Education Benefits & Assistance

Military Education Benefits

Our Military and Veteran Student Affairs Facilitator will assist you with your paperwork to obtain your VA education benefits and answer any questions you have about obtaining your VA education benefits.

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679(e), Eastern Iowa Community Colleges adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post-9/11 VA education benefits (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from VA. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges will not:

  • Prevent the student’s enrollment;
  • Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
  • Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
  • Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

  • Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
  • Provide a written request to be certified;
  • Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies

Please fill out our Military/Veteran Benefit Information Request form so we can contact you directly to answer your questions about the Military/Veteran Education Benefit process.

Our Certifying Official will need a copy of your Member 4 DD214 and a confirmation page from your VA education benefits application, and will notify the Department of Veterans Affairs of your enrollment at the college.   

It is required you request certification of your VA education benefits every semester by submitting the VA education benefits Request for Certification form.

You will be given a Military/Veteran Student Handbook from our Certifying Official, please read through the handbook carefully. As a student using the VA education benefits, there are guidelines you will need to know. Please be aware of the drop dates of classes for the semester, if you were to drop a class after the drop date and the Department of Veteran Affairs has already paid your tuition, you will receive a debt letter informing you of an overpayment. If the tuition has not been paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs at the time of your withdrawal, you will incur a debt with the college. You should notify our Military and Veteran Student Affairs Facilitator or School Certifying Official of any changes you make to your schedule.

It is not necessary for you to apply every semester for your VA education benefits; when our Certifying Official receives your registration for the semester, it will be reported to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

If you are using Military Tuition Assistance, you will need to apply each semester. Please see the Military and Veteran Student Affairs Facilitator for assistance.

Turn your Military Training into College Credits

Find out how your military training can translate into a degree.

  1.  Send your military transcripts to the college for evaluation:
  2. Then just complete the EICC Transcript Evaluation Request Form to have them evaluated for your major or degree program.

For more information about military training articulation, visit the American Council of Education or contact our Military and Veteran Student Affairs Facilitator.

Military Tuition Assistance Program

Each branch of the military has an education tuition assistance program designed for members who are actively serving and pursuing a degree and/or certification programs. The process to secure the tuition assistance varies between each branch. The first step in applying for your tuition assistance is to visit with the Education Service Officer at your perspective military installation.

The Military and Veteran Student Affairs Facilitator at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges will assist you with any questions and procedural steps.

The college’s Business Office and Financial Aid Department process and work directly with the Department of Defense for the tuition costs and payments. Upon registering for classes, let your advisor know that Military Tuition Assistance will be used and request a printed copy of your academic planning form. This will need to be submitted to the Education Service Officer in order to proceed with the request for Tuition Assistance.

The Air Force offers federal tuition assistance to all active duty and reserve personnel. Please see your Education Service Officer before starting the process.

Visit Air Force's Personnel Center website for further information regarding Air Force Tuition Assistance.

The AIPORTAL has the online application with instructions for the process. Once the process is complete, a confirmation email will be sent automatically. Upon approval, you need to provide the approved Tuition Assistance form to the Business Office at the college. You can view the status of the Tuition Assistance request form in the Air Force Virtual Education Center (in the “My Enrollments” section) in the AIPORTAL.

You need to turn in an academic plan to the Education Service Officer on the installation. Tuition Assistance must be requested at least 45 days prior to your class start date.

Iowa National Guard members can apply for both the Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship (INGSS), which is state tuition assistance and federal tuition assistance. To apply for the Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship go to this website. 

This webpage will have the link to apply for the state tuition assistance. Please read the information contained on this specific webpage. Important information regarding changes, criteria, and handouts are located there. Once your INGSS is approved, the funding will be processed through EICC’s Financial Aid Department on your perspective campus.

Iowa National Guard members also have the option of using federal tuition assistance. The process to obtain this benefit is explained below under the Army information. The deadline for applying for State Tuition Assistance is 1 July for the fall semester and 1 Dec for the spring semester. Please contact the following individuals for further assistance:

  • Josh Whiting
    Education Services Specialist
    Fed TA and Credentialing Assistance Manager
    Iowa Army National Guard
    Johnston, IA 50131
    Office: 515-252-4422
  • MAJ. Philip Turner
    Education Service Officer
    Philip.a.turner10.mil@mail.mil

Active duty personnel will have an Education Service Officer on the military installation. The Education Service office will have reference materials regarding the process.

The online portal for obtaining your benefit is armyignited.army.mil. Iowa National Guard service members and active duty personnel can use the CAC card to sign in. There is a tab, “apply for tuition assistance,” that will start the process. There are tutorial videos available to help with the process. All service members using ArmyIgnitED will have additional steps to follow once the federal tuition assistance is approved. A written ‘Academic Plan’, class schedule and itemized billing statement must be obtained from the college and uploaded onto the personal account. Furthermore, there is a ‘course planner’ tab that will direct you to another webpage within the ArmyIgnitED account. The courses must be manually typed into the specific headings. Use the schedule the college provides as there are class sections and catalog sections that must be entered. The deadline for applying for federal tuition assistance is no later than seven days prior to the start date of class. It is recommended you begin the process much earlier in order to ensure the benefit is approved.

The Education Service Office is located at the Rock Island Arsenal Bldg 56, 1st floor.

Visit with the Education Service Officer at the installation to receive further information and instructions. The website navycollege.navy.mil will have further information and offers an online chat with an Education Service Officer. There is a hyperlink menu that will assist your steps and explain the process to obtain your benefit.

The website myeducation.netc.navy.mil is the online portal for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Tuition Assistance processing. You must submit a WebTA application via the My Education module every semester. If there are courses with different term beginning and/or ending dates, submit each course on a separate WebTA application. Each service branch authorizes their respective WebTA applications. The deadline for applying for Tuition Assistance is no later than 24 days before the start.

The Education Service Office is located at the Rock Island Arsenal Bldg 56, 1st floor.

Military/Veteran Scholarships

There are also several military and veteran specific scholarships available to help you pay for your education. Here are just a few:

The Branstad/Reynolds Children of Fallen Iowa Service Members Scholarship

Sallie Mae/Folds of Honor Scholarships

Student Veterans Scholarships

And don't forget to apply for scholarships through our college foundations.