Smith Vet FAQs

For questions on any of these FAQs, please email rhsmith-vets@umd.edu.

Veteran Pre-Admission Questions

FAQ: DOES MARYLAND SMITH AFFORD SPECIAL BENEFITS TO MILITARY & VETERAN APPLICANTS?

All U.S. military and veterans applying to Maryland Smith qualify for a waiver of application fees. Please be sure to request this from your admissions advisor as you apply. This benefit also applies to military or veteran family members utilizing transferred VA GI-BillⓇ benefits.

Military veterans or family members utilizing VA GI-Bill benefits may also qualify to waive their tuition deposit, however, the applicability of this benefit varies by program. Check with your program’s admissions advisor for more information.

FAQ: WHY ELSE SHOULD I CONSIDER MARYLAND SMITH?

At Maryland Smith, we strive to be the premier business school in the mid-Atlantic for anyone affiliated with our U.S. Uniformed Services. In fact, we are one of the very few business schools in the nation to employ a staff explicitly for support to our military veteran and family community of “Smith Vet” students, alumni and partners.

We are also proud to host the Initiative for Veteran Lifelong Leadership, Maryland’s cooperative platform to channel public-private ideas and investments into programs and partnerships that:

1. ENHANCE VET PRESENT VALUE with sustainable solutions to vet underemployment;
2. ENABLE VET LIFELONG LEARNING by connecting cross-generational leaders for U.S enterprise; and
3. ELEVATE VETERAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP by evidencing its ties to community and economic development

Each of these three missions is advanced through vet career transition panels, leadership keynotes, venture programs, data-driven collaboration with corporate and non-profit organizations, and joint initiatives with other U.S. universities investing in our nation’s veterans.

FAQ: ARE THERE OTHER ADVANTAGES TO BEING A “TERP” AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND?

Every Smith Vet is also a Terp Vet, enrolled in one of the first 15 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success in America. Being a Smith Vet connects you to hundreds of instant new colleagues; being a Terp Vet connects you to thousands. Look at some of the exciting resources in this community.

Veteran Benefits & Enrollment Questions

FAQ: HOW DO I ACCESS VA EDUCATION BENEFITS FOR USE AT SMITH?

The first step to accessing VA education benefits is to apply for them online.

Once submitted, the VA will process and send a personalized Certificate of Eligibility referencing your eligibility level and amount. You will need to submit one or the other to your admissions advisor during the application process & then again to the University Registrar's Office when you enroll for the first semester. But considering it can take several weeks for the VA to process & send some documents, it is recommended you apply a few months in advance of your projected start date.

FAQ: I RECEIVED MY GI BILL CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY (COE) OR STATEMENT OF BENEFITS. NOW WHAT?

Scan (or photo) & email a copy to your enrollment advisor. Then hold onto the original until you receive instructions to register for your first semester classes.

Once you register for classes in your first semester, you will then need to request VA enrollment certification from UMD's Office of the Registrar's VA Benefits Team. The first step of this process is to email a completed signed UMD VA ENROLLMENT CERTIFICATION REQUEST along with a copy of your COE or Statement of Benefits to their group inbox at vabenefits@umd.edu.

Learn more about VA GI Bill certification at Smith.

FAQ: WHAT ARE MARYLAND RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY?

Active duty service members & dependents with either (1) military orders to Maryland or (2) declared Maryland state residency are eligible for in-state tuition. Learn more.

FAQ: WHAT ARE MARYLAND RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR VETERANS AT SMITH?

Most working professional programs at Maryland Smith do not have separate tuition rates for in-state & out-of-state students. In this case, there is no impact of residency on tuition or GI Bill coverage. This is currently the case for Smith’s Executive MBA, Flex MBA, Online MBA, and Online MSBA.

Most full-time programs (MBA and Masters) hosted on-campus in College Park do have separate tuition rates for Maryland residents and residents of other states. However, veterans using the GI Bill who live at a Maryland address while enrolled receive a "military waiver" for in-state tuition. While they may technically remain designated an "out-of-state" student on admission forms, they can expect to be charged at an in-state rate in accordance with MD Law & GI-Bill Policy.

