Military Benefits

Welcome to the Viking family! It only takes a couple steps to get your federal military educational benefit started at Grand View University.

GV Military Discount

Grand View offers a a $100 per credit discount for undergraduate students who are not classified as full-time day and who are active military or a spouse of active military.

We also offer a $100 per credit discount for graduate students who are active military or a spouse of active military.

Note: Students need to present their military ID or active spouse military ID to the Registrar’s Office to receive the discount.

GI Bill® Benefits
VA education benefit eligibility is based on individual service information and is specific to the service-member or veteran. The Military Certifying Official can assist you in determining whether or not you should be eligible for any VA education benefits but final determination of eligibility will come from the VA.

In order to receive your VA education benefits at Grand View University you must notify the Military Certifying Official when you are registered for classes each semester. The Military Certifying Official does not automatically certify anyone for VA education benefits. Failure to notify the Veterans Service Office of your enrollment may delay the payment of your benefits.  
Changing Schools
If you have used GI Bill® benefits at a different school and are now coming to Grand View University, the VA requires you to complete a Change of Place of Training form (veterans/service members complete VA form 22-1995, dependents complete form 22-5495). You may complete this form here and provide evidence of its completion to the GV Certifying Official.
Returning Student
If you were using the benefits last semester at Grand View University there is no requirement for you to re-apply to the VA for benefits or complete any additional paperwork.
Process to Receive Military Benefits

VA education benefits eligibility is based on individual service information, specific to the service member or veteran. The Certifying Official can inform you of the VA eligibility requirements, but ultimately it is your decision. The final determination of eligibility will come from the VA.

Iowa House File 414 became law in April 2015. It requires that private individuals or businesses offering to help veterans get their benefits for a fee must give all prospective clients a written statement disclosing that veterans may apply for these same services at no charge through a local service organization or county veterans affairs offices. Before entering into an agreement or contract, the veteran must sign a veterans disclosure statement. Please contact your county veterans affairs office to ask about free assistance prior to hiring anyone to assist you in obtaining benefits.

  • Complete your Military/Veteran Services Form so we can help get your benefits figured out promptly. If you will be on the main campus between 8:15 am - 4:30 pm, stop on the 2nd floor of the Humphrey Center. One of our certifying officials will get you started. Please contact Dustin Reis, Loan Coordinator & VA Certifying Official at dreis @ grandview.edu if you have any questions.

Before you begin receiving VA educational benefits you need to complete the following steps:

  1. Apply and be accepted for admission in a degree program at Grand View.
  2. Apply for benefits to the Department of Veteran Affairs online, select the tab "Apply for Benefits," launch the Veterans Online Application (VONAPP) for the chapter of benefit you qualify for. Before submitting this online, print a copy for the Certifying Official. Complete and submit the application (VA Form 22-1990) for the chapter of benefit you qualify for. Before submitting this online application, print a copy for the Certifying Official.
  3. Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see if you qualify for additional student aid.
  4. Request an official transcript of military service and training to be sent directly to Grand View. If you were in the Army, Navy or Marines, request a Joint Services Transcript (JST). If you were in the Air Force, request an official transcript from the Community College of Air Force. Your military transcript will be reviewed to award college credit into your degree programs.
  5. Register for classes.
  6. Students receiving Chapter 30, 1606, and 1607 benefits, are required to complete a verification of attendance each month, to receive the benefit payment. The last day of the month is the first day you can verify attendance. Once you verify attendance, the VA can process your payment. There are two ways to verify attendance:
  • Visit www.benefits.va.gov/gibill then select the “Verify School Attendance” button.
  • Call (877) 823-2378 and complete the automated attendance verification process.
  • Verification of attendance is not required for students receiving Chapter 33 (Post 9/11), Yellow Ribbon, Chapter 31 and Chapter 35.
  • If you change your enrollment--add, drop courses, withdraw from the university – your registration actions may result in your having to pay back the VA. Notify your Certifying Official before making changes in your enrollment.  
  • Please refer to the handout of each Chapter.

