VA Benefits

If you are receiving CH33 (Post 9/11) benefits there a some important things to keep in mind when it comes to utilizing your benefits. These pertain to both your Education Benefits and your Monthly Housing Allowance. Please read below for more information.

What does DTS need to certify me?

1. A scanned copy of your most recent Certificate of Eligibility (COE),
   emailed to financialaid@dts.edu.
2. A scanned copy of your DD-214, emailed to financialaid@dts.edu.
3. Official, electronic copies of your military transcripts (JST or Air University), sent to admissions@dts.edu.
4. Completion of VA Form 22-1995 (if applicable), which transfers your remaining educational benefits to DTS.
5. Completion of VA Benefits Request Form for each semester you plan to use benefits.

Certification & Payment

Once the VA Certifying Official has received all necessary materials the certification of enrollment will be processed for tuition and fees for all eligible courses for the semester requested.

Your Veteran status will be reported to Student Accounts and you will not be dropped from courses once all materials have been sent to the VA Certifying Official.

CH33 Benefits will make direct payment to DTS for your applicable fees and tuition. You do not need to worry about making any payments to DTS unless you are less than 100% benefits eligible.

Therefore, if you are 90% or less eligible please plan to pay the remaining percentage to DTS before the start of the next semester. For setting up a payment plan or questions about remaining payment, please contact the Student Accounts Office at 214-887-5020 or stuacct@dts.edu.

Book and Supplies

The VA will pay you up to $1,000 an academic year for book and supplies based on your enrollment status.

An academic year would be a Fall, Spring, and Summer semester (ex. Fall 2025 – Summer 2026).

Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA)

Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) is paid directly to the VA beneficiary based on the eligibility rate, rate of pursuit (RoP), and class location. Active Duty Veterans cannot receive MHA.

Eligibility Rate

This is your percentage of benefits available based on your active duty service. If you are less than 100% you will receive the eligibility percentage your entitled for your MHA.

Rate of Pursuit

What is Rate of Pursuit (RoP)? Rate of Pursuit is another way of saying your enrollment status at DTS. The VA has determined that in order to receive MHA you must be attending classes at above a 50% rate. To receive the maximum eligible MHA you must be full-time.

What this means is that you must be in at least 5 credit hours at DTS in the Fall/Spring semesters and 4 credit hours in the Summer semester at DTS to be paid MHA. Anything less will not be paid any MHA.

Location

The VA has determined that to receive your full eligible MHA benefits you must take at least one in-person/hybrid class a semester at a DTS VA eligible location. Payment for this will be based on your zip code where you physically take the most classes.

All online classes will result in receiving only 50% of your eligible MHA based on the national average payment.

You can also visit here for more information on MHA rates.

Questions & More Information

Interested in using your CH33 benefits, please go here for more information about getting started with the CH33 benefits.

Also, you can contact the VA Hotline at 888-442-4551 or submit an inquiry through Ask.VA.gov with any questions.

If you have any other questions, please email the VA Certifying Official at crose@dts.edu.

If you are receiving CH31 Veteran Readiness and Employment (VRE) benefits there a some important things to keep in mind when it comes to utilizing your benefits. These pertain to both your Education Benefits and your Subsistence Allowance Rates.

What does DTS need to certify me?

1. The name and email of your VRE Counselor sent to financialaid@dts.edu.
2. A scanned copy of your DD-214, emailed to financialaid@dts.edu.
3. Official, electronic copies of your military transcripts (JST or Air University), sent to admissions@dts.edu.
4. Completion of VA Benefits Request Form for each semester you plan to use benefits.

Certification & Payment

Once the VA Certifying Official has received all necessary materials the certification of enrollment will be processed for tuition and fees for all eligible courses for the semester requested.

Your Veteran status will be reported to Student Accounts and you will not be dropped from courses once all materials have been sent to the VA Certifying Official.

CH31 VRE will make direct payment to DTS for your applicable tuition, fees, and any bookstore purchases charged to your DTS account. You do not need to worry about making any payments to DTS.

Questions & More Information

Interested in utilizing the CH31 VRE benefit, please go here for more information on getting started.

For more information or questions about your VRE benefits, please email your VRC at the student inbox eva@va.gov with the email address they have on file for you. If there are issues with payment or contact with your VRC it is the student’s responsibility to make sure payment, and other necessary documentation is provided. The VA Certifying Official can help get in contact but is not responsible for any missing payment from the VRE.

