Shoutout to our veterans, future veterans, and supporters! Getting into cybersecurity isn’t easy. Aside from the copious amounts of studying that we must subject ourselves to, professionals may go the extra length to prove their worth through the acquisition of industry-recognized certifications.
This quick and easy walkthrough will teach you how to get reimbursed for thousands of certifications/licenses using your Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. This is great news considering how many IT certifications exist, but the list includes certifications/licenses for health, law, music, transportation, languages, and more.
All we must do is “Ask VA.”
Step 1: Go to https://ask.va.gov/
We can begin the process by submitting a new inquiry on the Ask VA platform (linked in the title above), which can be done ordinarily with or without signing in. In this particular case, signing in may be necessary for the VA to reference your G.I. Bill on file. Signing in will not be necessary for other types of inquiries.
If you choose to Create Account/Sign in to start your message, you will be redirected to a page where you may select the VA Partner and relevant login credentials of your choice (as seen below).
Step 2: Create New Inquiry
When ready, we can begin our New Inquiry. It seems a little counter-intuitive that we must format our request for reimbursement as a question, but you may do so as you see fit. First, fill out all of the required sections as seen below. Make sure to select GI Bill from the first list of options. Then, select Licensing and Certification Tests from the second lists of options.
We’re 33% finished with the reimbursement process at this point. Very good! On the next page, we must fill out a few more required fields. For me, my DoD ID/EDIPI Number was automatically filled out, and it will likely be filled out for you if you have used VA services in the past.
You may select Update My Profile if you would like to save your phone number, SSN, date of birth, email address, etc., within the VA database.
Step 3: Complete VA Form 22-0803 and Assemble Documents
Below, you will see the three documents needed to in order recieve reimbursement: VA Form 22-0803 (which we’ll fill out next), proof that you paid for your certification/license, and proof that you passed an examination and received said certification/license. In the example below, you can see that I submitted three documents for an AWS certification, and three documents for a Splunk ceritifcation.
To see which certifications/licenses are eligible for reimbursement, go to: https://inquiry.vba.va.gov/weamspub/buildSearchCountryLCCriteria.do
My Splunk certification was not on the list, but I decided to try anyway. We’ll see how that worked out toward the end of this blog post.
Below is VA Form 22-0803, a 2-page application that only requires us to fill out the very first page. What you see in the following two screenshots is page 1, which is segmented into two very brief parts.
As seen above, all we need to provide is our basic information. Don’t forget to check the box associated with your education benefits. In this case, Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33).
Below, we must enter the name of the test taken, as well as the date and result of test taken. A passing result will be necessary in order to receive your reimbursement. Finally, we must type in the testing organization’s address and the cost of the test taken. Please double check your input to ensure accuracy and prevent delays with your application.
At the bottom of the page, remeber to add the signature of applicant and the date signed. Now, we’re all finished! You will be met with a page confirming that your inquiry has been submitted.
Step 4: Wait for the $$$
You can expect an email confirmation as well, which states that you should expect a response from the VA within 7 days.
After just 2 days, I received a response from the VA stating “We have added the attached document(s) to the education file for processing.” Keep an eye out for that email stating that your inquiry has received a response from the VA. You will need to sign in with the same VA Partner that you used to submit your inquiry. You will not be able to read the following messages through your email, and must use the Ask VA platform to view them.
A few days later, I received an email stating that I had another response ready for viewing on the Ask VA platform. That response is the golden ticket and can be viewed in the screenshot below.
Notice that I was not reimbursed for my Splunk certification. As I said before, you can view which certifications/licenses are eligible for reimbursement via this link: https://inquiry.vba.va.gov/weamspub/buildSearchCountryLCCriteria.do
That's all, folks!
You will find your reimbursement funds directly deposited into whichever account you have linked to your education benefits. Please enjoy your money and spread the word to other veterans who could use a reimbursement. If you’ve got receipts, that’s all you need. The whole process can be completed in less than 15 minutes!
I would like to thank the VA for allowing me to post redacted screenshots of our communications. Feel free to let me know how your reimbursement process goes.
Until then, stay educated!