Veterans
If you are now serving, or have ever served, in the U.S. military, or if you are a military-connected family member pursuing Veterans Affairs educational benefits, you are a Veteran student. We are grateful for your military service and the personal sacrifices that have accompanied it. Tennessee Tech is a certified veterans friendly campus through the state of Tennessee’s Veterans Education Transition Support Act, and we have Military and Veterans Services to help you with any questions you have about college.
The Tennessee Tech Military and Veterans Affairs Office will assist you thru the entire enrollment process, to include applying to the University, evaluating joint service credits, questions with the FAFSA, academic counseling and more.
Remember, you need to be aware of the deadlines each semester. These deadlines relate to registering for classes and your ability to qualify for financial aid. Missing a deadline can mean that your financial aid disbursements are delayed or your classes are purged.
For the dates of when our semesters begin, fee payment due dates, enrollment confirmation deadlines, etc. please look at the Tennessee Tech University Calendar.
Your financial aid checklist is below.
Fill Out The FAFSA
Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (also called the FAFSA).
The FAFSA helps determine if you qualify for federal and state financial aid, scholarships and grants. Remember, some funds tied to the FAFSA are first-come, first-served. For that reason, it is best to fill out the FAFSA as early as possible. The FAFSA opens each October in advance of the fall semester you are likely to attend college — for example, if you plan to enter college in fall 2022, you would fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible following October 1, 2021.
Our financial aid experts can help you answer questions about the FAFSA, and the U.S. Department of Education answers many common questions online. For the 2023-2024 aid year, please use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to help complete the financial portion of the FAFSA whenever possible. Information about the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is found here.
Beginning for the 2024-2025 aid year, all contributors for the FAFSA will be required to utilize the Future Act Direct Data Exchange (FADDX) to complete the financial portion of the FAFSA.
What happens if I am selected for FAFSA verification?
The Department of Education randomly selects students for verification. This simply means that we at Tennessee Tech must verify the information you provided on the FAFSA before we can determine your financial aid eligibility.
If selected for verification, we will alert you through your campus email and ask you to visit your Eagle Online Account by logging into Tech Express and clicking the Eagle App. It is very important that you submit or complete any documents we ask for as soon as possible. Delays in completing the verification process may mean delays in your financial aid package.
The most common requests during verification are to clarify or verify your citizenship, marital status, income, dependency or degree status. Often, verification requires a signed copy of the applicable 1040 federal tax return and all schedules.
Determine Your VA Benefits
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense and the State of Tennessee offers several benefit programs, listed below. We can help you answer any questions you have about VA benefits. Contact our Military and Veterans Affairs Office at 931-372-3307.
- Montgomery GI Bill® — Active Duty, Chapter 30
- Post 9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 33
- Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program (DEA), Chapter 35
- Montgomery GI Bill® — Selected Reserves (MGIB- SR), Chapter 1606
- Post 9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 33, Transfer of Entitlement (TOE)
- VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, Chapter 31
- Tennessee STRONG Act
- Federal Tuition Assistance
Great information about the VA Education and Training benefits can be found here: US Department of Veterans Affairs
Remember, VA benefits are tied to attendance and satisfactory academic progress!
Attendance and Academic Progress
Regular attendance and satisfactory academic progress are required to receive veterans benefit pay, so we are required to report your non-attendance and your current academic progress. The VA may adjust, cancel or discontinue payments if your attendance is not regular or if you do not make satisfactory academic progress.
Dropping, Adding or Withdrawing from a Class
It is also important to remember that you cannot drop or add a course without approval from Tennessee Tech’s VA Certifying Official. Additionally, the VA will not pay education benefits if you withdraw from a class.
Additional information for veterans is available from the Tennessee Tech Military and Veterans Affairs Office.
Apply for Tennessee Tech Scholarships
Tennessee Tech has numerous scholarships for students of all types. Fill out our scholarship application, and we will match you to any scholarship for which you qualify. There are no guarantees that a scholarship will be awarded, but it is a great idea to apply. If we can help you pay for college, we will.
Check Eagle Online for Financial Aid Disbursements and Alerts
Once you have completed your application for financial aid, we will contact you through campus email about your financial aid offers, any requirements you must meet and upcoming deadlines. Do not forget to check frequently for updates.
Remember that there are financial aid consequences for withdrawing from a class (or from simply deciding to no longer attend). Depending upon the financial aid you use, there may also be financial aid consequences for the number of classes you attempt, whether the course is required to complete your program or for your GPA. If you have questions, ask us.
Confirm Your Schedule and Pay Tuition and Fees
Once all previous steps have been completed—including registering for classes—all students must confirm their schedule and pay tuition and fees. After any financial aid awards you receive appear on the confirmation screen in Eagle Online, you must pay any remaining tuition and fees and confirm your schedule. If your financial aid covers the cost of tuition and fees, you still must confirm your schedule. Students who do not confirm their schedules run the risk of having their schedules deleted.
If you were selected for FAFSA verification and are not able to complete the verification process by the Schedule Confirmation and Fee Deadline, you will need to set up a payment arrangement with the Bursar’s Office or risk being dropped from class.
