Military and Veteran Services

Military and Veteran Services

We highly value our active duty military, Veterans, and Veteran’s spouses/dependents and are committed to supporting their educational goals and endeavors. UAS offers services and resources that includes a designated Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) School Certifying Official who assists students using their VA educational benefits to pay for the cost of their education as well as a dedicated website with multiple military & Veteran resources.

To determine if you are eligible for VA educational benefits, please apply via the GI Bill® website – www.va.gov. For additional information and services, please visit our UAS Military & Veteran Services website. UAS also offers support services for our students who need accommodations for disabilities, personal/family counseling sessions, and academic support through our Learning and Writing Centers.

For any questions regarding Military & Veteran Services or about your education benefits, please contact Deborah Rydman, Military & Veteran Advisor and VA School Certifying Official at 907-796-6368 or e-mail drrydman@alaska.edu.

To stay current with upcoming UAS Military & Veteran activities as well as news, stories, and events, please ask to join our UAS Student Veterans Club's Facebook group.

Veteran Service Officer

The Veteran Service Officer (VSO) at the UAS Recreation Center/National Guard Readiness Center helps Honorably Discharged Veterans file claims for Service Connected disabilities and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) claims for surviving spouses and dependents. 

The VSO can also help eligible spouses and their dependents and military personnel with resources for many other VA benefits.

For further information please contact the Vietnam Veterans of America - Alaska Chapter (V.V.A.)

Veteran Service Officer
Romona Wigg
(907) 465-4211
E-mail: vvacapital@outlook.com

‘‘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 https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill."

Active Duty Tuition Assistance (TA), Military Spouses, and State of Alaska Memorial Waiver

As an eligible member of the U.S. Armed Forces, you are able to take advantage of a program which allows you to have military pay to further your civilian education. 

For all branches of service (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Marines, National Guard and branch reserves), you may receive:

  • 100% tuition and fees not to exceed $250 per semester credit hour or $4500 per fiscal year
  • Course-specific fees such as laboratory fee or online course fee

Service members must obtain Tuition Assistance (TA) through their branch of service. Learn how to apply for Tuition Assistance (all branches).

Student Responsibilities

Students need to provide a copy of their TA Authorization form to the UAS Student Accounts Office at least one week before each semester that they are registered for courses.  TA Authorizations can be faxed to Student Accounts (907) 796-6006 or emailed to uas.cashier@alaska.edu

UAS will apply the approved payment amount to your student account.  Any remaining balance will be the students responsibility and are due in accordance with the university semester due dates.  Contact UAS Student Accounts with any questions regarding amounts or deadlines by phone at (907) 796-6267 or via email: uas.cashier@alaska.edu

Any of the following changes to your classes or credits must be reported to UAS Student Accounts office or The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) School Certifying Official immediately, or your benefit payments could be delayed up to 45 days and/or result in an overpayment:

  • Changes in credit load that affect your training time: example – going from 12.0 credits (full-time) to 9.0 credits (3/4 time) or your classes end or start differently than before.   You do need to report when you add or drop a class because it will affect your payments!  UAS does not accept responsibility for overpayments that could have been avoided had we been notified in a timely manner.
  • Called to Active Duty:  If during the semester you are called to active duty, please notify the UAS Registrar’s Office to discuss the withdrawing of your courses and the possibility of filing an appeal for a reimbursement of tuition and/or fees and provide a copy of your deployment orders.  Also, please notify the UAS Student Accounts Office or the UAS VA School Certifying Official. 
  • In-state tuition for veterans: All veterans, separated or retired, regardless of their point of separation or state of residence are eligible to receive in-state tuition while attending UAS when using their GI Bill® Benefits. Please fill out the Application for Residence Tuition and turn your DD 214-Automated (which must contain item #24: "Character of Service"), separation orders, or retirement orders into admissions when applying for this waiver. 

TA Adjustments and Refunds

Students should refer to Refunds to review UAS refund policies and dates for student account overpayments.

Tuition Assistance benefit payments that are determined to be unearned or otherwise disallowed by the military branch will be removed from the student’s account immediately upon notification by the student or the military branch, and refunded back to the agency in accordance with Title IV regulations.

State of Alaska Military/Peace Officer/Firefighter Memorial Waiver Process

A person enrolled as a student in good standing in a state supported educational institution in Alaska is entitled to a waiver of undergraduate tuition and fees and on-campus room and board costs if the person was the spouse or dependent child of a bona fide resident of the state of Alaska who was either 1) a member of the armed services and who died in the line of duty or who died as a result of injuries sustained while in the line of duty for the state or federal government or who was listed by the United States Department of Defense as a prisoner of war or as missing in action; or 2) a peace officer or a member of a fire department who died from an act arising out of and in the course of (A)  employment as a peace officer or a fire fighter; or (B)  duties as a volunteer fire fighter (Alaska State Statute 14.43.085). Eligible students can contact Student Accounts for instructions on how to apply.

My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship — Helping Spouses Reach Career Goals 

The My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship is a workforce development program that provides up to $4,000 of tuition assistance to eligible military spouses. The scholarship assists military spouses of active duty service members in pursuing licenses, certificates, certifications or associate degrees necessary to gain employment in high-demand, high-growth portable career fields and occupations. Spouses may use their MyCAA Scholarship funds at UAS, which is an approved academic institution for participation in the scholarship. More information can be found at the MyCAA website and on the MyCAA FAQs webpage. Please contact Deborah Rydman, Military and Veteran Advisor & VA School Certifying Official, at 907-796-6368 or drrydman@alaska.edu for assistance.

 ‘‘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 https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill."