Veterans Information

The Whitman College Registrar's Office serves as the main contact for all veterans enrolling in the college. We provide the Veteran's Administration with certification of enrollment required for veterans and their dependents to obtain educational benefits. Educational support programs and resources available through the VA include:

• Post-9/11 GI Bill or "Yellow Ribbon"
• Montgomery GI Bill
• Survivors & Dependents Assistance
• Veterans Educational Assistance (VEAP)
• Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Program
• Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)
• GI Bill Comparion Tool
• VA website
• Do you need assistance with housing?

Any student who is uncertain regarding his or her eligibility for benefits may contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at 888-442-4551. Veterans and their families may also use the VA's online *Ask Us a GI Bill ® Question for answers to questions that others have asked about benefits or to ask your own questions. Information about education benefits with the VA is available by going online to www.gibill.va.gov and clicking on "Apply for Benefits." A student may also apply for benefits using an online application (VONAPP) at https://benefits.va.gov/benefits/vonapp.asp. 

*GI Bill is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. goverment website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs has also published a helpful Guide for Veterans Attending College as a resource on starting the education benefits process. 

Captain James Ahn Special Forces Memorial Scholarship

Annual scholarship is for a student who served in the U.S. Army Special Forces and is now a full-time student.  Award is $1000. It is named in honor of Captain James Ahn who died in a tragic parachuting accident while with his unit in Washington State in 2015.  The following is a link to the scholarship site: https://gainserviceacademyadmission.com/cpt-james-ahn-memorial-scholarship/

Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 – Section 103: Public Law 115-407 Section 103 effective December 31, 2018, requires an educational institution have a policy in place that will allow an individual to attend or participate in a program of education if the individual provides the school with a “Certificate of Eligibility (COE)”.

What we need to support you:

• A copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
  • This document will be provided by the VA once you are approved for benefits and will be used to set up your file to report enrollment to the VA.
• Student responsibilities:
  • Complete a request to certify form every semester.  Will need to be signed off by your advisor each semester to verify course-to-program applicability.  All courses taken must count toward your degree.
  • Register on time for those courses.  Reminder 12 credits is considered full-time for VA purposes.
  • Ch. 33 students will be certified the 1st week of the semester to have the MAH money started but also certified for a 2nd time after the add/drop period. Ch. 35 students will be certified after the add period. 
  • Email notice to Jonathon Barnett, 509-527-5981, barnettj@whitman.edu, any time you add or drop a class during the semester, receiving punitive (Failed or Incomplete) grades, non-punitive grades (Withdrawals). A registration check will be made after the drop and withdrawal deadlines.  A student's enrollment status is a factor in determining the total amount of funding paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs and we can avoid any overpayment by the VA if you notify us immediately of changes.
  • The Department of Veterans of Affairs will pay only for those courses that advance a student's progression toward a degree and reduce the number of credits needed to graduate.  Therefore any student who must repeat a course must notify the Certifying Official in the Office of the Registrar.
• Copies of any correspondence relating to your benefits from the Veteran's Administration.

What we do to support you:

• Every semester we notify the VA that you are enrolled in classes. The VA uses this information to process your payment for that semester.
  • Reporting is done electronically through VA-ONCE and any changes to your registration need to be promptly reported to avoid overpayment by the VA.
  • Once we certify your enrollment for the semester you may track your payment status by contacting the VA toll-free hotline at 888-442-4551. You may receive either automated information or speak to an educational specialist about your account.
• Any questions regarding the VA, please reach out to Michael Reese, Asst. Registrar, 509-527-5980 (reesema@whitman.edu)

Owen Unbehaun, '13, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal in 2015. Staff Sgt. Unbehaun earned this medal when he was deployed between junior and senior years at Whitman.