The University of Tennessee at Martin is dedicated to assisting Veterans, Active-Duty service members, National Guard and Reservists and eligible military families in achieving their educational and professional goals.

The University recognizes the adjustment from military service to college life can be very challenging. We are committed in providing our veteran students the tools, support and encouragement needed to successfully transition to the classroom and understand the federal and state benefits that they have earned.

Students receiving educational assistance through the Department of Veteran Affairs must contact the VA Certifying Official in the Business Affairs Office. Student must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program or seeking Licensure to teach to receive benefits. Only classes applying to your degree may be certified for VA benefits. Students are required to electronically verify their attendance with the VA.

VA Education Benefits can be received by veterans, reservists/guardsmen, spouses and children of 100% service-connected deceased or disabled veterans under the programs listed below. For information on applying for the benefits, contact the Certifying Official or go to the GI Bill® website at http://www.va.gov/

GI 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.

Post 9/11 GI BILL® (Chapter 33)

Veterans who have served at least 90 days of active duty service after September 10, 2001 and received an honorable discharge will qualify for the Post-9/11 Gl Bill® . To qualify for the full benefit a veteran must have served at least 3 years of active duty after September 10, 2001. Those who qualify for the Active Duty Gl Bill®, the Reserve GI Bill® or REAP will have the option to choose which benefit best suits their need.

For those who served on active duty after 9/10/2001, please view the eligibility percentages.

Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30)

Veterans enlisted after July 1, 1985 and participated in the pay reduction program may apply for the Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill®. Student receives a monthly payment. The rate will vary with the length and type of service. Members are eligible for this benefit up to 10 years from date of separation from the military. To receive payment, student must certify enrollment monthly using the WAVE program.

Reservists Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 1606)

The Selected Reserve includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve and the Army National Guard and Air National Guard. Eligibility for the program is determined by the Selected Reserve component. Student may receive up to 36 months of educational benefits. The benefit entitlement ends 15 years from the date of your eligibility for the program or on the day you leave the Selected Reserve.

Dependents GI Bill® (Chapter 35)

Benefit may be paid to spouse or child of a service-connected deceased or 100-percent-permanently disabled service-connected veteran. Marital status of a dependent child is not a factor in determining eligibility. Dependents determined eligible may have up to 45 months of benefits and may use the benefit until they reach age twenty-six.

Veteran Readiness and Employment

A Veteran who has a service connected disability which entitles him or her to VA disability compensation and who is in need of vocational rehabilitation because his or her disability creates an employment handicap may be eligible for Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits. The program is administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Division. Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. For more information contact Sandra Jones at the Clarksville office, 931-906-0273.

To apply online to receive VA benefits from Chapter 1606, 30, 33, and 35, visit http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp

For additional information about applying for benefits, go to https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/

Tuition Deferment

Service members, veterans and dependents of veterans eligible for Department of Veteran Affairs education benefits or other governmentally funded educational assistance, subject to the conditions and guidelines set forth in Tennessee Code Annotated 49-7-104 as amended, may elect, upon formal application, to defer payment of required tuition and fees until the final day of the term for which the deferment has been requested. Application for the deferment must be made no later than 14 days after the beginning of the term and the amount of the deferment shall not exceed the total monetary benefits to be received for the term. Students who have been granted deferments are expected to make timely payments on their outstanding tuition and fees balance once education benefits are being delivered and eligibility for such deferment shall terminate if the student fails to abide by any applicable rule or regulation, or to act in good faith in making timely payments.

To fill out a deferment form please click on the link below, you will need your UTM username and password. Please select the appropriate term, chapter benefit you are using, electronically sign, and press "Submit Form". https://dynamicforms.ngwebsolutions.com/casAuthentication.ashx?InstID=18daebe3-69cd-437e-af4a-f0e3d95f6286&targetURL=https://dynamicforms.ngwebsolutions.com/Submit/Form/Start/7a016a6c-bb4a-4a53-91b7-fb5ab6fb6d76

Military Credit

Military credit can be awarded to veterans or active service members who enroll in UTM. Ten semester hours of credit will be given to students with a DD214 or DD295 that shows successful completion of basic training. Military schooling may not duplicate these 10 semester hours of credit. Up to 30 semester hours of military and/or examination credit may be applied toward degree requirements. Official transcripts must be sent from the service person’s education office (JST, AARTS or SMARTS transcripts are recommended) in order to receive military credit. All other residency requirements must be met. The ACE Military Guide is used in awarding credits for military experience. For military credit that is not specifically addressed by ACE, students can develop a portfolio of college level learning via class name and number for credits or utilize other prior learning assessments (e.g. AP, CLEP, challenge examinations) for credit. Students also may petition the relevant department in order to evaluate a course for credit or use the Special Request process to be approved to use credits towards their degree.

Military hours attempted and hours earned are excluded from calculation of satisfactory academic progress (SAP) whenever financial aid eligibility is in question.

For questions about military credit, contact Carah Hooten-Dellinger in the Office of Academic Records.

Guidelines to follow to receive Education Benefits

  1. Notify Certifying Official of your class schedule each semester you want to receive benefits.
  2. Notify Certifying Official of Change of Major or Minor.
  3. Only classes needed for your degree may be certified for veteran benefits
  4. Classes already passed cannot be certified for benefits unless catalog states must make a grade of 'C' or above.
  5. Excessive electives cannot be certified.
  6. Notify Certifying Official of any change to schedule to include dropping a class, withdrawal from a class or school, or stop attending classes. Failure to notify official may result in an overpayment from VA.