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Rams,

Believe it or not, Spring registration is right around the corner.  Here are some important notes to help prepare for Spring 2026 registration.

• Now is the time to make an appointment with your academic advisor to select your classes for next semester.  Make your appointment as soon as possible before they fill up.  If you are not sure who your advisor is, log into your Navigate account to make an appointment
• Early registration for veteran students opens Wednesday, October 29th at 8AM.  This early registration is for veteran and active duty students only.  If you are a veteran or active duty and are not able to register on the 29th (and do not have a hold on your account), please contact our office so we can verify your veteran/active duty status.
• If you are not a veteran or active duty student, you can check your registration date here: https://registrar.vcu.edu/registration/registration-guide/registration-dates/
• If you have a registration hold on your account, look here for information on how to get it cleared:  https://registrar.vcu.edu/registration/registration-guide/holds/
• AFTER you register for Spring classes, be sure to authorize your education benefits for Spring 2026.  For Federal benefits, submit your online RFC (request for certification) here and then ask your VCU academic advisor to mark it as approved online.  VMSDEP students can authorize their VMSDEP benefit here:
• As a reminder, if you are taking an Intersession course, the VA does not count Intercession with Spring when determining "full time" status.  Intercession has separate dates so the VA will not count those with your other Spring credits when determining your part time/full time status  
•  

A note on Chapter 35 processing: 

As many of you are aware, the VA has been experiencing a national delay in processing the Chapter 35 benefits.  According to the National Student Veteran Association, there are approximately 75,000 students nationally who are awaiting payment.  The VA has recalled some furloughed employees who have Veterans Claims experience to assist with processing the backlog.  If you have not received payment, please log into your VA account at va.gov/education and submit a question to check on the status of your payment.  Hopefully, when the Government re-opens, the VA will be able to confirm your pending status

We understand how stressful delays like this can be and we have been in national communication with appropriate decision makers. We will continue to monitor updates closely and share any new information on Chapter 35 as it becomes available.
 

Benefits Updates

Rams;

Believe it or not, Spring registration is right around the corner.  Here are some important notes to help prepare for Spring 2026 registration.

• Now is the time to make an appointment with your academic advisor to select your classes for next semester.  Make your appointment as soon as possible before they fill up.  If you are not sure who your advisor is, log into your Navigate account to make an appointment
• Early registration for veteran students opens Wednesday, October 29th at 8AM.  This early registration is for veteran and active duty students only.  If you are a veteran or active duty and are not able to register on the 29th (and do not have a hold on your account), please contact our office so we can verify your veteran/active duty status.
• If you are not a veteran or active duty student, you can check your registration date here: https://registrar.vcu.edu/registration/registration-guide/registration-dates/
• If you have a registration hold on your account, look here for information on how to get it cleared:  https://registrar.vcu.edu/registration/registration-guide/holds/
• AFTER you register for Spring classes, be sure to authorize your education benefits for Spring 2026.  For Federal benefits, submit your online RFC (request for certification) here and then ask your VCU academic advisor to mark it as approved online.  VMSDEP students can authorize their VMSDEP benefit here:
• As a reminder, if you are taking an Intersession course, the VA does not count Intercession with Spring when determining "full time" status.  Intercession has separate dates so the VA will not count those with your other Spring credits when determining your part time/full time status  

A note on Chapter 35 processing:  As many of you are aware, the VA has been experiencing a national delay in processing the Chapter 35 benefits.  According to the National Student Veteran Association, there are approximately 75,000 students nationally who are awaiting payment.  The VA has recalled some furloughed employees who have Veterans Claims experience to assist with processing the backlog.  If you have not received payment, please log into your VA account at va.gov/education and submit a question to check on the status of your payment.  Hopefully when the Government re-opens, the VA will be able to confirm your pending status

We understand how stressful delays like this can be and we have been in national communication with appropriate decision makers. We will continue to monitor updates closely and share any new information on Chapter 35 as it becomes available.

Scholarship Links

• Fisher House Scholarships
• ThanksUSA Scholarships
• VA-ACME Scholarships
• Visit VCU’s National Scholarship Office for more.
• VFW Scholarship Opportunities and Assistance 

The MSS Website has several Scholarship Opportunities listed

Mark Your Calendars: 

MSS Pizza Day: Join the MSS Staff and the SVA starting at 12:00 on Wednesday, October 29th, in the MSS office at 3122 Harris Hall. Free Pizza and Comaraderie!!  Register Here

Student Veterans of America Bi-Weekly Meeting: Join us on Monday, October 27th, for our bi-weekly SVA meeting of the 25/26 academic year. Come meet the SVA leadership team and learn about the organization and all the work they do for our military community. We are now offering a virtual option for those who can not attend in person. This organization is open to Veterans as well as all military-affiliated students.  Register Here

Veterans Day Food Drive and Mission BBQ: Join the MSS and SVA on Tuesday, November 11th, from 12-1 p.m. to celebrate our Veteran community. We will be accepting canned food to donate to the Rams Pantry and offering a Mission BBQ sandwich as a thank you. RSVP Here

• Department of Defense Identification Card
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
• Veteran ID Card
• Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S. driver’s license or identification card

 

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