Veterans in full-time on-campus programs who do not maintain a Maryland address are charged at the out-of-state tuition rate but are invited to explore Maryland Smith’s Yellow Ribbon program or an application for an appointment as a graduate assistant.

FAQ: DO I NEED TO TAKE A GMAT OR GRE?

Requirements for standardized tests vary by program. For those programs that require either a GMAT or GRE, to include Maryland Smith Full-time MBA and Business Master's programs, active-duty military applicants may qualify for a waiver. Please contact your admissions advisor to discuss your service history and how to request consideration.

FAQ: HOW DOES YELLOW RIBBON WORK FOR SMITH?

Maryland Smith is a proud sponsor of Yellow Ribbon scholarships, but please note that VA policy is restrictive on eligibility standards. Yellow Ribbon vets must have & use 100% Post 9-11 GI Bill eligibility, from which point Yellow Ribbon scholarship funds can be applied to bridge the gap in any remaining tuition requirements (excluding room & board or travel).

For full-time MBA and business master's programs offered full time in College Park, Yellow Ribbon is a great option for vet students at 100% Post-911 GI Bill eligibility who reside outside the state of Maryland to bridge the gap between in-state tuition rates covered by the VA and out-of-state tuition they will incur. Please discuss Yellow Ribbon with an admissions advisor if this is your case.

For vets enrolled in full-time and business master's in College Park who reside in the state of Maryland and therefore qualify for in-state tuition, the Post-911 GI Bill already covers 100% of program tuition for those at 100% eligibility, so Yellow Ribbon would not apply.

For vets enrolled in Maryland Smith’s online, part-time, and executive MBA, the Post-911 GI Bill already covers 100% of program tuition for those at 100% eligibility regardless of residency, so Yellow Ribbon has no applicability in any of these programs. Vets at less than 100% eligibility applying to these programs and in need of financial help should communicate with their admissions advisor on other scholarship or aid options.

FAQ: HOW DOES FED-GRANT TUITION REDUCTION WORK FOR MILITARY, VETERANS, OR FAMILY MEMBERS WITH GI BILL OR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS?

In support of our alliance with the U.S. Federal Government, Maryland Smith offers a FedGrant tuition reduction for Federal civil employees and their spouses. Active duty members of the military or uniformed services are not eligible for FedGrant. U.S. military veterans employed by federal agencies as civilians or spouses of Federal civil employees may apply. However, please note the following restrictions:

• You must apply for FedGrant prior to admission in accordance with guidelines.
• You must be employed directly by the federal government at the time of admission. Employees of contractors or consultants for the federal government are not eligible or enrolled students who are subsequently hired by the federal government are not eligible.
• You cannot “stack” FedGrant with other tuition reductions or scholarships. If you have the fortune of choice, we will be happy to help you calculate which option offers the most financial benefit.
• Veterans with VA education benefits who are eligible for FedGrant may use both in the course of enrollment, but there are restrictions to applying both together in the same semester or billing cycle.

FAQ: IF I HAVE ALREADY USED GI BILL BENEFITS AND HAVE AN ACCOUNT ON E-BENEFITS, DO I STILL NEED A CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY (COE)?

A copy of a statement of benefits from an eBenefits account is an appropriate substitute for the certificate of eligibility and we will accept it with the student's certification request.

FAQ: WHAT IF I’VE ALREADY TRANSFERRED MY BENEFITS TO MY DEPENDENTS? CAN I STILL USE THEM?

The VA COE, or statement of benefits, will only reflect the benefits that remain in your name. If you’ve transferred benefits to a dependent, they will not be reflected even if they have not yet used the transferred benefit months. If you intend to use those transferred benefits for yourself, you will need to transfer benefits back to yourself.

Learn how to transfer benefits.

FAQ: WHAT IF I’VE ALREADY STARTED TO USE THE GI BILL AT ANOTHER SCHOOL?

You will need to transfer your certification to the University of Maryland.

