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Veterans’ Benefits

The Office of Financial Aid at New England Law | Boston is responsible for certifying the enrollment of qualifying student veterans. If you have any questions about the status of your veterans’ benefits or would like to initiate your Veterans Administration (VA) education benefits at the school, please contact our office at finaid@nesl.edu.

Eligibility for education benefits is determined by the VA. To learn how to apply for GI Bill® benefits, visit the VA website. Questions about your eligibility for benefits can be directed to the VA online or by calling 1-888-442-4551. 

If you are a student veteran, please submit a copy of your most recent certificate of eligibility or e-benefits printout (www.ebenefits.va.gov) to the Office of Financial Aid for enrollment certification before your first fall semester. If you are a returning student, you may be asked for a copy of your e-benefits printout or your most recent payment notification letter if an update of your remaining benefit time is needed. 

VA Education Benefits Available

Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®)

Veterans who are eligible for benefits under Chapter 33 of the Post-9/11 GI Bill® are able to receive a tuition and fees payment based on their active duty service. Veterans who qualify for 100 percent of the Chapter 33 benefits (at least 36 months of active duty after September 10, 2001, with an honorable discharge) can receive a maximum tuition and fees payment of $27,120.05 for the 2023–2024 academic year. Tuition and fees payments for Chapter 33 benefits are sent directly to New England Law and can take four to six weeks to be sent after certification. Housing allowance and book payments through this benefits program are sent directly to the student veteran.

  • You may qualify for Chapter 33 benefits under the transferability option, which allows service members to transfer all or some unused benefits to their spouse or dependent children.

Yellow Ribbon Grant

Veterans who are eligible for 100 percent of the Chapter 33 benefits may also qualify to receive a Yellow Ribbon Grant. New England Law awards unlimited matching grant funds with the VA, up to the cost of tuition and fees, to an unlimited number of eligible veterans. The Yellow Ribbon Grant is applied to the student’s account after the maximum Chapter 33 tuition and fees payment from the VA for the academic year has been exhausted and is applied up to the remaining cost of tuition and fees in that semester.

  • Starting August 1, 2022, you may become eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program if you're currently an active duty service member who qualifies at the 100% level (you already served on active duty for at least 36 months) or if you're a spouse using the transferred benefits of an active duty service member who meets these qualifications.
  • Child transferees of veterans or active-duty service members may be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Grant, if the service member is qualified at the 100 percent rate.

VA Tuition Reimbursement for Chapters 30, 35, 1606, 1607

Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill®, Active Duty), Chapter 35 (Dependents’ Educational Assistance), Chapter 1606 (Montgomery GI Bill®, Reservists), and Chapter 1607 (REAP) offer tuition reimbursement to veterans at varying rates. Please refer to the VA website for the current rate tables.

Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment)

Veterans who are eligible for Chapter 31 benefits are certified for enrollment by New England Law and the Boston Regional Benefit Office. For more information on this benefit and how you may qualify, please visit the VA website.

Veterans Benefits and Transition Act Policy

Any individual who is entitled to education assistance under chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or chapter 33, Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits (referenced henceforth as any “covered individual”) is required to:

  1. Submit to the Office of Financial Aid a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to education assistance, no later than the first day of classes in any semester.In lieu of a certificate of eligibility, the Office of Financial Aid will also accept a “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the VA eBenefits website or a VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes.
  2. Students wishing to utilize their chapter 31 or 33 benefits must also verify their desire to do so by answering “Yes” to the question regarding veterans benefits on the Financial Aid E-App or confirming by email to the Office of Financial Aid (finaid@nesl.edu), no later than the first day of classes in any semester.

Any covered individual is permitted to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the law school any of the eligibility to entitlement documents mentioned in bullet 1 above and ending on the earlier of the following dates:

  1. The date on which payment from the VA is made to the law school
  2. 90 days after the date the law school certified tuition and fees following the receipt of any eligibility to entitlement documents.

The law school will not impose any penalty (including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, the law library, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds) on any covered individual because of their inability to meet his or her financial obligation to the law school due to the delayed disbursement of funding from the VA. 

Any covered individual will, however, remain responsible for timely payment of any tuition or fees due to the law school that is the difference between the amount of the student’s financial obligation and the amount of the VA education benefit disbursement.

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.