Veterans Services

Services for veterans and their families

Veterans Benefits

The GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about the education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government website, benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Columbia Gorge Community College is committed to providing financial aid to assist you with your education. The registrar at CGCC certifies all veteran benefits for certificate and degree seeking students attending both in-person and online programs. You may be qualified for both federal student aid and military or VA benefits. To be considered for federal financial aid, please visit Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA). File for FAFSA as soon as possible, the CGCC FAFSA code is 041519.

In order to receive VA benefits, you must submit a Certificate of Eligibility, obtained through Department of Veteran Affairs GI Bill, which should be sent to the Registrar. Veterans may be able to transfer their benefits to a spouse, one or more children, or a combination of a spouse and child. The VA strongly recommends that veterans apply online as applications are processed much more quickly than by mail.

Columbia Gorge Community College does not impose any penalties due to the delayed disbursement of funding from the VA under Chapter 31 or 33. Students with payment delays will not be charged late fees, prevented from enrolling, or denied access to courses, libraries, or other institutional facilities, nor are students required to borrow additional funds due to the delayed disbursement of funding from the VA under Chapter 31 or 33.

Steps to Apply

  1. Apply to CGCC.
  2. Certify Eligibility with VA.
  3. Once certified, submit verification to Registrar's Office.
  4. Once verified by the registrar, begin the process of speaking with financial aid, advisors and register for classes.
  5. If you've attended any other colleges (including for dual credit) send your official transcripts to CGCC.
  6. Attend Orientation
  7. Begin classes

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Your credits will affect your Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). 

According to the VA website: We’ll pay you a percentage of MHA based on how many credits you’re taking per term or how many clock hours you’re scheduled to attend per week, compared to full-time enrollment. We call this your rate of pursuit. For example, if you’re taking 9 credits in a standard-length term and your school considers 12 credits to be full time, your rate of pursuit is 80% (9 divided by 12, rounded to the nearest tenth). To be eligible for MHA, your rate of pursuit must be more than 50%.