US Department of Veterans Affairs funding

Before you start, please read the information about using VA benefits at foreign schools on the VA's website.

The VA’s eligibility requirements are different for foreign schools, compared with those in the US. In order to use your VA benefits at Oxford, you must meet the same basic eligibility requirements for studying in the US and:

• be enrolled on an eligible, degree-bearing course
• undertake your studies in Oxford

Non-degree-bearing courses, such as undergraduate and graduate certificates and diplomas are not eligible. Courses undertaken fully online or by distance learning are also ineligible.

If you are unsure whether your course is eligible for VA benefits at Oxford, please get in touch with the US Loans team.

Step 1 - In order to apply for VA funding at Oxford you must first make an application directly to the VA once you have received an offer of a place to study on your chosen course. Please visit the US Department of Veterans Affairs website and consult their information about foreign programmes. We recommend that you check the current benefit rates to get an idea of the benefits you might be eligible for at Oxford.

Once you have applied, the VA will send you a Certificate of Eligibility.

Step 2 – Email the US loans team with a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility.

Step 3 - Complete our VA funding form to ensure we have the information we need to certify your enrolment to the VA.

Step 4 – If your course has not yet been approved by the VA, the University will submit a request to the VA on your behalf. You can check whether your course has been approved using the VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool. Please be aware that it can take several months to receive a response to course approval requests. If your course is not yet approved, please complete the above steps as soon as possible to minimise delays to any funding you are eligible to receive.

Step 5 – Once you have enrolled on your course, the US loans team will certify your enrolment to the VA.

Step 6 – If you are eligible to receive a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA), the VA requires that you verify your enrolment each month to confirm that you remain enrolled on the same course. Information on how to do this can be found on the Enrollment Verification page of the VA’s website.

The VA do not share their calculations with us so we cannot predict how much you will receive. You should be able to get a good idea by checking the current benefit rates, but please be aware that the amount you will receive depends on your individual benefit entitlement and enrolment details.

If you are eligible for education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you should be aware that tuition benefits at foreign schools are capped at $29,920.95 per year (in 2025-26). Depending on your benefit entitlement and course fees, the VA will pay the University up to this capped amount. If your annual course fee exceeds this amount, you will be responsible for paying the difference.

You may also be eligible to receive a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) and book stipend. The amount you will receive depends on your benefit entitlement and whether you are enrolled full time or part time. Most part time courses at Oxford are half time or less and therefore you will not usually be eligible to receive MHA if you are studying part time.

Receiving VA funding

If your course is already approved by the VA, the University generally expects to receive the funds around 4-5 weeks after certifying your enrolment. The funds will be paid to the University and transferred to the relevant college or department for the payment of fees. Any remainder will be remitted to you.

You may consider using other funding, such as a US federal or private education loan to cover the financial declaration and expenses early on in your course, and then use the VA funding to repay the loan when it arrives.

VA also offers the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship for students training in high demand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields.

Recipients will receive up to nine months of additional Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement or a maximum of $30,000. Eligible Post-9/11 GI Bill students must have either exhausted their entitlement or will exhaust their entitlement within 180 days.

For additional information, please visit the Rogers STEM Scholarship website.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) requires schools to review prior credit, experience, and training, and grant credit as appropriate towards a VA student’s current programme. This policy applies to new students, students transferring from another institution to the University of Oxford, and current students transferring programmes within the University of Oxford.

Please contact the US loans team if you have any questions about the information given below.