Veterans Benefits

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides benefits for tuition and required fees, housing, and books. Current rates can be found on the VA's website.

In addition to the educational benefits that are paid directly to the College (for tuition and required fees), you also receive a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) – this is generally the same as the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). The amount of the benefits and allowance will depend on your percentage of eligibility. The monthly allowance is paid directly to you, the student. Since the MHA is less than Davidson’s cost for a standard double room and unlimited meal plan, Davidson Grant may be used to supplement the VA resources you receive, depending on your family’s calculated need.

If benefits are certified after you have received an aid offer, it may be necessary to adjust institutional funds. Given the requirements to qualify for Chapter 33, this benefit is treated as an outside resource. Except in very limited circumstances, the combination of financial aid from all sources may not exceed the total Cost of Attendance. At Davidson, outside resources first reduce the Student Employment award, then the Expected Family Contribution; then, if all outside resources together exceed $5,000 for the year, or if Student Employment and Expected Family Contribution have both been fully replaced, aid awarded from Davidson will be reduced as well. This treatment will be applied each year the student is eligible to receive the benefit. Institutional funds cannot be used to exceed the cost of attendance when combined with VA benefits. This ensures that you are using your benefits as exercised and institutional funds are used to supplement any remaining calculated need. VA benefits do not affect eligibility for Title IV federal aid programs. Students will not need to submit an Davidson College Outside Resource Notification Form for VA Benefits only, as these are applied when the student submits their certificate of eligibility.

Davidson also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students receiving 100% Ch. 33 benefits who qualify for Yellow Ribbon will receive an additional $20,000 in total benefits paid towards their bill. $10,000 from the VA, and $10,000 from Davidson College. 

Not all students receive 100% benefits with Yellow Ribbon. Eligibility is determined by the veteran’s length of service since 9/11/2001. If you have questions about how choosing to certify benefits would impact your aid offer, we encourage you to get in touch with an aid counselor.

The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program benefits are typically the Ch. 35 benefits used at Davidson. The benefits received with the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship are similar to the Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits above and are, therefore, treated similarly to the Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits. This educational benefit is paid directly to you, the student, on a monthly basis. Current rates can be found on the VA's website.

Given the requirements to qualify for Chapter 35, this benefit generally does not affect a student's Davidson financial aid offer. However, if benefits are certified after you have received an aid offer, it may be necessary to adjust funding. Except in very limited circumstances, the combination of financial aid from all sources may not exceed the total Cost of Attendance. At Davidson, only when the Expected Family Contribution has been fully replaced with the Chapter 35 benefit will aid awarded from Davidson be reduced. This treatment will be applied each year the student is eligible to receive the benefit. VA benefits do not affect eligibility for Title IV federal aid programs. 

Davidson's policy does not allow institutional grant funding to be awarded in total over Cost of Attendance. The office will work to reduce other self help prior to reducing grant money to keep all sources of funding, including VA funding, under the Cost of Attendance. This ensures that you are using your benefits as exercised and institutional funds are used to supplement any remaining calculated need. 

Students will not need to submit an Davidson College Outside Resource Notification Form for VA Benefits only, as these are applied when the student submits their certificate of eligibility.