VA Education Benefits

The Office of the Registrar is ready to assist active-duty service members, veterans, and their eligible dependents and spouses in obtaining their educational benefits and act as a liaison to the regional VA office to process enrollment certification. A student must be admitted to the college and registered for courses in a degree-seeking program in order to be certified for veteran’s educational benefits.

Contact Information

Certification Information & Point of Contact for assistance on academic, financial, disability counseling, and information regarding completion of Academic Programs

Dr. Jim Larsen
Director of Academic Administration/VA Certifying Official

Phone: 214.818.1352
Fax: 214.370.0497
Email: jlarsen@criswell.edu

Financial Information

Stephanie Dalfrey
Director of Financial Aid

Phone: 214.818.1375
Fax: 214.370.0497
Email: sdalfrey@criswell.edu
Schedule an appointment

Student Accounts

Donna Ward
Administrator of Student Accounts

Phone: 214.818.1315
Fax: 214.370.0497
Email: dward@criswell.edu
Schedule an appointment

For more information on the cost of attendance, visit Tuition and Costs.

For our achievement goals, thresholds of acceptability, and actual outcomes for each of the criteria relating to student achievement visit Student Achievement.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the admission requirements, students receiving military benefits are required to submit the following documents: (1) CCAF and/or Joint Military Transcript; (2) DD-214; (3) all official transcripts; (4) VA Form 28-1905 (chapter 31 only), and (5) Certificate of Eligibility.

Requirements for Graduation and Graduation Timelines

For specific program course requirements and graduation timelines, see “Programs of Undergraduate Studies” or “Programs for Graduation Study” sections in the Academic Catalog which provide requirements for each degree program and timelines for program completion.

Credit for Previous Training

All previous education and training must be provided to the school for review. This includes all credits from postsecondary institutions and military credits. Students receiving VA educational Benefits cannot opt out of providing prior credit for review.

Certification

Students must submit a Request for Certification form each semester or term for which they wish to receive benefits.

Program Length and Course Approval

All degree programs are approved for a specific number of credit hours. Eligible veterans will not be certified to VA or paid by VA for courses past the approved length. VA will only pay for required courses in an approved program. Veterans will be required to pay out-of-pocket for courses not required by their program. VA has special requirements regarding payment for repeated courses. Please contact the VA Certifying Official with questions.

Satisfactory Progress and Standards of Progress

All veteran students receiving benefits under all VA programs must comply with the academic and conduct standards of Criswell College, as well as those of the Department of Veterans Affairs, in order to maintain satisfactory progress in the pursuit of the approved program of choice. Students who fail to maintain satisfactory progress are not permitted to continue in their program and will not be eligible to receive benefits. Veteran students who experience difficulty in a course should contact the professor as early as possible in the semester. If the professor believes that tutorial assistance will benefit the student, then recommendations will be made for suitable assistance times. Criswell College does not have paid tutors, nor is reimbursement offered to veterans who attain outside tutoring services. Receipt of veteran educational benefits does not necessarily disqualify a student from receiving other student aid or benefits. However, (1) the student must meet the qualifications of the other programs, and (2) VA education benefits are applied first, while other qualified aid or benefits only cover what VA benefits do not cover with respect to tuition and fees.

Veterans Benefit Programs

For information on specific education benefits programs, visit the Texas Veterans Commission webpage at: https://tvc.texas.gov/education/gi-bill/

Hazlewood Act: Criswell College is not a public institution and therefore is not eligible for participation in this Texas program. For more information about the Hazlewood Act please click here.