How many MIT units do I need to take to be considered full-time by the VA?
Undergraduate students enrolled in 36 units are considered full-time by the VA. Graduate students enrolled in 21 units are considered full-time by the VA.
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Veterans benefits FAQs
See all Veterans benefits questions- How many MIT units are in a VA credit?
- How will my Veterans benefits affect my MIT Scholarship?
- I’ve received my Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA, and I will be enrolling at MIT. What are my next steps?
- Do I need to verify my enrollment monthly with the VA?
- When will I receive my Veterans benefits?
- I received another Veteran questionnaire from MIT. I already filled one out. Do I have to complete it again?
- Whom should I contact to learn more about Veterans benefits and MIT financial aid?
For enrollment certification purposes, three MIT units equal one VA credit (i.e. 48 MIT units = 16 VA credits). Units are not rounded up, so if you are registered for 50 MIT units, your VA credit hours would be 16.6 VA credits.
MIT considers Veterans benefits to be outside scholarships, and they must be accounted for in your financial aid award. They are first used to cover your student contribution. If your outside scholarship is more than the student contribution, the remainder reduces your MIT Scholarship.
For explanations and examples of how Veterans benefits may affect your MIT Scholarship, visit undergraduate Veterans or undergraduate dependents of Veterans.
Submit your COE and MIT’s Initial Notification of Enrollment for Veteran’s Benefits (NOE) to Student Financial Services in person, by mail, or fax. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept the NOE via email.
If you are using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, including the monthly housing allowance, you are required to verify your enrollment with the VA every month to continue receiving your benefits. This requirement is in addition to submitting the Initial Notification of Enrollment for Veteran’s Benefits form to SFS.
Visit How to apply for benefits for more information.
Housing and/or book stipends are certified by MIT on the VA web portal each semester after Registration Day. These stipends will be sent from the VA directly to you. VA processing time can vary, but you can expect to receive funds approximately 2–8 weeks after the start of term.
Tuition, student life fee, and/or health insurance are certified by MIT on the VA web portal each semester after Add Date (5 weeks into the semester). These funds will be sent from the VA directly to MIT. VA processing time can vary; you will see these applied to your account on MITSIS approximately 2–3 months after the start of term.
Yes. We require all VA students to complete a Veteran questionnaire each term in order for benefits to be certified.
We initially send this questionnaire when you provide your COE and NOE. The questionnaire will subsequently be sent to your MIT email address before the start of each term.
We know all of this can be confusing. If you have questions, please reach out to us at va@mit.edu. We can help!
MIT also has an office of Student Veteran Success (SVS). The program administrator serves as a direct point of contact for students. The office provides support, advocacy, and programming designed to improve the experience of Veterans. They support students currently serving in the military and military families who are studying at MIT. To reach SVS, please email veteransuccess@mit.edu.