UT Dallas > Office of Financial Aid > Aid Programs > Veteran Benefits > Federal Benefits

Federal Benefits

The School Certifying Official is housed within the Office of Financial Aid and is primarily responsible for certifying the enrollment status of veteran students, spouses and dependents to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

For more information regarding your individual benefit, please click on the appropriate link in the sidebar. If you are unsure of your eligibility for benefits, please contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) or submit an email inquiry. The University of Texas at Dallas is unable to determine an individual’s eligibility for federal VA educational benefits.

The volume of certifications at the beginning of each semester can delay the processing time with the VA. Please be aware that it can take up to six weeks for the VA to process certifications during these peak times. Our office processes all certifications in the order they are received; your patience is greatly appreciated.

Requesting a Parent Institution Letter

If you are a current student at UT Dallas who wishes to take courses at another school, you must obtain a Parent Institution Letter (PIL) from our office. For our office to send this letter on your behalf, the courses you are enrolled in at the secondary school must be (a) transferable to UT Dallas and (b) satisfy a required course for your degree here.  Additionally, you must make a grade of C or better in the course to transfer the class to UT Dallas.

You must do two things in order to obtain a PIL:

  1. Request that a parent institution letter be sent to the school on your behalf.
    • This request should include:
      • A copy of your registration summary at your secondary school.
      • The contact person who should receive the parent institution letter at the other school.
      • You may email this information to veteransbenefits@utdallas.edu.
  2. Follow up with your other school to verify that you have submitted any additional documentation they may require. The other school is responsible for certifying your coursework at their institution to the VA.