Satisfactory Academic Progress
In order to maintain your eligibility, students receiving veteran’s benefits who do not earn a 2.0 grade point average on all hours for which a grade is given during the probationary semester will be subject to termination of benefits at the end of that semester. Please contact the certifying official in the registrar’s office with any questions.

Please contact the financial aid office with any questions.

Deployment & Readmission Policies

Active Military Service Withdrawal
If called to active duty a student (or student who is a spouse/dependent child of a member of the military called to active duty, and who needs to withdraw due to the call-up), should contact the VA Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office to complete a Military Leave of Absence form. Verification of military deployment must be submitted with the completed Military Leave of Absence form.

If the student is called to active duty during a term, the student may request to withdraw from some or all courses and the University will fully refund their tuition and mandatory fees for the withdrawn courses.

If the student is called to active duty military service during the term, the student may make arrangements with their instructors to remain enrolled in some or all of their course and will be assigned an I grade (Incomplete) for each course in which they remain enrolled. In such a case, no adjustment of tuition charges for enrolled courses will occur. Students have until the end of the next academic term following their release from military service to complete the course. Failure to do so will result in the I grade becoming an F grade.

A student receiving Veteran’s Benefits should notify the VA Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office in order to complete the required documents.

A student will have one calendar year after the end of their deployment to re-enroll at Grand View. Grand View considers the end date of deployment to be the date listed on the original deployment papers, or more recent paperwork (such as a DD-214) that lists a deployment end date. After one calendar year beyond the deployment end date, the student will need to apply for readmission to Grand View through the Admissions Department.

A student will be re-enrolled in the same academic program (or the most similar one, if same program does not exist), will carry forward the same number of credits, and same academic status. Grand View University scholarship awards will be preserved for students holding such awards when called to active duty.

During the first academic year of return, the veteran will be assessed the same tuition and fee charges as were in effect during the academic year he/she left the program (Veterans or other service member education benefits may be taken into account) or up to the amount of tuition and fee charges that other students in the program are assessed for that academic year, if veteran’s education benefits, as defined in section 480(c) of the HEA, or other service member education benefits, will pay the amount in excess of the tuition and fee charges assessed for the current academic year in which the student left for Grand View.

A student who wishes to re-enroll at Grand View after deployment should contact the VA Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office. The VA Certifying Official will serve as the main point of contact for the student during the re-enrollment process.

Transfer Credit
At Grand View, we keep our transfer process simple and our transfer policies friendly. Normally all college parallel credits from accredited institutions are accepted. We accept up to 75 hours of transfer credit from junior/community colleges. Grand View also accepts credit earned in the military that has been evaluated by the American Council on Education. Our Organizational Studies program incorporates military credit as part of the program of study.
Military Transcript Credit

In order to have your military credit transferred to Grand View, you will need to request an official transcript and have it sent to:

Grand View University
Office of Admissions
1200 Grandview Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50316

  • If you were in the Army, Navy or Marines request a Joint Services Transcript (JST).
  • If you were in the Air Force you can request an official transcript from the Community College of the Air Force.
  • The official transcript will be electronically sent to Grand View. Your military transcript will be reviewed to award college credit into your degree programs.
Military Resources

We make every effort to provide the most up-to-date links to pertinent military and military education websites. If you find a link that does not work or has changed, please let us know by contacting us.

Military Tuition Assistance

Military Education Resources

Transcript Sources

Scholarships & Grants

ROTC Partnerships

Air Force ROTC

The Department of Aerospace Studies at Iowa State University administers the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFROTC) program under an agreement between Grand View University, Iowa State University, and the Secretary of the Air Force.  Under this program, a student at Grand View can take courses at the Iowa State campus in Ames, Iowa, which lead to a commission as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.  Scholarships are available to qualified students and the first two years of general study incur no obligation for non-scholarship students.

Additional information concerning AFROTC may be obtained at www.afrotc.com and www.airforce.iastate.edu

Army ROTC

Grand View students may participate in the Army ROTC program at Drake University through special provisions of the Cross-Enrollment Program.  Scholarships are available to qualified students.

Additional information concerning Army ROTC may be obtained from the ROTC office at Drake University.