Military and Veteran Services

Missouri Western State University assists military-connected students attending classes and receiving veteran benefits.  Students who are a veteran, current service member, National Guardsmen, Reservists, military spouse or dependent child are defined as military-connected.

The University participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, is a Community College of the Air Force’s (CCAF) General Education Mobile (GEM) program participant, and an Air University Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative (AU-ABC) member.

General information for military-connected students can be found in the Center for Military and Veterans Services missouriwestern.edu/military, Eder Hall, Room 200. The Center for Military and Veterans Services coordinates services for veterans including:

• Federal and State education benefits such as the GI Bill;
• referral for counseling for financial, personal, vocational, and academic challenges;
• veterans work study job information;
• information about changes in legislative regulations which affect veterans; and
• information about MWSU procedures such as state emergency duty or deployment

Missouri Western will assess in-state tuition to all eligible military-connected students regardless of their state of residency. Refer to the guidelines for Qualifying for In-State Tuition. The School Certifying Official in the Center for Military and Veterans Services (Eder Hall, Room 200) coordinates the services for veterans including:

• certification of enrollment for educational benefits;
• information about changes in legislative regulations which affect veterans; and
• information about MWSU procedures.

The School Certifying Official also acts as a direct liaison between Missouri Western State University and the Veterans Administration Regional Office in Buffalo regarding payment of benefits.  Additional information is available online at missouriwestern.edu/finaid.

Missouri Western State University will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a Chapter 31 or Chapter 33 recipient borrow additional funds to cover the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to Missouri Western State University due to the delayed disbursement of a payment by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Readmission of Service Members

In compliance with federal regulation, Missouri Western will promptly readmit service members with the same academic status as they had when they last attended or were accepted for admission. This requirement applies to any student who cannot attend school due to military service. More information can be found here.

Ethical Recruitment of Students

Missouri Western State University strives to be an institution of high integrity and is committed to ensuring that recruitment and enrollment activities conducted at the University promote such an environment. The purpose of this policy is to ensure compliance with federal laws and regulation in order to prevent and eliminate fraudulent and aggressive recruitment of students (including but not limited to veterans and Military Service members) to the University. More information can be found here.

Policy: Certifying Graduate Training for Students Using VA Benefits

The School Certifying Official (SCO) will report the student’s training time as full-time when certifying enrollment to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in accordance with institutional academic policy. The VA will make the final determination regarding the student’s rate of pursuit and eligibility for benefits.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs School Certifying Official Handbook, institutions must report the student’s training time (for example, full-time, three-quarter time, etc.) for the enrollment period based on the institution’s definition of full-time enrollment.

Students using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits must be enrolled at 51 percent or greater rate of pursuit in order to receive a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA).

Fall and Spring Sessions

Graduate Military Benefits

Session Length	Credit Hours	Associated Training Time Full Time Status
15 Weeks	6 or more	Full time
15 Weeks	5	3/4 Time
15 Weeks	3-4	1/2 Time
15 Weeks	2	Less than 1/2 Time
15 Weeks	1	Less than 1/2 Time but more than 1/4
8 Weeks	3 or more	Full Time
8 Weeks	2	1/2 Time
8 Weeks	1	Less than 1/2 Time but more than 1/4
7 Weeks	3 or more	Full Time
7 Weeks	2	1/2 Time
7 Weeks	1	Less than 1/2 Time but more than 1/4

Summer Sessions

Graduate Military Benefits

Session Length	Credit Hours	Associated Training Time Full Time Status
14 Weeks	6 or more	Full Time
14 Weeks	5	3/4 Time
14 Weeks	3-4	1/2 Time
14 Weeks	2	Less than 1/2 Time but more than 1/4
14 Weeks	1	1/4 Time or Less
7 Weeks	3 or more	Full Time
7 Weeks	2	1/2 Time
7 Weeks	1	Less than 1/2 Time but more than 1/4
4 Weeks	3 or more	Full Time
4 Weeks	2	1/2 time
4 Weeks	1	Less than 1/2 Time but more than 1/4