Active Duty Military Personnel and Veterans Benefit FAQs

Do you have questions about a Penn Foster program? Browse the list of commonly asked questions below. These are Active Duty Military Personnel and Veterans specific questions about Penn Foster, and are not program-specific. If you don’t see an answer to your questions, click on the blue box to the right and chat with one of our admissions specialists, or call us to speak with one of our specialists live.

VA Benefit FAQs for Penn Foster Career School Students

Disclaimer: Effective 10/31/22, Penn Foster Career School is no longer accepting new enrollments from veterans or their dependents who wish to use their VR&E benefits (“veterans’ benefits”) as payment for their educational program(s).

Who can I contact at Penn Foster for help with my VA educational benefits?

Please call our VA support Team at 1-888-427-2900. We can also be reached via email at [email protected] with “Veterans Benefits” in the subject line.

Can you tell me which VA educational benefit(s) I'm eligible to receive?

No, only the VA can determine your eligibility.  You can simply call the VA at 1-888-442-4551 to determine if you are qualified to use VA benefits.  We will assist you in establishing your claim with the VA once you know which benefit(s) you are eligible to use, and then further, upon enrollment.

What type of school is Penn Foster Career School considered by the VA?

Penn Foster Career School has been designated as “correspondence training” by the VA.  Even though lessons are submitted online, text books and some software are still mailed for appropriate programs.

What does “correspondence training” mean to me as a student of Penn Foster Career School in regards to VA benefits?

With correspondence training, the VA will generally pay 55% of your tuition if you are using the Montgomery GI Bill® (the older GI Bill®). Under Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 Bill) they will pay according to your entitlement.

I am a child of a Veteran - can I use my VA benefits at Penn Foster Career School?

In certain circumstances, yes.  The VA educational assistance is not available for children receiving benefits under the Dependents Educational Assistance program (Chapter 35) for correspondence training.  However, under the Post 9/11 GI BILL® (Chapter 33), the veteran has the option to transfer a percentage of his or her benefits to an eligible spouse or child. https://www.va.gov/education/transfer-post-9-11-gi-bill-benefits/.

Will I be considered a full-time student?

No.  Because you have the flexibility to work at your own pace with our programs and you will not be set up in a traditional 12 to 16 week term, the VA will consider your status to be “less than part-time” training.

Will I receive any of the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) or Book Stipend?

No. Because your status will be less than part-time, the VA will not pay BAH or a book stipend for Penn Foster Career School students.

How are my lessons and progress reported to the VA?

Lessons are reported quarterly (every three months) to the VA.

How will the VA pay for my classes?

Because the VA will only be paying quarterly for lessons completed, it will be the responsibility of each student to maintain their scheduled payment arrangement to Penn Foster as contracted upon enrollment.¹.

¹ Under Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty (MGIB-AD/Chapter 30)
¹ Montgomery GI Bill® - Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR/Chapter 1606)
¹ Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP/Chapter 1607)
¹ Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (DEA/Chapter 35)
¹ The VA will pay you directly based on your progress.

VA Benefit FAQs for Penn Foster High School Students

Disclaimer: Effective 10/31/22, Penn Foster High School is no longer accepting new enrollments from veterans or their dependents who wish to use their VR&E benefits (“veterans’ benefits”) as payment for their educational program(s).

Who can I contact at Penn Foster for help with my VA educational benefits?

Please call our VA support Team at 1-888-427-2900 to speak with a specialist in our VA Support Team. We can also be reached via email at [email protected] with “Veterans Benefits” in the subject line.

Can you tell me which VA educational benefit(s) I'm eligible to receive?

No, only the VA can determine your eligibility. You can simply call the VA at 1-888-442-4551 to determine if you are qualified to use VA benefits.  We will assist you in establishing your claim with the VA once you know which benefit(s) you are eligible to use, and then further, upon enrollment.

What type of school is Penn Foster High School considered by the VA?

Penn Foster High School has been designated as “correspondence training” by the VA. Even though lessons are submitted online, textbooks and some software are still mailed for appropriate programs.

What does "correspondence training" mean to me as a student of Penn Foster High School in regards to VA benefits?

I am a child of a Veteran - can I use my VA benefits at Penn Foster High School?

In certain circumstances, yes. The VA educational assistance is not available for children receiving benefits under the Dependents Educational Assistance program (Chapter 35) for correspondence training. However, under the Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), the veteran has the option to transfer a percentage of his or her benefits to an eligible spouse or child. http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_transfer.asp

Will I be considered a full-time student?

No. Because you have the flexibility to work at your own pace with our programs and you will not be set up in a traditional 12 to 16 week term, the VA will consider your status to be “less than part-time” training.

Will I receive any of the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) or Book Stipend?

No. Because your status will be less than part-time, the VA will not pay BAH or a book stipend for Penn Foster High School students.

How are my lessons and progress reported to the VA?

Lessons are reported quarterly (every three months) to the VA.

How will the VA pay for my classes?

¹ Under Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill®) As lessons are completed and reported to the VA over the length of your enrollment, it is entirely possible that the VA will at some point begin to make scheduled payments on your behalf. Upon graduation, if there is any overpayment on your financial account, Penn Foster will refund that money back to you.
¹ Under Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty (MGIB-AD/Chapter 30)
¹ Montgomery GI Bill® - Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR/Chapter 1606)
¹ Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP/Chapter 1607)
¹ Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (DEA/Chapter 35)
¹ The VA will pay you directly based on your progress.

VA Chapters

Disclaimer: Effective 10/31/22, Penn Foster is no longer accepting new enrollments from veterans or their dependents who wish to use their VR&E benefits (“veterans’ benefits”) as payment for their educational program(s).

Chapter 30 – Montgomery GI Bill®
Chapter 35 – Dependent Education Benefits (DEA) – Only the spouse of a veteran can use this benefit at the correspondence level(High School and Career)
Child of a vet eligible for college level only
Chapter 1606 – Selected Reserve Education Assistance Program.
Chapter 1607 – Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP)
Chapter 32 – Post-Vietnam Era Veterans Education Assistance Program (VEAP)
Chapter 33 – The Post 9-11 Bill - ¹Monies are paid to the school directly. Only the spouse of a veteran can use this benefit at the correspondence level (High School and Career)
Child of a vet eligible for college level only

¹ Under these five chapters, Career School students' lessons are certified to the VA each quarter and the student is paid accordingly.

Army Credentialing Assistance (CA) FAQs for Penn Foster Students

What is the difference between a certification and a certificate?

Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by non-governmental agencies to set professional standards for qualifications. Certificates are typically issued after an individual attends or participates in a particular meeting or course, are educationally focused rather than occupationally focused, and are not always based on a formal job/practice analysis or role delineation study and may not be assessment based. Certificates are not listed on Army COOL.

How are certifications approved to be listed on Army COOL?

Credentials included on COOL are analyzed carefully and must be relevant to a military occupation and meet COOL credential standards.

What is the difference between COOL and the Army Credentialing Assistance Program?

Army COOL is not the same as the Army Credentialing Assistance (CA) Program. Army COOL is a repository for all credentials that Soldiers wish to pursue and lists credentialing agencies that meet COOL credential standards. COOL does not list training vendors.

How can I request that a credential be added to the COOL website so I can use Army CA for it?

You can use the “recommend a credential” feedback form located on the Army COOL contact page to recommend a credential be added to COOL. Army COOL only includes national certifications and licenses, and does not include state licenses, training courses or certificate programs. Recommended credentials must be relevant to a military occupation and meet COOL credential standards prior to being included on COOL.

*Start for $20 offer applies to select programs.