Registrar

Returning Veterans Tuition Assistance (RVTA)

Veterans leaving active duty military service and beginning or returning to school often have a difficult time paying their tuition in the first semester. Financial aid eligibility is reduced by the amount of VA benefits the students will receive, and the payment of benefits can often be delayed for a few months. This creates a cash flow problem for the students, and covering living expenses as well as tuition is a significant burden.

With this difficulty in mind, Western Michigan University will support returning WMU students, transfers, or new students who are veterans by providing tuition assistance in their first semester after release from active duty. The Returning Veterans Tuition Assistance (RVTA) program will cover all tuition charges not covered by other tuition-specific programs such as ROTC, SERP, ACES, Chapter 31 benefits, or any other tuition benefit but not the fees. Students discharged from active duty for purposes other than training within six months of the beginning of class will be eligible to apply for this benefit in their first semester after entering or returning to Western Michigan University. The student, graduate or undergraduate, must be eligible for VA benefits and may only receive RVTA one time.

Returning veterans who meet the eligibility criteria for RVTA will be classified as Michigan residents for tuition purposes after their first semester.

Download the application form

Questions? Contact Brenda Hamlyn, VA Coordinator in the Registrars Office ((269) 387-4115) or The Office of Financial aid ((269) 387-6000).