ensure funds have been sent to the Bookstore. Please note, a current VA 22-1905 must be on file to provide the vouchers.
Follow the steps below to apply for a voucher.
- Create a PO through the Tungsten Network.
- List service provider as Barnes & Noble. The service provider email should be the store’s email address, sm8193@bncollege.com. Please note the Tungsten system may auto-populate a store email that is invalid. Please verify and change, if needed, before submitting. If you need help changing the auto-populated email, please contact pamela.salazar@va.gov.
- The Federal Tax ID number is Barnes & Noble Education – Fed ID 46-0599018.
- We do not supply a facility code. Please contact VRE_IPPS.VBACO@va.gov.
- Once the PO is created, a file will be sent to to Barnes & Noble Bookstore at St. Mary’s within the hour.
Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty (MGIB-AD)
The Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty (MGIB-AD) can help you pay for education and training programs. If you’ve served at least 2 years on active duty, find out if you qualify for the MGIB-AD program.
Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)
The Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) program offers up to 36 months of education and training benefits. If you’re a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force or Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard, you may be eligible for this benefit. Find out if you qualify.
Survivors and Dependent Assistance (DEA) Chapter 35
Find out if you’re eligible for VA education benefits for dependents and survivors (also called Chapter 35 benefits). If you’re a dependent spouse or child—or the surviving spouse or child—of a Veteran, you may qualify for Chapter 35 benefits or job training through a GI Bill program.
Grants
Undergraduate Grants
Active-duty military: The tuition rate for qualified part-time military students is $260 per credit hour. This is only applicable to classes that satisfy the requirements for the degree. It cannot be used for English as a Second Language class (ESL).
For qualification requirements at the undergraduate level, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission at 210-436-3126.
Graduate Grants
Active-duty military, retired military, Department of Defense employees and spouses of these groups qualify for the $260 per-credit-hour tuition with or without military/DOD tuition assistance. This per-credit-hour rate is valid for part-time and full-time students. This is only applicable to classes that satisfy the requirements for the degree. It cannot be used for English as a Second Language class (ESL).
The discount is applied to tuition only, and any other fees associated with enrollment will be the responsibility of the students. Discounts are not applicable to students for whom 100% tuition is paid by any third-party payer or using VA Educational Benefits. Discounts may be reversed if third-party or VA eligibility for benefits is received after discount(s) have been applied.
Graduate students should contact the Office of Graduate Admission at 210-436-3126.
Please note, the $260 pre-credit-hour military tuition rate is not applicable to the Ph.D. programs or the School of Law at St. Mary’s University.
Law School Grants
Active-duty military, retired military, Department of Defense employees and spouses of these groups who are interested in pursuing a Master of Jurisprudence may do so at $800 per credit hour with or without military/DOD tuition assistance credit rate. This per-credit-hour rate is valid for part-time and full-time students.
For more information, contact Andrew Lyons, the Coordinator of Veteran and Military Affairs at 210-436-3682 or alyons1@stmarytx.edu.
Scholarships
There are many scholarships created specifically for the men and women who have served our country. For an up-to-date list of the latest scholarships, contact Andrew Lyons, Coordinator of Veteran and Military Affairs, at alyons1@stmarytx.edu.
Contact Us
Andrew Lyons
Coordinator of Veteran and Military Affairs
St. Louis Hall, Room 313
alyons1@stmarytx.edu
210-436-3682