Other questions can be sent to the VA Certifying Official at crose@dts.edu or 214-887-5098.

Subsistence Allowance Rates

Subsistence Allowance is a benefit that a student receiving CH31 may be eligible to receive. The Subsistence Allowance is paid monthly to the Veteran based on enrollment status (full- time, three-quarter time, and half-time), the number of dependents, and type of training. The Subsistence Allowance rates can be found here and are updated for the new fiscal year on October 1st.

Please keep in mind that less than half-time (4 or less hours in Fall/Spring and 2 or less hours in Summer) will not be paid Subsistence Allowance. Active Duty Members are not eligible for Subsistence Allowance.

P911SA

A Veteran who still has eligible P/911 benefits while in CH31 can elect to receive the Post 9/11 Subsistence Allowance which allows a Veteran to receive the P/911 rates instead of the VRE rates. Please contact your VRC to discuss this election should you choose to do elect it.

Book & Supplies

The VRE will pay for all necessary books and supplies for the students classes. It is up to the VRC of the student to determine if an item is certified as payable.

The DTS bookstore is the best option for having your books and supplies paid for, but if an item is not available it can be purchased from an outside retailer. It is recommended that this purchase be approved by the VRC prior to purchasing to avoid any issues.

Purchases through the DTS bookstore will be charged to your Student Account and then the Bursar will invoice for the payment. You do not need to pay at the bookstore, please let them know you are VRE and they will charge your account. Online purchases through outside vendors need to have receipts sent to Lisa Reeves at lreeves@dts.edu for reimbursement approval.

For any questions on books or supplies payments please email crose@dts.edu and lreeves@dts.edu.

If you are receiving CH35 Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance (DEA) benefits there a some important things to keep in mind when it comes to utilizing your benefits.

What does DTS need to certify me?

1. A scanned copy of your most recent Certificate of Eligibility (COE), emailed to financialaid@dts.edu.
2. Completion of VA Form 22-1995 (if applicable), which transfers your remaining educational benefits to DTS.
3. Completion of VA Benefits Request Form for each semester you plan to use benefits.

Questions & More Information

Interested in utilizing the CH35 DEA benefit, please go here for more information on getting started.

For more information or questions about your DEA benefits please submit an inquiry to Ask.VA.gov or the VA Hotline at 888-442-4551.

Other questions can be sent to the VA Certifying Official at crose@dts.edu or 214-887-5098.

Certification & Payment

Once the VA Certifying Official has received all necessary materials the certification of enrollment will be processed for tuition and fees for all eligible courses for the semester requested.

Your Veteran status will be reported to Student Accounts and you will not be dropped from courses once all materials have been sent to the VA Certifying Official.

CH35 DEA will make direct payment per each month of enrollment to the Veteran based on the Veterans enrollment status at DTS (full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, less than half-time more than one quarter time, and one quarter time or less).

It is then the Veteran’s responsibility to pay DTS the remaining tuition on their account. This can be done in lump sum, split payments, or a payment plan. Failure to pay the balance will result in a registration hold until the balance is paid.

DTS Enrollment Statuses

For Fall/Spring DTS considers the following hours for each enrollment status. Full-time: 9+ hours, Three-Quarter-Time: 7-8 hours, Half-time: 5-6 hours, Less than Half-time more than One-Quarter Time: 3-4 hours, and One-Quarter Time or less: 1-2 hours.

For Summer DTS considers Full-time: 6+ hours, Three-Quarter-Time: 5 hours, Half-time: 3-4 hours, Less than Half-time more than One-Quarter Time: 2 hours, and One-Quarter Time or less: 1 hour.

Please note, if you’re enrolled less than 1/2 time, you’ll be paid up to the amount listed here for every month you’re enrolled—but no more than the cost of your tuition and fees. If your tuition and fees are less than the monthly rate, you’ll be sent a lump sum (one payment) at the start of each term.

For more information on the payment rates per enrollment status, please visit here as these change each fiscal year on October 1st.

If you have questions about your enrollment and payment, please contact the VA Certifying Official at crose@dts.edu.

If you are receiving CH30 Montgomery Bill benefits there a some important things to keep in mind when it comes to utilizing your benefits.

What does DTS need to certify me?

