Welcome to Carson-Newman University! We are excited to have you here. Applying for and receiving your VA educational benefits is a relatively simple process. Pease follow the steps below to begin using your benefits at Carson-Newman. If you need assistance at any point during the process, please reach out to the Office of Military and Veteran Services either by email or phone. We will be glad to help!
STEP 1: Apply for Benefits with the VA
If you have applied and been awarded your education benefits, skip to step 2. Whether you are a veteran or dependent, to use VA education benefits you will need to complete an application through the Veterans Affairs website. The application should only take 15-20 minutes to complete. We recommend that you have your bank routing and account numbers handy as you will be able to enroll in direct deposit as part of the application. You will not need to upload any documents during this process.
Please click on the button below to start your application at the US Department of Veterans Affairs website:
In the section where the application asks for the school’s name and address, please use the following information:
Carson-Newman University
1646 Russell Avenue
Jefferson City, TN 37760
When you have finished the application, please save or print out the confirmation page with your name and confirmation and email a copy to militaryservices@cn.edu.
Your actual Certificate of Eligibility (COE) will take another four weeks or more to arrive in the mail.
You DO NOT have to wait to receive you Certificate of Eligibility before applying for admission to Carson-Newman University, talking to a faculty advisor, or choosing your classes.
STEP 2: Complete the C-N Military/Veteran Education Assistance Form
This is a one-time action to receive military education benefits while attending Carson-Newman University. Click on the link below to begin.
On page 3 of the form, you will acknowledge your understanding of the university’s policies for receiving military/veteran education benefits while attending Carson-Newman University. These policies may be read and downloaded using the button below.
STEP 3: Submit Initial Documentation to Us
In approximately 30 days after applying to the VA, you should receive a document called the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in the regular mail. The VA may also send you a copy via email.
Our office will need a copy of your COE as soon as you receive it in order to process your certifications.
In the meantime, please also submit your most recent DD-214 (disregard if you are still serving on active duty).
If you are a member of the National Guard or Reserve, we will also need a copy of your Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE) as well as a copy of your Enlistment Kicker (if applicable). Check with your Unit Administrator to receive copies of these documents.
Once we have a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility and your DD-214, our office will not need anything else from you until you have registered for classes.
All documents can be emailed to militaryservices@cn.edu or be dropped off in person at the Registrar’s Office.
STEP 4: Once you have registered for classes
EVERY SEMESTER, after you register for classes, you must complete the Certification Request Form in order for your VA education benefits to be processed. You will receive a confirmation e-mail after submission. It is important to submit this request in a timely manner to ensure that your benefits are not delayed. Registration at Carson-Newman takes place several weeks prior to the upcoming semester for which you are registering. Make it a practice to fill out the Certification Request Form at the same time you register for the next semester.
Once this form is received, your certifying official here at Carson-Newman will review your eligibility and ensure that the classes you’ve chosen are within VA guidelines. Please note that VA educational benefits will only cover courses required for your degree program.
You must report immediately, all changes to your enrollment to the Director of Military and Veteran Services via email. These changes include change in credits, course withdrawal, incomplete grades, and change of major and address. We are required to report these changes to the VA.
STEP 5: Go To Class
We strongly recommend that you make every effort to not miss class. Please note that a failure for non-attendance must be reported to the VA and will result in a debt on your student account. If you feel as though you may be at risk to fail a course for academic reasons, please contact our office so that we may assist with resources here on campus.
Always notify the Office of Military and Veteran Services if you make any changes to your schedule or degree program, as we are required to report them to the VA.
NOTE: In order for payment to be processed, some chapters of the GI Bill® require monthly self-verification of enrollment on the last day of each month in which you are enrolled. (GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This can be done by using the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) website or by calling the VA toll free Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone line at 1-877-VA-ECERT (1-877-823-2378).
