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Please complete your enrollment certification for the upcoming semester(s) to notify the VMSS officials of your use of educational benefits. If you are attending classes through USC Aiken, online or on campus, you can submit the online certification below before the start of each semester. This is necessary so that the Office of Veteran and Military Success can certify your courses to the VA Education and Training Department.

GI BillFor all other VA/DoD/State Military Education Benefits Certification Requests, please see the below instructions:  

How to Certify Your Enrollment

Before completing the certification form below, you should complete the following steps:

  • Register for your classes via Self Service Carolina.
  • Complete any degree or major changes through your academic unit.
  • Ensure your academic advisor placed your course selection options in your DegreeWorks Notes Section.
  • Have an electronic version of your Concise Student Schedule (because of VA regulations, we will only certify the specific courses you are advised to take and listed within your DegreeWorks Notes section).
  • Have an electronic version of your DegreeWorks Notes.
  • Have an electronic copy of your most recent Certificate of Eligibility (Post 9/11 GI Bill® only).
    • Note: GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

You will need to upload the electronic forms mentioned above during the online certification process. If you need to submit a prior term request, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Transtion Advocates

The Veteran Transition Success Advocates (VTSAs) are Clinical Psychology graduate students from USC Aiken who serve the VMSS by working to assist veteran students through their various hurdles in their transition into civilian and college life. The VTSAs work in conjunction with Robert Murphy, the Director of VMSS, and Jessica Molidor, the Program Coordinator, to ensure that the needs of all veterans, service members, and family members are being met.

At the beginning of each semester, the VTSAs meet individually with each incoming veteran student to speak to them about their service experience, transition into higher education, level of support during schooling, and their plan for academic success. The VTSAs also regularly meet with veterans and family members throughout the semester to discuss any areas of distress that they may be experiencing, including the following topics:

  • Time Management
  • Stress Management
  • Goal Setting
  • Study Habits
  • Healthy Communication
  • Coping Skills

Further, the VTSAs work in conjunction with the USC Aiken Psychology Clinic to ensure that any veteran or military family member who may benefit from additional behavioral health services are connected to appropriate resources.

Reach out to our VTSAs today at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information or to set up an appointment!

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VA Education

This program is for individuals who served on active duty after 09/10/2001. Individuals must have served for an aggregated period of at least 90 days or served at least 30 continuous days and received a disability discharge.
Am I eligible for Post - 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) benefits?

You can get these education benefits if you meet at least one of the following requirements:

  • Served at least 90 days on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service) on or after September 11, 2001.
  • Received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001 and were honorably discharged after any amount of service.
  • Served for at least 30 continuous days (all at once, without a break in service) on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability.
  • Are a dependent child using benefits transferred by a qualifying veteran or service member.

What benefits can I get through the Post - 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33)?

You can receive up to 36 months of benefits, including:

  • Tuition and fees.
  • Money for housing (if you’re in school more than half time).
  • Money for books and supplies.
  • Money to help you move from a rural area to go to school.

View more information about the Post - 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33).

Fry Scholarship

You may be able to get benefits under the Fry Scholarship if you’re the child or surviving spouse of an active-duty service member who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001.

View more information about the Fry Scholarship.

VA's Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) program provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents and survivors of certain veterans.

Basic Eligibility:

Eligible individuals are Veterans’ and Service members’ dependents, spouses and surviving spouses who have been found eligible by the Regional Processing Office (RPO) because of one of the following:

  • The veteran’s death was caused by the service-connected disability.
  • The Veteran is rated for total and permanent service-connected disability.
  • The service member is Missing in Action (MIA).
  • The service member is captured in the line of duty.
  • The service member is forcibly detained for longer than 90 days.
  • The service member who the VA determines has a service-connected permanent and total disability that will result in a discharge from military service.
  • Participants include a dependent child between the ages of 14 to 31 and a spouse, or surviving spouse, who qualifies for the benefit.

Services Include: 

View more information about Chapter 35: VA's Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance.

Financial Aid

Learn more information about applying for the FAFSA. For scholarship information, please contact the VMSS office. 

Academics

As part of the application process, your previous training, education, and experience will be evaluated for credit towards your degree. Credits will be evaluated on a case by case by basis. Linguists, with documentation, will have their language requirement waived.

Request transcripts from Go Army Ed.

The Veteran and Military Student Success Center

The Veteran and Military Student Success Center is an asset to veteran, active duty, and military family member students. It offers a meeting space where students can study for exams, learn from current students, and find a sense of community during their transition back into civilian life. You can rely on and connect at the VMSS and may become an important part of your journey in higher education, and for veteran and military students coming to USC Aiken, making your way into the VMSS and using the resources can set you apart and lead you to success.