1. A scanned copy of your most recent Certificate of Eligibility (COE),
   emailed to financialaid@dts.edu.
2. A scanned copy of your DD-214, emailed to financialaid@dts.edu.
3. Official, electronic copies of your military transcripts (JST or Air University), sent to admissions@dts.edu.
4. Completion of VA Form 22-1995 (if applicable), which transfers your remaining educational benefits to DTS.
5. Completion of VA Benefits Request Form for each semester you plan to use benefits.

Rudisill Decision & Eligibility

In April, 2024 the Supreme Court ruled that Veteran’s who had two periods of service under Montgomery and Post-9/11 did not have to relinquish a benefit to choose one.

This decision opened the door for extra entitlement between Montgomery or Post-9/11 that can be combined up to 48 months of benefits.

If you believe you may be entitled to extra benefits, please read the information below that can also be found on the VA website.

If you last received an education claim decision on or after August 15, 2018, you don’t need to take any action. The VA will automatically review your entitlement and notify you if there are changes.

If you last received an education claim decision before August 15, 2018, you’ll need to submit a Request for Change of Program or Place of Training (VA Form 22-1995).

Questions & More Information

Interested in utilizing the CH30 Montgomery benefit, please go here for more information on getting started.

For more information or questions about your Montgomery benefits please submit an inquiry to Ask.VA.gov or the VA Hotline at 888-442-4551.

Other questions can be sent to the VA Certifying Official at crose@dts.edu or 214-887-5098

Certification & Payment

Once the VA Certifying Official has received all necessary materials the certification of enrollment will be processed for tuition and fees for all eligible courses for the semester requested.

Your Veteran status will be reported to Student Accounts and you will not be dropped from courses once all materials have
been sent to the VA Certifying Official.

CH30 Montgomery Bill will make direct payment per each month of enrollment to the Veteran based on the Veterans enrollment status at DTS (full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, less than half-time more than one quarter time, and one quarter time or less).

It is then the Veteran’s responsibility to pay DTS the remaining tuition on their account. This can be done in lump sum, split payments, or a payment plan. Failure to pay the balance will result in a registration hold until the balance is paid.

DTS Enrollment Statuses

For Fall/Spring DTS considers the following hours for each enrollment status. Full-time: 9+ hours, Three-Quarter-Time: 7-8 hours, Half-time: 5-6 hours, Less than Half-time more than One- Quarter Time: 3-4 hours, and One-Quarter Time or less: 1-2 hours.

For Summer DTS considers Full-time: 6+ hours, Three-Quarter-Time: 5 hours, Half-time: 3-4 hours, Less than Half-time more than One-Quarter Time: 2 hours, and One-Quarter Time or less: 1 hour.

Please note, if you’re enrolled less than 1/2 time, you’ll be paid up to the amount listed here for every month you’re enrolled—but no more than the cost of your tuition and fees. If your tuition and fees are less than the monthly rate, you’ll be sent a lump sum (one payment) at the start of each term.

For more information on the payment rates per enrollment status, please visit here as these change each fiscal year on October 1st.

If you have questions about your enrollment and payment, please contact the VA Certifying Official at crose@dts.edu.

If you are receiving CH1606 (Selected Reserves) benefits there a some important things to keep in mind when it comes to utilizing your benefits.

1. A scanned copy of your most recent Certificate of Eligibility (COE),
   emailed to financialaid@dts.edu.
2. A scanned copy of your DD-214, emailed to financialaid@dts.edu.
3. Official, electronic copies of your military transcripts (JST or Air University), sent to admissions@dts.edu.
4. Completion of VA Form 22-1995 (if applicable), which transfers your remaining educational benefits to DTS.
5. Completion of VA Benefits Request Form for each semester you plan to use benefits.

Questions & More Information

Interested in utilizing the CH1606 benefit, please go here for more information on getting started.

For more information or questions about your CH1606 benefits please submit an inquiry to Ask.VA.gov or the
VA Hotline at 888-442-4551.

Other questions can be sent to the VA Certifying Official at crose@dts.edu or 214-887-5098.

Certification & Payment

Once the VA Certifying Official has received all necessary materials the certification of enrollment will be processed for tuition and fees for all eligible courses for the semester requested.

Your Veteran status will be reported to Student Accounts and you will not be dropped from courses once all materials have been sent to the VA Certifying Official.

CH1606 Selected Reserves will make direct payment per each month of enrollment to the Veteran based on the Veterans enrollment status at DTS (full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, less than half-time).

