Benefits

The California State Approving Agency for Veterans Education (CSAAVE) has approved most academic programs at Fielding for the training of veterans. We will assist eligible Fielding Graduate University students to access the educational benefits earned by serving in the armed forces of the United States and to help pay for courses leading to their Fielding degrees. All VA benefits are non-taxable and reduce the amount of financial aid for which you are eligible.

To apply for veterans benefits while attending Fielding, please follow these steps:

1. Verify that your program is on the list of Fielding programs approved for VA funding.
2. Complete your admission to Fielding.
3. If you have not previously applied/received benefits from the VA, complete the VA Application form online. You may apply online with the VA or you may apply by downloading a PDF hardcopy and mailing the original copy of it to them.
4. If you needed to do step 3, send a copy of your completed VA Application form to Fielding.
5. Sign and fax, email or mail pages 2-4 of Fielding’s Veterans Benefits form.
6. Send a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility (sometimes called a Statement of Benefits) you receive from the VA to Fielding. If you have existing benefits for the Post 9/11 GI Bill®⟩, you can obtain this yourself online following the instructions here: https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill/post-9-11/ch-33-benefit/

Enrollment certifications to the VA normally occur mid-January, mid-May and mid-September at the conclusion of the term’s add/drop period. While you are enrolled at Fielding and receiving veteran’s benefits, your Veteran’s School Certifying Official, within Fielding’s Registrar’s Office, will be reviewing your academic records at each certification point, verifying your completion of academic credits and tuition/fee charges for the appropriate term and reporting this information to the VA. Any changes to your status, course load and/or tuition and fees charged must also be reported to the VA. Depending on your benefit program/chapter, a benefit check may be mailed directly from the VA office to your home, or it will be sent directly from the VA to Fielding, be applied against your student balance, and any credit balance remaining will be refunded to you. You may choose to sign up for automatic direct deposit with both the VA and Fielding.

If deemed eligible by the Department of Veterans Affairs, you may receive veteran’s educational assistance while enrolled in an approved Fielding degree program, or certificate non-degree program. The Department of Veterans Affairs has several educational programs to assist veterans. There are also programs designed for the dependents and survivors of veterans. See related links below to specific details within the GI Bill^® website for each of the military benefit programs they offer.

Fielding’s administrative offices are located in two lot-adjacent office buildings in beautiful Santa Barbara, California. To enrich your educational experience, many of Fielding’s programs hold face-to-face events throughout the year in different regional locations. Our Academic Conferencing & Events Department contracts with hotels and other educational spaces such as retreat centers to provide suitable spaces for your learning and engagement with faculty.