Veteran Transition Success Advocates

Another huge advantage to coming into the Veteran and Military Student Success Center are the Veteran Transition Success Advocates. Made up of a dynamic duo of psychology graduate students, the VTSAs work to help veteran students transition into civilian and college life. Whether it be from the stress of the work load, concerns with career planning, or if you just need someone to talk to, they’re here for you.

View more information about the VTSAs.

vmss thank you banner spring 2022

Celebrating our top 10 ranking for Military Friendly

In addition to our awards from Military Times and Colleges of Military Support, we've been recognized by Military Friendly as a top-10 public school. We couldn't have done it without the services and support of everyone on campus and in the community. Thank you for all you do!

Interested in learning why we rank so high? Check out the Military Times Best For Vets page about us.

The mission of the Office of Veteran and Military Student Success (VMSS) is to champion veterans, Service Members, and the family members of our country’s Armed Forces in their educational pursuits as they transition from their military service through the university, and on to becoming vital community members. It is our desire to provide nationally recognized education and holistic transition support that will deliver to the local, national, and global workforce, a generation of military veterans who are solid thinkers and leaders. 

Our vision is to best position veteran and military students to achieve their educational, career, and life goals.

The Veteran and Military Student Success Center is an asset to veteran, active duty, and military family member students. It offers a meeting space where students can study for exams, learn from current students, and find a sense of community during their transition back into civilian life. You can rely on and connect at the VMSS and may become an important part of your journey in higher education, and for veteran and military students coming to UofSC Aiken, making your way into the VMSS and using the resources can set you apart and lead you to success.
Team VMSS comprises a professional staff who provides a conduit to benefits, scholarship and career opportunities, networking, counseling, and best practices for a successful military to community transition. This team represents you; they are also veterans, military service members, and family members, and most are current UofSC Aiken students.
One of the reasons you’re going back is to get your degree so you can get into a career that you’re passionate about and make a living doing what makes you happy. UofSC Aiken puts a huge emphasis on academic success, and has been ranked “#1 Best College in the South” 14 times in a row by U.S. News and World Report proves that. Another huge perk for veteran and military students is the current students who frequent the VMSS. They have been through the class you will take and can be an awesome resource. Bringing in the sense of community the VMSS embodies, the opportunities for academic achievement are abundant if you desire to seek them out.
UofSC Aiken also puts a lot of emphasis on student involvement in clubs and organizations. With over 90 to choose from, engaging in one or two you enjoy is easy. Whether it’s a fraternity or a sorority, an honors society, or a club that goes along with your studies, you can find any organization at UofSC Aiken that works for you. You can attend numerous athletic events, like basketball games or tennis matches, and intramural sports that can keep you active and involved. Specifically for veteran and military students, there is the Student Veterans Organization. The SVO works closely with the VMSS to help empower and educate veteran students on career opportunities and future planning, and it can be a huge networking tool. Even if you’re solely focused on getting your degree, involvement in any form of student life at UofSC Aiken can help give you an extra feather in your hat that can give you an advantage as you pursue your career.
UofSC Aiken is directly interwoven with the community and the city it calls home, and the surrounding areas provide some of the best resources for veteran transition and education. Organizations like Saratoga Warhorse, which assists veterans experiencing invisible, psychological wounds as a result of their military service by providing an equine-assisted experience that initiates empowering life changes, or the Aiken-Augusta Wounded Warrior Charity Golf Classic, an independent non-profit that has raised over $300,000 to benefit CSRA veterans, and has continually supported the VMSS through donations and scholarships (which are open to any UofSC Aiken veteran and military student!!). By embracing the Aiken community and the university culture, you will find every opportunity for success.

If you have any questions about veteran and military student services, opportunities, and ways to succeed at UofSC Aiken, please contact The Office of Veteran and Military Student Success at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 803-643-6767.

 

VMSS Scholarship

The Office of Veteran and Military Student Success proudly announces that our 2023-2024 Scholarship Application Season is now officially open. If you are a Veteran, Military Service Member, Military Spouse, or Military Family Member, please click the link below to start your VMSS Scholarship Application today.  All scholarship applications must be submitted by July 1, 2023. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the scholarship application, please contact Tristan Stone, VMSS Program Coordinator, at 803-643-6768 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Start your 2023-2024 VMSS Scholarship Application Today!

The Admissions staff at the University of South Carolina Aiken understands that the college selection process can be overwhelming. Our staff is dedicated and prepared to help you with information about the University and our admissions process.

Your enrollment counselor is your personal contact at USC Aiken. If you have a specific question, please feel free to contact him/her.

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