It is then the Veteran’s responsibility to pay DTS the remaining tuition on their account. This can be done in lump sum, split payments, or a payment plan. Failure to pay the balance will result in a registration hold until the balance is paid.

DTS Enrollment Statuses

For Fall/Spring DTS considers the following hours for each enrollment status. Full-time: 9+ hours, Three-Quarter-Time: 7-8 hours, Half-time: 5-6 hours, Less than Half-time: 1-4 hours.

For Summer DTS considers Full-time: 6+ hours, Three-Quarter-Time: 5 hours, Half-time: 3-4 hours, Less than Half-time: 1-2 hours.

For more information on the payment rates per enrollment status, please visit here as these change each fiscal year on October 1st.

If you have questions about your enrollment and payment, please contact the VA Certifying Official at crose@dts.edu.

If you are receiving CH33 and are 100% eligible you may be able to receive Yellow Ribbon.

What is Yellow Ribbon?

Yellow Ribbon serves a variety of purposes, but for the purpose of DTS it helps supplement the costs of graduate school tuition and fees.

Does DTS accept Yellow Ribbon? Yes, DTS does participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Questions & Information

For more information about the Yellow Ribbon program please go here.

If you have any questions about how this program and this might apply to your benefits, please contact the VA Certifying Official at crose@dts.edu.

How does Yellow Ribbon work at DTS?

The Yellow Ribbon Program allows DTS to fully cover tuition and fee expenses that exceed the established maximum thresholds under CH33 (Post 9/11) for an unlimited number of eligible military students.

The maximum payment threshold for a private school like DTS for the 2026-2027 academic year is $30,908.34. Meaning the VA will only pay a student attending DTS up to this total in tuition and fees.

With Yellow Ribbon after a student has been paid over $30,908.34 in tuition and fees across the 2026-2027 academic year (August 2026-July2027). DTS will come in and cover the rest.

The cap changes each academic year and the current and future rates can be found here.

What is SAP?

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is used to determine progress made by an individual receiving federal funds. This is determine by the program hour requirements and the time limit to complete your degree. Using these a school determines how many classes and the GPA requirement a student must maintain to continue receiving these federal funds.

For example, the ThM is 120 hours and is required to be completed in 8 years. Therefore, for DTS to reasonably determine your progress toward the degree they would calculate hours/time = 120/8 to get a 15 hour minimum to make progress toward the degree.

VA SAP Requirements

A VA student is required to make satisfactory progress toward his or her degree in order to remain eligible for VA Educational Benefits. To do this, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA and complete the number of hours required for their degree listed below.

• Students in the ThM must complete a minimum of 15 hours per academic year.
• Students in the MAC must complete a minimum of 13 hours per academic year.
• Students in the MACP and MAJS must complete a minimum of 12 hours per academic year.
• Students in the MACE, MACL, MAIS, MAMW, MABEL, MACS, MACE, MACO, and MAAE must complete a minimum of 10 hours per academic year.
• Students in the MBTS and STM  must complete a minimum of 6 hours per academic year.
• Students in the PhD, DMIN/DEDMIN, and EdD must complete a minimum of 6 hours per academic year.

If you are in a dual degree this might be different, please consult here or the VA Certifying Official for more information.

Failure to meet SAP Requirements

What happens if for some reason I cannot meet the SAP requirements for a given academic year?

Students that fail to maintain a 2.0 GPA or do not complete the minimum number of required hours per their degree in an academic year will be placed on SAP Probation the first time this occurs for one academic year.

SAP Probation will not inhibit you from receiving your VA benefits, but you will receive a warning letter from the Financial Aid Office within the next term. During the year, students must meet the stated minimum grade requirement and complete enough work to meet the SAP requirements for their degree program.

If students on probation fail to achieve the minimum grade requirement or the cumulative hour requirement at the end of the first probationary period, they will be placed on SAP Suspension and their status will be reported to the Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO), or other appropriate federal agencies or financial institutions. If this occurs, students will be ineligible to receive VA benefits the following academic year.

SAP Appeal

If students on SAP probation fail to achieve the cumulative hour requirement by the end of the first probationary period, they will have an opportunity to appeal their ineligibility by providing information on extenuating circumstances. 

