Veteran Benefits

It is important that any student wishing to take advantage of Veterans Educational Benefits first contact the Veteran & Military Resource Center (VMRC). Only VMRC staff can speak with any authority on this topic. They can be reached by calling (505) 277-3181 or (505) 277-3184, or by visiting their website at http://vrc.unm.edu/.

This web page exists solely for the purpose of explaining Bursar’s Office processes, procedures and policies relating to Chapter 33 and Chapter 31 benefits. The Bursar's Office has no authority when it comes to certifying or explaining VA benefits to students.

 Chapter 33 - Post 9/11 GI Bill®

  • Every semester, the student MUST provide a copy of their class schedule to the VMRC. 
  • The Bursar’s office will be notified by the VMRC of eligible Chapter 33 recipients, at this time we will post a 0.00 payment and an estimated amount as a memo to the student’s account to coincide with the percentage of tuition and course fees provided to us. The student should have received a certification letter from the VA advising them of their eligibility and should turn in a copy to VMRC.
  • After the 3-week drop date for 16-week courses, the VMRC will certify by amending the term to add the tuition and fees for qualified courses to be processed for payment. In addition, VMRC will place a registration hold on the student’s record to prevent any course changes without first contacting them. VMRC staff will remove the hold and recertify, as necessary. It is very important the VMRC be notified of any schedule changes.
  • Once we receive the payment from the VA, the amount will be posted to the student’s account and if necessary we will adjust the memo for any unpaid amount by the VA.
  • If the student fails to contact the VMRC and turn in a class schedule in a timely manner, they may be charged service charges due to their tuition not being paid. Service charges will not be waived due to a student’s failure to follow instructions, comply with deadlines, or to act on e-mail notifications.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to log into their Bursar Account Suite to verify amounts paid by the VA and pay the portion of their balance that the VA does not pay.

Chapter 31 - Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)

  • If a student is receiving Chapter 31 benefits, the VMRC must receive the student’s Purchase Order as soon as possible.
  • Every semester, the student MUST provide a copy of their class schedule to the VMRC.
  • Once the VMRC notifies the Bursar’s Office of the student’s certification, a payment will be posted to the student’s account for the authorized charges and the VA will be billed.
  • After we receive the payment from the VA, the student’s account may be adjusted for charges the VA did not pay.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to advise the VMRC at the beginning of each semester or term about their schedule and if it is FINAL. It is also the student’s responsibility to notify the VMRC of any change in their class schedule, such as dropping or adding courses or withdrawal from the school after a semester or term has started.
  • Service charges will be waived if administrative errors in processing caused the delay in certification or posting of payments.
  • Service charges will not be waived due to a student’s failure to comply with deadlines, failure to follow instructions, or to act on e-mail notifications.