Veteran's Benefits

Below you will find information on how to apply for VA Benefits. Don’t forget to notify the Financial Aid Office if you make any changes to your enrollment. Morgan Huber is the VA Certifying Official in the Mitchell Technical College Financial Aid Office and can answer your questions.

More information for veterans benefits and forms can be found at the South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Website or you can find more information on other types of benefits available by clicking here.  A good resource for transitioning veterans can be found here: Veterans Guide for Academic Aid and Programs.

First-time students (have never received Veteran’s Education Benefits):

​Students who received Veteran’s Education Benefits at a previous school and are transferring to Mitchell Tech:

Withdrawal/Change in Registration

• You must inform the Mitchell Tech Certifying Official of your withdrawal from Mitchell Tech or any change in registration.

Verification of Enrollment – Chapter 30, Chapter 1606, and Chapter 1607

• Chapter 30, Chapter 1606, and Chapter 1607 students must verify their enrollment monthly by Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) or by Interactive Voice Response (IVR).
• Go to www.gibill.va.gov, click the link to WAVE. This system allows you to verify enrollment, make changes to mailing address, and sign up for a monthly e-mail reminder.
• IVR allows you to “phone in” (1-877-823-2378) your verification.
• You will not receive payment without monthly verification of enrollment.

Shopping Sheet for Military/Veteran Students

The FA Shopping Sheet for military/veteran students can trace itself to Executive Order 13607. This Presidential Order urges schools that receive federal funds for veterans and military personnel to comply with a "principles of excellence". Mitchell Tech has signed these principles to serve veterans and military personnel using a standardized form.

This form will "help prospective students understand the total cost of the educational program, including tuition and fees; the amount of that cost that will be covered by Federal educational benefits; the type and amount of financial aid they may qualify for; their estimated student loan debt upon graduation; information about student outcomes; and other information to facilitate comparison of aid packages offered by different educational institutions."

An individualized copy of the Shopping Sheet will be provided to military/veteran students at the time they receive their financial award package.

View a sample copy of the Shopping Sheet here. 

Scholarship Opportunities for Veterans and Other Military Students:

• http://www.imagine-america.org/grantsformilitary
• https://www.militaryfamily.org/programs/spouses-scholarships/
• http://www.militaryscholar.org/

VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011

The VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 was passed by Congress to provide assistance for unemployed Veterans. Unemployed Veterans between the ages of 35 and 60 might qualify. 

The Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) was part of the recently passed legislation. The program is a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Labor (DOL) joint effort to provide training to Veterans unable to find work.

VRAP will provide 12 months of training assistance equal to the monthly full-time payment rate under the Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty program (currently paying $1,473 per month). Participants must be enrolled in a program approved for VA benefits that is offered by a community college or technical school. The program must lead to an Associate Degree, Non-College Degree or a Certificate.

To qualify, a Veteran must:

• Be at least 35 but no more than 60 years old
• Be unemployed on the day of application
• Have an other than dishonorable discharge
• Not be eligible for any other VA education benefit program (e.g.: the Post-9/11 GI Bill^®, Montgomery GI Bill, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Assistance)
• Not be in receipt of VA compensation due to unemployability
• Not be enrolled in a federal or state job training program
• Pursue a program that leads to employment in a high demand occupation

VA details on the program and much more may be found on the VOW website.