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GI Bill® educational benefits

Using your GI Bill benefits and military tuition assistance at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine:

In order to apply for GI Bill® educational benefits, Chapter 30, Chapter 33, Chapter 35, and Chapters 1606 and 1607, Veterans Affairs requires a completed VA FORM 22-1990. For Chapter 31 complete VA FORM 28-1905. The forms can be completed online here. Contact the VA certifying official, Edward Lahart at elahart@som.geisinger.edu, for assistance in using benefits.

You will also need to submit a VA’s Certificate of Eligibility by the first day of class. Geisinger Commonwealth currently follows the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 as outlined below.

On December 31, 2018, the President signed into law the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018. It contains a provision (Section 103) that takes effect on August 1, 2019 and potentially impacts your institution’s tuition and fee policies.

Beginning August 1, 2019, for any student using Ch. 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill or Ch. 31 Voc-Rehab benefits, even if the VA has not yet paid tuition and fees, no institution (public, private, for profit, not for profit), can have a policy in effect that:

  • prevents enrolling,
  • assesses a late penalty fee,
  • requires securing alternative or additional funding, or
  • denies access to any school resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) that are available to other students that have paid.

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 Web site at benefits.va.gov/gibill.