The first time a student falls below the 2.0 cumulative GPA requirement they will be placed on VA Benefits Suspension. Students can appeal for a one-semester probationary period at the discretion of the Financial Aid Director based on extenuating circumstances.

The seminary considers extenuating circumstances to be unforeseen matters such as death in the family, serious accident or illness, unusual circumstances surrounding the birth of a child, visa problems for international students, call-ups to active military duty, and similar circumstances that could not have been prevented or anticipated by the students and were completely beyond his or her control. Examples of situations that will not be considered extenuating include general busyness, employment demands, minor illnesses, responsibilities from optional ministries, or a change in graduation date.

Students requesting an appeal to their satisfactory academic progress status should submit their request to financialaid@dts.edu. The request will be evaluated by the Director of Financial Aid in consultation with the Registrar.

Students must include reasons why the minimum academic requirements were not met and why aid should not be terminated. Students must meet with an academic advisor to file an academic plan that will lead to meeting the minimum satisfactory academic progress requirements in the future. This plan along with a letter for extenuating circumstances must be submitted to the Director of Financial Aid and approved by the financial aid committee. The progress will be reviewed at the end of the payment period; if students do not meet the terms of the plan, eligibility will cease, and all remaining aid will be cancelled.

Students will be notified of the decision within two weeks of receiving the appeal. Information that may be considered in determining if students are still maintaining satisfactory academic progress includes extenuating circumstances as listed in the previous paragraph.

If the request for appeal to their satisfactory academic progress status is denied by the Director of Financial Aid or the Registrar, students can appeal the decision in writing to the Student Appeals Committee.

If students are determined to maintain satisfactory academic progress, their eligibility for financial aid will be reinstated. Students will receive notification from the Director of Financial Aid in writing. To reestablish satisfactory academic progress once students have been terminated from financial aid, they must meet all above requirements.

Withdrawing from a class

During a semester you might consider or need to withdraw from one or more courses. Please consult with the VA Certifying Official to discuss your options before dropping as there could be financial consequences for the Withdraw. Mitigating Circumstances will be considered by both DTS and the VA as applicable. Please reference the Mitigating Circumstances section below to see if your circumstances qualify before withdrawing.

Mitigating Circumstances

Sometimes there are mitigating circumstances that cause us to need to stop school or reduce our course load. The VA considers Mitigating Circumstances to be circumstances beyond the student’s control that prevent the student from continuing in school or that cause the student to reduce credits.

Examples are:

• An illness or death in the student’s immediate family.
• An illness or injury afflicting the student during the enrollment period.
• An unavoidable change in the student’s conditions of employment.
• An unavoidable geographical transfer resulting from the student’s employment.
• Immediate family or financial obligations beyond the control of the claimant that require him or her to suspend pursuit of the program of education to obtain employment.
• Discontinuance of the course by the school.
• Unanticipated active military service, including active duty for training.
• Unanticipated difficulties with childcare arrangements the student made for the period during which he or she is attending classes.

VA Debts

If you withdraw from a course at DTS after the semester has started this will create an Educational Debt and/or a Living/Supplies debt with the VA.

The Educational Debt will be sent to DTS for CH33 and CH31 students, but CH30, CH35, and CH 1606 will be sent to the VA beneficiary to return any overpaid funds.

The Living/Supplies Allowance Debt will be sent to the student for CH33 and CH31 to return any funds overpaid. CH31 students that have book charges sent to DTS for payment would have any book charges returned by DTS.

Six-Credit Hour Exclusion

The VA automatically grants mitigating circumstances for up to 6 credits the first time a student reduces or terminates and mitigating circumstances must be considered. This automatic grant is called the 6-Credit Hour Exclusion. The exclusion is a one-time grant made the first-time mitigating circumstances must be considered for the student. Up to 6 credits can be excluded if the student has been awarded benefits for the credit. The 6-Credit Hour Exclusion cannot be granted if the student completes the term and receives non-punitive grades.

If the student withdraws from 3 credits, the exclusion will be granted for 3 credits and the student’s one-time exclusion is used.

If the student withdraws from 12 credits, the exclusion will be granted for 6 credits, the student’s one-time exclusion is used, and the student must provide mitigating circumstances for the other 6 credits.

Does DTS accept the Hazlewood Act?

No, DTS does not, since it is a private institution.

Which programs at DTS are approved for VA benefits?

All Masters and Doctoral programs are approved. The GCCS and PGS programs are not.