Military Insider: Fall Bravo Edition 2021
What’s New at LU
Summer is over and the Fall semester has started! Here are some of the exciting Liberty news and updates from the last few months.
- Evangelist Tim Lee will serve as the new chairman of Liberty University’s Board of Trustees. Lee replaces Dr. Allen McFarland who served as the interim chairman since Dr. Jerry Prevo assumed the position of university president in August. Lee has been on the Board of Trustees since 1991 and served on the Spiritual Mission Committee. McFarland will stay on the board and continue to serve as a member of the Spiritual Mission Committee. Lee, a Purple Heart recipient, lost his legs while serving in the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam, but he has transformed his story into one of hope, seeking to glorify God by speaking at events worldwide. Lee is the president of Tim Lee Ministries, and his story has led him to spend the past 40 years as a full-time evangelist, ministering in 49 states and many countries around the world. Read more.
Department of Veterans Affairs Updates
In the world of Veterans Affairs and VA benefits, things are always changing. Check out the recent news affecting veterans.
- John J Fry Scholarship program
- The John J Fry Scholarship program will be expanded to include the surviving spouses or children of reservists or National Guard members who died as a result of their service, either in the line-of-duty or as a result of service-connected injuries or illness. Previously, survivors, reservists or Guard members were eligible only if the service member’s death was related to active-duty service.
- Post-9/11 Verification of Attendance
- Beginning Aug. 1, 2021, all Post-9/11 GI Bill® and Fry Scholarship users will be required to certify their attendance to the VA before they receive payment. Students will be able to verify their enrollment through text messages as a simple, quick option for verifying enrollment to receive your MHA payment uninterrupted. To streamline the verification process, VA is encouraging students to sign up for text messaging. To do so, students can contact the VA Education Call Center (ECC) at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) to ensure VA has their mobile phone number. All impacted students with a mobile phone number on file will receive an opt-in text beginning on August 1. After opting-in, students can simply reply to a VA text message to verify enrollment monthly. Due to the phased roll out approach, Liberty University students may not get the opt-in text message until a later date.
- Changes to the “48 Month Rule” for VR&E and EDU Beneficiaries
- Effective April 1, 2021, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) no longer counts the use of Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) benefits (chapter 31) against the 48-month limit on GI Bill education benefits such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The use of GI Bill education benefits will continue to count against the 48-month limit on VR&E benefits. See our 48-Month Rule FAQs.
- VA has started to process impacted claims and enrollments with this update, and eligible individuals will receive a notification letter from VA, outlining whether you have more GI Bill entitlement available .If you have any questions, please contact the VA Education Call Center at 1-888-442-4551, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time.
*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.
Military Tuition Assistance Updates
ArmyIgnitED is Live!
ArmyIgnitED is now live! You may now proceed in the process and request your Tuition Assistance. Since the launch is still new, the Army continues to experience a few technical challenges but we are working diligently to report all issues and work with the Army to iron these out as quickly as possible. We recommend you take action immediately to ensure your Tuition Assistance (TA) benefits are in place for the Fall semester.
- Step 1: Set Up Your ArmyIgnitED Account
If you have not yet set up an account with ArmyIgnitED, your first step is to visit the ArmyIgnitED website and follow the “Get Started” prompt, which will guide you through the process of creating your new account within ArmyIgnitED. The second step is visiting our ArmyIgnitED guide, which will lead you through the remaining steps of enrolling in and requesting TA funding. - Step 2: Establish an Education Path on ArmyIgnitED
The Army requires that you have an education path or academic program selected in order to track your requirements towards degree completion. - Step 3: Enroll with Liberty University
The Army requires that you first enroll with the University to allow education institutions to submit details to the Army for your TA to be requested. This step can be completed at any point in the process. - Step 4: Request Tuition Assistance (TA) for Enrolled Courses
Once you enroll in courses, Liberty University will submit your enrollment details to the Army. Within 24-72 hours you should find these details on your ArmyIgnitED account in order to request your Tuition Assistance for each course. - Note: A Student Degree Plan (SDP) will be submitted to the Army which will provide a guide when approving TA. Only courses needed for degree completion are authorized for TA, per Army policy.
A few reminders:
- Exception to Policy for Previous Semesters
If you have enrolled in Spring and Summer 2021, Liberty has submitted your Exception to Policy (ETP) to the Army. You should see your ETP request within your file. Once approved, the Army will issue your TA authorization to Liberty to be processed and applied to your account. - Continue to monitor your annual $4,000 TA cap for the military fiscal year
The Army provides $4,000 for eligible soldier-students for the duration of the military fiscal year (FY) that runs October through September. As we approach the end of the military FY you may exhaust funding once all Army ETP requests are processed. We recommend you evaluate your enrollment since October 2020 to present to determine if you will exceed $4,000 for the year. The new military FY will begin October 1, 2021, before the Fall D enrollment period, which will renew the $4,000 annual cap. - Contact Liberty’s Office of Military Affairs for Guidance
You are encouraged to contact a Military Affairs representative to discuss the new ArmyIgnitED process and receive guidance on any questions or concerns you may have. Please contact us at (855) 355-4947, LUOMilitary@liberty.edu, or live chat.
Military Students in the News
Here are a few current Liberty military students who have shared their stories with us recently. We love hearing about the great things our students are doing!
- Justin Ash is a military graduate who suffered a traumatic brain injury. He was told he’d never read or write again, but he recently earned his bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. Read more.
If you have a story to share, please reach out to us at MilCommunity@liberty.edu or share your story on Yammer using #LUMilitary. We’d love to hear from you!
Yammer for Military Students
Are you looking for fellow military students with whom you can connect, ask questions, give encouragement, and build community? Look no further! The Military Student Group on Yammer provides a community just for military-connected students. Yammer is a private social community exclusively for current students, staff, and faculty members at Liberty University, and is a great way to connect with others around common interests. Our desire is for Yammer to provide a place for military students to build community, but we can’t do it without you!
Get started with your Liberty email address and join in the conversation.
Upcoming Opportunities
Don’t miss out on several upcoming opportunities for online military students this semester. Mark your calendar for these upcoming dates and opportunities.
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- Military Appreciation Month: We’re excited to announce that we will have several military appreciation events during the month of November. This is one of our favorite times of year when campus bursts with patriotism and pride for our military service members, veterans, and their families. You won’t want to miss this special time in the Liberty community.
- November 5: Military Appreciation Volleyball Game
- November 9: Veterans Reception
- November 12: Military Appreciation Convocation / Hockey Game
- November 13: Valley View Mike Donahue Memorial 5-Miler
- November 20: Military Appreciation Football Game
- November 27: Army Black Knights vs. Liberty University Football Game
- Military Appreciation Month: We’re excited to announce that we will have several military appreciation events during the month of November. This is one of our favorite times of year when campus bursts with patriotism and pride for our military service members, veterans, and their families. You won’t want to miss this special time in the Liberty community.
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.
