Financial Aid, VA, and TA all come from different funding sources and are processed through different offices.
Some funding sources are incompatible, constitute double dipping, or simply aren’t beneficial when used at the same time. Tuition-only scholarships, exemptions, and discounts are deducted from the amount certified to the VA. In most cases, use of VA and TA to pay the same costs constitutes double dipping.
G.I. Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Funding is disbursed in the order payments are received. The Office of the Bursar is not a financial institution. Monies cannot be held, directed, or disbursed in a requested order.
The University cannot disburse funds until we have received them. Once your Bursar’s account balance is paid in full, excess funds may be refunded to you. If additional funds in the form of VA or TA become available, they may be refunded to you. VA and TA are processed after the start of term following a strict timetable and cannot be processed early.
For veteran student services information, please visit the Veteran Benefits FAQ.
The military typically approves $250 per credit hour and you are responsible for covering the difference, including any additional tuition and fees.
The first step for all students is to work with their local education officer (Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps) or online system (Army, Air Force) to initiate the process of utilizing TA benefits. Once the military approves your TA request, students from all branches except Army should submit their TA to the university. Army students do not need to submit anything, as the TA representative will process their TA based on Go Army Ed enrollments.
Contact your advisor or site director to request an upload of your SOCAD.
Army: Registering for courses in GoArmyEd is how you request TA, but you must also register for your courses with OU. You will not need to upload anything to the TA database.
After you receive your approval, you will upload your signed PDF to the database (https://ta.pacs.ou.edu/) and it will be processed at the end of the free add/drop period, unless you are a student taking classes at an OU North America or Europe site location. Students enrolled at a site location should turn their completed form into their site director.
You can submit your TA to the University late if you applied for TA within the date parameters of your branch of service.
Except for Army TA, TA cannot be processed unless you have submitted a TA form. All account adjustments, including TA, take place after the free add/drop period has ended for the course/term.
Grades are only submitted for students whom have turned in TA forms to the University.
It is the responsibility of the student to notify their TA/billing representative of any enrollment changes after the free add/drop date. Upon notification, we will refund whichever military branch paid the TA.
The military will recoup the money from you. Most branches will not pay for any course for which you receive a “D” or less as an undergraduate student or a “C” or less as a graduate student. Each branch has a limited period that you may make up an “I” grade and still receive funding. Check with your specific branch of service for details.
MyCAA is spousal Financial Assistance (FA). This FA is applied for and processed through the Air Force portal AFAEMS. The rules for MyCAA are very specific. All the information must be correct, or it will not be processed. MyCAA can ONLY be used for a certificate program. You MUST be participating in a certificate program BEFORE you can use MyCAA.
Yes. VA can be submitted up to one year after the last day of the course.