Veterans Certification Office

Welcome! We serve as the primary liaison between USC students and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Our team assists you in navigating your educational benefits and processing your enrollment certification so you can focus on your studies.

New to USC? Prospective and newly admitted students are highly encouraged to watch our “Using Veteran Education Benefits at USC” video before beginning the certification process.

Please select your student status to view the specific requirements and forms for your certification:

Option 1: First-Time Applicants:  Select this if you are a new student or using VA benefits at USC for the first time.

Option 2: Continuing Students: Select this if you have been certified at USC in a previous semester and need to renew for the upcoming term.

Option 3: Change of Program and Place of Training: Select this if you are visiting from another institution and taking courses at USC.

Payment & Processing: Once you submit your certification request, processing takes the Veterans Administration approximately six to eight weeks. (This is the expected timeline for the initial tuition and fees payment to USC.)

• Initial Tuition/Fees Payment to USC: Arrives six to eight weeks after certification is submitted.
• Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) to Student: Arrives at the beginning of the following month (e.g., October payment arrives in early November). The MHA is paid in arrears (after the month of attendance).
• Questions? After certification, please direct payment questions to the VA at 1-888-GIBILL-1.

For students using VA benefits at USC for the first time.

Step 1: Apply for Benefits. Visit the VA website to apply for your education benefits. You will receive a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or a Statement of Benefits.

Step 2: Register. Enroll in your degree-applicable classes.

Step 3: File. You will need to complete the following two steps to initiate your certification:

1. Submit the ASE form: Complete the online Application for Semester Entitlement (ASE) form. This is required every semester you wish to use benefits.
2. Upload Eligibility: Upload a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility, Statement of Benefits, or Tungsten Authorization (Ch. 31) via our Document Submission form.

Yellow Ribbon Applicants: You must upload a copy of your Statement of Benefits/COE showing 100 percent eligibility to be considered. See our Yellow Ribbon Page for details.

For students who have successfully used VA benefits at USC in a previous semester.

Step 1: Register for Classes. Ensure your courses are degree-applicable. We can certify only courses that apply toward your specific degree objective.

Step 2: Submit the ASE form. You must submit the Application for Semester Entitlement (ASE) form each semester after you register.

• Note: The USC Veterans Certification Office cannot certify your enrollment without this request on file for the current term.
• Retroactive Certification: We can certify enrollment for past semesters (up to one year), but cannot certify future semesters before you are registered.

For transfer students or current students changing their major.

If you are transferring your benefits from another school to USC, or if you are a current USC student changing your major or degree objective, you must update your status with the VA.

1. Notify the VA: Complete the Request for Change of Program or Place of Training on the VA website.
   • Veterans/Service Members: Form 22-1995
   • Dependents (Ch. 35): Form 22-5495
2. Notify USC: Upload the confirmation of your VA submission via our Document Submission form.

Please find all relevant Veterans Certification forms on the Student Forms page.

Have a question?
The askUSC portal will help you find answers to our most commonly asked questions — and even some you may not have thought about. If you have any questions or wish to email us, we invite you to .

Note: Current USC students must use their official university email address (username@usc.edu) for all official university communications and are encouraged to email us by logging in to askUSC with their USC NetID.

Contact information and staff directory can be found on our Contact Us page.

Need immediate assistance?
For specific questions regarding your certification status:

Virtual Hours

Virtual Walk-Ins: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM PT.

Scheduled Appointments: Book a 30-minute Virtual Appointment.