Receiving financial aid/scholarships and using VA/military TA benefits

What the GI Bill can cover: Up to 100% of in-state tuition/fees (amounts vary based on eligibility percentage and other factors). 

How it works with restricted aid: Because of federal law, VA is the last payer. That means VA only pays whatever tuition/fees are left over after all restricted aid is applied. 

How it works with unrestricted aid: you get unrestricted aid AND VA pays applicable tuition/fees. But your KU Enroll & Pay account might look confusing at first. That's because KU Enroll & Pay automatically applies all financial aid to tuition/fees before anything else. You can change how this works by choosing one of two options: 

• Option 1 get your unrestricted aid earlier: In the KU VA Benefits request webform, answer "yes" to the question about expecting other financial aid and wanting those funds earlier. If you choose this: 
  • Your unrestricted aid may first pay for any non-VA-covered charges (books, parking, housing, dining, etc.) 
  • After that, any leftover amount will be refunded to you in 7-14 business days. 
• Option 2 wait until the VA pays to get your aid: If you answer "no," to the financial aid question in the VA benefits webform, you should get your unrestricted aid after the VA pays tuition/fees — usually a couple of months into the semester. You won't lose any money; you'll just receive it later.  

If you get a refund: Check your KU Enroll & Pay account again to make your balance is $0. If you have questions or see charges you don’t recognize, contact us.

What it pays: Tuition/fees and other expenses approved by your VR&E counselor (e.g. parking, books). 

How it works with restricted aid: VA only pays what is remaining of tuition/fees after any/all other restricted aid pays. This “last-payer clause” is required by federal law.

How it works with unrestricted aid: you receive unrestricted aid AND VA pays applicable tuition/fees. But your KU Enroll & Pay account will look weird for a bit. By default/timing, all financial aid goes toward tuition/fees first in KU Enroll & Pay. However, once we get a 28-1905 from your VR&E counselor for the semester or year, we place a “third party sponsorship” on your KU account each semester. Any unrestricted aid refunds, if applicable, will be disbursed to you. You never lose the money you are entitled to; you may simply receive it later. 

If you get a refund: Check your KU Enroll & Pay account again to make your balance is zero. If you still have questions or see charges on your account (i.e. bookstore) that you believe Ch. 31 should be covering, contact us.

VA pays nothing to KU and pays your monthly stipend directly to you.

Since these VA benefits do not pay tuition/fees, there are no unique factors to consider regarding any financial aid. Financial aid will post to your KU Enroll & Pay account. Learn more about financial aid here. 

If you have any questions or concerns about charges on your account, contact us.

What it pays: State TA pays up to 15 credit hours of tuition/fees. When State TA pays, it rounds down to the nearest dollar amount, so you may still owe some for tuition. 

How it works if you also have restricted aid (i.e. federal TA, Post-9/11 GI Bill, tuition waivers, etc.) – the total amount of restricted aid cannot be greater than your tuition/fees. That means you will not receive any refunds if you are ONLY using State TA and other restricted aid.  

• If you have more than one restricted aid, restricted aid is prioritized by: any tuition waivers/restricted scholarships apply first, then any federal military TA, any state TA and/or any Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. 

How it works if you also have unrestricted aid – You will receive other financial aid, like scholarships, loans, grants. But your KU Enroll & Pay account will look weird for a little bit. Because all financial aid goes toward tuition/fees first in KU Enroll & Pay by default, that’s what will happen to your account, too.

State TA payments arrive about a month after the semester begins. Once state TA pays, unrestricted aid may pay on other items not covered by TA and then any refunds, if applicable, will be disbursed to you. You never lose the money you are entitled to; you may simply receive it later. 

If you get a refund: Check your KU Enroll & Pay account again to make your balance is zero. If you still have questions or see charges you don’t understand, contact us.

What it pays: FTA pays up to $250 a credit hour for a certain number of credit hours (varies by branch) in a military fiscal year. 

How it works if you also have restricted aid – If you are receiving any other aid restricted to tuition/fees only (i.e. federal TA, Post-9/11 GI Bill, tuition waivers, etc.), the total amount of restricted aid cannot be greater than your tuition/fees. That means you will not receive any refunds if you are only using State TA and other restricted aid.  

• If/when you have more than one restricted aid, restricted aid is prioritized by: any tuition waivers/restricted scholarships apply first, then any federal military TA, any state military TA and/or any Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. 

How it works if you also have unrestricted aid – You will receive other financial aid, like scholarships, loans, grants. But your KU Enroll & Pay account will look weird for a little bit. Because Enroll & Pay automatically has all financial aid pay tuition/fees first, that’s what will happen to your account, too. Once TA pays, you may see the unrestricted aid pay on other items on your KU account and then any refunds, if applicable, will be disbursed to you. You never lose the money you are entitled to; you may simply receive it later. 

If you have questions, please contact the Military-Affiliated Student Center, 785-864-2458 or masc@ku.edu.  

What it pays: Up to full tuition/fees.

If you also have restricted aid (like federal TA, Post-9/11 GI Bill, tuition waivers) – These scholarships plus restricted aid together can’t exceed your tuition/fees. You won’t get any refunds if you only use these.

If you also have unrestricted aid (like loans, Pell grant, scholarships that aren’t restricted to tuition) – You can use the Heroes/Military scholarship along with these other funds. At first, your KU Enroll & Pay account might look odd – everything is applied to tuition and fees by default. Once the Heroes/Military scholarship pays, your unrestricted aid can pay any remaining charges. If you’re due a refund, you’ll get it after all aid has posted.

If you get a refund – Check your KU Enroll & Pay account again to make your balance is zero. If you still have questions or see charges you don’t understand, contact us.