FAQ: CAN I USE THE VA’S VETERAN READINESS AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (VR&E), FORMERLY KNOWN AS VOCATIONAL REHAB, FOR A SMITH DEGREE?

Yes, we do process Ch. 31 VR&E benefits if you are approved for the benefits and your assigned VA VR&E Counselor approves the program as part of your individualized plan.

FAQ: HOW DO YOU MANAGE MARYLAND NATIONAL GUARD BENEFITS?

The University maintains an MOU with the MDNG setting terms under which some tuition can qualify for reimbursement.

To qualify, the Maryland Guardsman must set the terms (percentage level) of reimbursement with their Guard chain of command and then submit that to the University’s Office of Third Party Billing to track and manage.

The MOU limits reimbursement to the UMD in-state graduate tuition rate. It further only allows reimbursement for enrollment in Fall & Spring semesters (no Summer) and only 1 term per semester up to a max of 6 credits per semester.

Another program members of the Guard may leverage is the MARYLAND NATIONAL GUARD STATE TUITION ASSISTANCE REIMBURSEMENT (STAR) PROGRAM. Unlike the MOU or GI Bill, though, STAR program reimbursements are administered between the student and the National Guard, and they do not go through the University. So, the best source of information on STAR terms and procedures is the Maryland National Guard Educational Office.

FAQ: HOW DOES THE VA CALCULATE FULL-TIME STATUS IN GRADUATE SCHOOL?

In order to qualify for 100% GI Bill stipends (MHA & Books), a veteran must be certified enrolled at the VA’s full-time rate of pursuit. That typically equates to 8-credits / 16-week semester or roughly .5 credits/week. Any pursuit rate lower than that will utilize education benefits and qualify for stipend benefits at the percentage level of the student’s credit load. For example, a 3/4 credit load will qualify for 75% of both stipends, but it will also only use 75% of GI Bill education benefit, each month. At a rate of pursuit at 50% or less, the VA drops MHA to zero.

FAQ: HOW DO I MAINTAIN FULL-TIME STATUS IN A SMITH GRADUATE PROGRAM?

All of Maryland Smith’s graduate degree programs are designed to enable veterans to remain at or near the full-time rate of pursuit each academic term. Please contact us in the course of admissions to discuss the specifics of the particular program you are pursuing.

FAQ: WHAT IF I HAVE MONTGOMERY GI BILL (MGIB)?

Use of the Montgomery GI Bill differs considerably from the Post 9-11 GI Bill. Veterans who enroll with the Montgomery GI Bill must still submit a VA Enrollment Certification to the UMD Office of the Registrar’s VA Benefits Office by emailing vabenefits@umd.edu.

However, once certified, MGIB students verify and track their certification status with the VA’s online through the VA’s Web Automated Verification ("WAVE") and pay all tuition and fees directly to the University. The VA then sends the veteran an amount each month based on how much they contributed while serving as a contribution toward their tuition payments. Learn more.

FAQ: CAN I USE MILITARY TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR A SMITH DEGREE?

Yes. Each military service manages its tuition assistance program differently, so the first step is to follow service guidelines for approval of TA at the authorized level. Contact the admissions advisor for your program if you need any program or curriculum information for that process.

Once you have the TA approved and you are admitted to a Smith program, the TA authorization must be emailed to the UMD Office of Third Party Billing at thirdpartybilling@umd.edu. From that paperwork, Third Party Billing will connect directly with the service point-of-contact to share a copy of your bill each semester and coordinate the direct transfer of TA funds to the University. Note, however, that any billed amount above the service program’s approved or maximum level of TA is the student’s responsibility to pay directly per standard billing procedures.

See the Office of Third Party Billing’s website for more information.

It is highly recommended that you complete all TA arrangements in advance of enrollment. In the event you cannot, contact Third Party Billing for procedures.

FAQ: CAN I USE THE STATE OF MARYLAND’S “CONROY SCHOLARSHIP” FOR A MARYLAND SMITH DEGREE?

Funding for the State of Maryland’s Conroy Scholarship is given through the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). Each institution in Maryland then has its own awarding or review process to consider students for the scholarship.