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Veteran Services

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith is proud to educate military service members and their families. We've compiled a list of services available to student-veterans and military families. Of course, should you have specific questions, you can always reach out to Heather Chance, our Veterans Administration school certifying official.

University Veteran Services

The Veteran Resource Center is located on the first floor of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center in room 120. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters. The center is open at reduced hours during the summer and closed during all campus-observed non-class days.

UAFS provides early enrollment on a priority basis for all of our student-veterans and their eligible dependents.

Student-veterans who graduate from UAFS receive a red, white, and blue honor cord to wear at graduation. Student-veterans may also apply for inclusion with the SALUTE Veteran National Honor Society. SALUTE members wear a stole at graduation and receive a certificate and challenge coin when joining. Please contact UAFS's Veterans Certifying Official Heather Chance at 479-788-7091 or Heather.Chance@uafs.edu to receive your cord. 

The SVO seeks to establish and maintain a network of student-veterans, dependents, and supporters of veterans attending classes at UAFS and to form partnerships with other veteran-friendly agencies in the community. The SVO provides veterans and current service members with the resources, assistance, direction, and support necessary for the successful transition from military to student life. The organization strives to emphasize personal, professional, and academic success for all student-veterans. Apply for membership through NUMALink.

 

GI Bill® Benefits

To receive benefits under the GI Bill®, you must first apply to the Department of Veterans Affairs and complete the necessary application available at the VA GI Bill® website.
 

At UAFS student-veterans can meet one on one with the VA School Certifying Official to find out more about benefits, process paperwork, and certify enrollment. The VA School Certifying Official's office is located in the Office of Financial Aid on the second floor of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center. Once registered, student-veterans will need to officially request that their hours be certified by the VA to ensure their benefits are applied to the current semester. This can be done by completing and submitting the UAFS Request Hours be Certified to the VA form.

We've compiled a list of helpful links to benefits provided through the GI Bill®. For general inquiries please review this list of frequently asked questions from the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs. 

The Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty (MGIB-AD) can help you pay for education and training programs if you've served at least two years on active duty. 

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) helps you pay for school or job training. If you've served on active duty after Sept. 10, 2001, you may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33).
Find out if you can transfer any of your unused Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits to your spouse or dependent children. You can also download this helpful fact sheet. 

The Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) program offers up to 36 months of education and training benefits. If you’re a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard, you may be eligible for this benefit. 

If you’re the child or spouse of a veteran or service member who has died, is captured or missing, or has disabilities, you may be able to get help paying for school or job training through the DEA program, also called Chapter 35.

The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) is for children and dependents of veterans whose parent or spouse died in the line of duty or was a member of the Selected Reserve and died from a service-connected disability on or after Sept. 11, 2001.

To determine your rate of benefit, review these charts compiled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.


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 website.