Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for VA education benefits
Your COE shows which VA education benefit you’re eligible for. School certifying officials can now check your eligibility in an online VA system, but they may still want you to bring your COE to the registrar’s office to confirm your eligibility before you enroll in school. Keep reading to get answers to common questions about your COE.
What’s a COE and why did I receive it?
When you or your dependent applies for VA education benefits, we review your application and send you either a COE (if we approved your application) or a denial letter. If you receive a COE, it means you’re eligible for VA education benefits.
What information does my COE include?
Your COE includes this information:
The VA education benefit you’re eligible for (only the benefit you just applied for, not any previous VA education benefits we may have awarded you)
The service information that we used to make our decision
The amount of entitlement you have
The time limit to use your benefits, called your “delimiting date” (not everyone has a time limit)
Your benefit percentage (if you applied for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Fry Scholarship, transfer of entitlement, or the Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math)
Tools you can use to explore careers and compare schools
What if I have questions about my COE?
If you have questions about your COE, you can contact us online through Ask VA.
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What’s the difference between a COE and an award letter?
A COE confirms your eligibility for VA education benefits.
An award letter shows current details about your VA education benefits that determine your monthly payment. Every time there’s a change to your enrollment information, you’ll get a new award letter.
Note: An award letter is for your records only. Schools don’t need this document for any reason.
What are my options if VA denied my application for education benefits?
If you disagree with the decision we made about your application, you can request a decision review.