Military and Veteran Services
Northwest Mississippi Community College is committed to serving our military personnel, veterans, and their families. In 2020, Northwest received a designation as one of the top Military Friendly institutions in the nation by militaryfriendly.com. We encourage you to visit the Financial Aid Office if you need assistance.
Join the Northwest Chapter of
Student Veterans of America!
Description: The purpose of this organization is to provide veterans, service members, dependents, survivors, and all other members of the College’s military community with the resources, support and advocacy needed to succeed at Northwest Mississippi Community College as students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Additionally, our goal is to be a force of change and multiplier at the College in regards to veterans’ affairs.
Email us at studentveterans@northwestms.edu
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Congress has passed the Forever GI Bill – Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act; please follow the link to see how your benefits may be affected. More information: Forever GI Bill Factsheet
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 website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
CONTACT INFORMATION
VA Certifying Official (SCO) for all Northwest campuses:
Military and Veteran Student Services Coordinator
Telephone: (662) 560-1134
Jessica Poole, VA School Certifying Official (Contact for all Education Benefits)
Email: jpoole@northwestms.edu
Telephone: (662) 280-6143
FIRST TIME RECIPIENT
To apply for your VA benefits, go to www.vets.gov. Approximately 4 weeks after applying you will receive a Certificate of Eligibility in the mail. We must have a copy of this.
NOTE: If you are in the National Guard and live in Mississippi you may be eligible for an additional funding source. Please follow the link for more information: https://ms.ng.mil/resources/education/Pages/SEAP.aspx
NOTE: You may have to click “advanced” then “proceed to site” to open.
In order to certify your VA benefits at Northwest, we need:
- ALL your prior college transcripts sent to the Office of Admissions and Records in Senatobia.
- An official copy of your Military Service Transcripts (see below). This is not necessary for dependents of veterans, unless the dependent has a service record.
- A copy of your Certificate of Eligibility
- A completed and submitted online Request for VA certification
NOTE: If you are a post 9/11 recipient and have already applied for benefits you can access your Certificate of Eligibility at www.ebenefits.va.gov. Under the Manage tab is Education, then Post 9/11 enrollment status. Print and scan to your desktop; you will be asked to attach it to the online request to be certified.
The Certificate of Eligibility only has to be submitted during your initial certification unless your chapter changes. The Request for VA certification must be submitted EACH SEMESTER that you plan to receive VA benefits. If you are transferring from another school, you must submit a VA Form 1995 to the VA. If you are a dependent of a veteran, you must submit a VA Form 5495. These forms are below OR you can submit them online at www.vets.gov.
ORDERING A MILITARY TRANSCRIPT:
ARMY, NAVY, MARINE CORPS, AND NATIONAL GUARD
1. You can order your transcript at https://jst.doded.mil (click “advanced” then “proceed to site” to create an account and follow instructions).
2. Fill out a JST Release form here. You can either email this form to either contact above OR drop off at any campus financial aid office.
AIR FORCE
Follow the blue link Order Air Force Transcript for ways to order your Air Force transcript.
TUITION ASSISTANCE
Every active, Guard and Reserve soldier is capable of earning a college degree. For more information about how TA works please contact Jessica Poole at (662) 280-6143.
RETURNING STUDENT
Please complete an online Request for VA certification for the desired semester to be certified.
NOTE: If you have skipped semesters and attended other schools, we must have those transcripts before we can certify any new semesters with us.
VERIFY ATTENDANCE
You need to verify your attendance every month before payment is issued if you are receiving one of the following:
- Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (Chapter 30)
- Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)
- Reserve Educational Assistance Program – REAP (Chapter 1607)
Follow the link to enter the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) to verify your enrollment online. You can also call 1-877 VA-ECERT (1-877-823-2378) to verify by telephone.
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR BENEFITS
If you have ANY questions about your benefits once you are certified, you can contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-888-442-4551.
This institution is approved to offer GI Bill® educational benefits by the Mississippi State Approving Agency.