Veteran Enrollment and Attendance Verification

What is enrollment verification?

Enrollment verification is a new requirement for Post-9/11 GI Bill® students to verify that they have remained enrolled in the same courses or training every month. Students who receive MHA/kicker payments will have their payments withheld if they fail to verify or report that they are no longer enrolled in their courses or training. To streamline the process, VA is providing the option to verify enrollment easily and securely via text message. Read more below. 

This requirement is only for Post-9/11 GI Bill® and does not impact other benefit programs, such as the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC), Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA), Veterans Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP), or the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship.  This requirement also does not currently apply to GI Bill students in on-the-job, apprenticeship, flight, or correspondence training.

If you are an MGIB student, this new requirement does not represent a change for you, as MGIB students are already required to verify enrollment via WAVE.

How do I verify enrollment?

You can verify enrollment via text or email.

By Text Message:

• Opt in: Students with a U.S. mobile phone number can use text messages as a simple, quick option for verifying monthly enrollment. As your enrollment approaches, you will receive a text informing you that you’ve been registered to receive texts for enrollment verification. Then, about 24 hours later, you’ll receive the following opt-in text: “Post-9/11 GI Bill®  housing and kicker payments now require monthly enrollment verification. Would you like to submit yours via text? Please reply YES or NO.” Reply “YES” to opt in. The text message link will expire 14 days after receipt, so please respond within that time frame.
• Verify: After opting in, you can verify your enrollment every month simply by responding to the following text message from VA: “Did you remain enrolled in your courses in MONTH YEAR as certified? Please reply YES or NO. If you have dropped all your courses, you must reply NO.” Reply “YES” to verify enrollment for the previous month.  If you don’t reply within 6 days, the conversation will expire, and you will need to call the Education Call Center (ECC) at 1.888.GIBILL.1 (1.888.442.4551) domestically or 001.918.781.5678 internationally to verify your enrollment.

NOTE: When responding to opt-in or verification texts, it may take up to a day to receive a confirmation text in response.  Be assured that your response has been received. Texts will be sent from 44354.

Enrollment verification via text message is safe and secure. VA will never ask for your personal information, such as social security number or bank account information, via text.  VA strongly recommends text message verifications for verifying your reenrollment.

By Email:

• If you opt out of text messages, can’t verify by text, or do not have a US mobile phone number, you will be automatically enrolled in email verification at the email address on file with VA.
• After being opted into email verification, you will receive an email from do-not-reply@notifications.va.gov with the subject line, “Confirmation: You’ve been enrolled into VA’s email verification!”
• On the last day of each month, you will receive an email with the subject line, “Action Required: Verify Your Monthly Enrollment”. Select “Yes, my enrollment is the same” to verify your enrollment. After selecting your response, you will be taken to a confirmation page thanking you for verifying your monthly enrollment.
• If you don’t select a response within 14 days, the links in your email will expire and you will need to call the ECC to verify your enrollment.
• If your enrollment status has changed, select “No, my enrollment has changed.” Please contact your SCO to ensure your enrollment record with VA has been adjusted.

By Phone:

If you are unable to verify via text or email, you will need to contact the ECC at 1.888.GIBILL.1 (1.888.442.4551) and ask a representative to verify your enrollment.

NOTE: ECC wait times may be high due to the number of students verifying enrollment each month. If you’re not sure if VA has your mobile phone number and/or email on file, you can contact the ECC to update your contact information and ensure you can verify via text or email.

What happens if I fail to verify my enrollment?

If you fail to verify enrollment for two consecutive months, your MHA/kicker payments will be placed on hold.  In order to have your payments released, you will need to call the ECC to verify your enrollment. When you call the ECC to release your payments, you may also enroll in text message verification at that time.

Why am I being required to verify my enrollment?

By regularly verifying your enrollment, you protect your GI Bill entitlement by preventing charges for classes or training you did not attend. Though this new requirement is an additional step, enrollment verification is easy to do and will help you better manage and access your earned benefits, as well as help prevent overpayments.

If you need to verify your enrollment and are looking for instructions on how to do it, check out this helpful infographic and How to Verify Enrollment video.

How do I verify my enrollment if I am Non-Chapter 33?

Chapter 30, 1606 and 1607 students are still responsible for verifying their own enrollment at the end of each month.  When students are awarded benefits, the award letter they receive describes WAVE and IVR. The earliest date students can verify their enrollment is the last calendar day of each month. You must verify your enrollment via VA's Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) portal.  

Students must be currently enrolled in an approved educational program and must have a current benefit award to use WAVE. The WAVE system permits students to perform a multitude of functions. For instance, students may:

• Verify that enrollment has not changed
• Report a change in enrollment
• Change mailing address
• Initiate or change direct deposit information
• View the enrollment period and monthly benefit amount
• View the remaining entitlement
• Sign up for a monthly e-mail reminder

IVR allows students to “phone in” (1.877.823.2378) their monthly verification if there are no changes to the enrollment during the previous month. If there were changes in the enrollment the student must contact the VA Certifying Official to submit a change in status and the payment may be delayed until the reduction is processed.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).