Good afernoon-
Many of you are calling and emailing for updates about your stipends and benefits. Unfortunately, we are slightly in the dark right now on updates due to the government shutdown.
We had heard that payments were being released by the 1st of the month and then taking 3-5 business days to appear in your bank accounts. For others, you were certified weeks ago by us but the VA still hasn't paid out. Even more iddues for those with Ch 35 and their reecent change to a new system plus rolling out monthly enrollment verifications for you.
At this point we have certified almost everyone who completed their request form prior to September 30 and are making our way through the last few from Sept/Oct. Our typical answer to you during this time is to call the VA directly. But as you will see below, the education hotline is down due to the shutdown.
Here is the information we currently have. We will update you as we hear anything else concrete.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to our office. You can also check your certification status in VA Works.
From the American Council on Education website:
Veteran Benefits and GI Bill Processing: For veteran students, most GI Bill benefits are expected to continue without interruption. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) 2025 contingency plan confirms that education benefit payments and claims processing will continue, as these programs are funded through mandatory and advance appropriations (money Congress approves one year for use in the next). In addition, most certifications are submitted in August and have already been processed for the current academic term.
However, some delays could arise if the shutdown is prolonged or if students require additional verification, corrections, or appeals during the lapse. In previous shutdowns, VA has experienced backlogs in claims processing and a slowdown in support services due to furloughed staff and reduced system capacity.
While core benefits and payments are protected, call center support—including the GI Bill hotline—is suspended, and technical assistance may be limited. Appeals processing will continue, but students may experience slower response times if issues arise.
Service Members and Tuition Assistance: Department of Defense (DoD) education assistance, including Tuition Assistance (TA), may be more significantly impacted during a shutdown because it is funded directly through annual appropriations. Servicemembers who are enrolled in upcoming terms may see their TA cancelled, depending on the length of the shutdown.
During past shutdowns, the Military Services have responded by automatically canceling TA requests for classes scheduled to begin during the funding lapse, with cancellations occurring daily until funding is restored. While contractors who manage the TA systems may continue to work, they cannot approve or obligate new funds.
Service members will likely need to resubmit TA requests after the shutdown ends, and the Services may not retroactively fund courses that started during the suspension. As a result, service members who continue with classes during this period may be personally responsible for tuition costs.
Info about MyCAA
From the VA: