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Video Guide
Video Guide
This video will take you through the steps on how to submit a Certification Request through the Veterans Benefit Self Service in my.SDSU.
CR PDF.pdfPDF Guide
PDF Guide
This PDF will take you through the steps on how to submit a Certification Request through the Veterans Benefit Self Service in my.SDSU.
FAQs
When should I submit my certification?
When should I submit my certification?
We ask that you submit your certification for the upcoming semester as soon as you are registered for classes. Even if you are unsure whether you will keep your original schedule, submitting your certification as soon as possible is imperative for our office to process your benefits in a timely manner. You can always update your certification request at a later date if necessary.
How does "Rounding Out" work?
How does "Rounding Out" work?
During a student’s last semester, if they do not have enough units left in their degree plan to qualify for full-time certification, the VA will allow them to take additional classes to reach full-time units. These classes do not need to fit within the degree plan for certification under this policy. If you are planning on rounding out, please leave a comment stating that you wish to round out in the Questions/Instructions box when you request your certification.
If you would like the official VA page on Rounding Out you can access it here in the VA Glossary.
What classes can be certified?
What classes can be certified?
Our office can only certify classes that meet certain VA requirements. Here’s what you need to know:
If a class isn’t listed in your degree plan, we can’t certify it.
If you’re switching majors and taking classes for prerequisites in a major you are not currently in a program for, we can’t certify those.
If a class shows up as "Courses Not Applied to Program of Study," we can’t certify it.
If you’re on a waitlist for a class, we can’t certify it until you’re actively enrolled.
Our office can only certify classes that you are officially enrolled in and that meet the requirements outlined in your degree plan or evaluation
If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact our office for further clarification. Graduate students taking classes outside their degree plan or completing certification programs may need to submit a Graduate Worksheet to supplement their degree plan. You can access the Graduate Worksheet through our General Uploads Page.
Your degree plan/evaluation can be found on the my.sdsu webportal and clicking on the Degree Evaluation tab shown below.
What happens to my certification if I am switching my major?
What happens to my certification if I am switching my major?
Our office can only certify classes that are listed in your current degree evaluation, as noted in the 'What classes can be certified' tab above. Because of this, requesting certification while you are switching your major or completing prerequisite classes can be tricky. The best course of action is to contact our office if you are taking any prerequisites or switching majors, and we will be able to provide more information based on your situation.
What if I have a waitlisted class?
What if I have a waitlisted class?
If a class is waitlisted, our office cannot certify it until you are officially added to the class (please reference the "What classes can be certified" tab above). If you are on a waitlist for a class, please contact our office for guidance on the next steps.
How many units count as full-time? What about part time?
How many units count as full-time? What about part time?
Full-Time equivalency can affect monthly housing allowance and stipends, so its important to check that you are requesting the correct certification for your situation. Please see the "What classes can be certified?" tab above for information on what classes count towards your certification.
ATTENTION: If you are wishing to certify for anything less than full-time please call the VA to have a discussion on how your certification will affect your stipend or MHA amounts or access the VA benefit comparison tools.
Things to note:
To be eligible for housing allowance rates, the student's rate of pursuit must be greater than 50% (greater than and not equal to 1/2 time status).
CH 31 & CH 33 users need at least 1 unit in person to receive IN PERSON Monthly Housing Allowance
How will my certification work if I am cross-enrolled?
How will my certification work if I am cross-enrolled?
Cross-enrolled students can certify their classes in the same way as traditional SDSU students. Just please ensure you submit your Parent Letter through our Parent Letter upload form located on our General Uploads Page so we can apply it to your account.
Why does it look like I have duplicate classes?
Why does it look like I have duplicate classes?
When selecting classes for certification through our new portal, you may notice duplicates of your classes. Don't panic! Some classes with multiple components, such as math or science courses, may appear as two separate classes, as shown in the example picture below. This is normal, and when selecting your classes, please choose both components to be included in your certification.
What if I'm using Cal Vet AND CH 35?
What if I'm using Cal Vet AND CH 35?
If you are using both the CH 35 DEA benefits and the Cal Vet fee waiver concurrently, you will only need to submit a certification request for your CH 35. Please follow the steps outlined in the video/PDF above in order to submit certification for your CH 35, and if you have not done so already submit your Cal Vet fee waiver to the upload link located on the General Uploads Page.
What if I am just using CalVet?
What if I am just using CalVet?
If you are just using the Cal Vet fee waiver you do NOT need to request a certification. Instead, please upload a picture or scan of your Award Letter into our Cal Vet upload form located in the General Uploads Page, if you have not done so already for the academic year.
What if I am switching the benefits I wish to use?
What if I am switching the benefits I wish to use?
At the beginning of each new semester, you will have the opportunity to update the benefits you wish to use. You can manually switch benefits during this time through your certification request and upload any new documentation our office may need. If you would like an overview of what our office will need documentation wise, please visit our pages dedicated to each benefit. If you are unable to edit your benefits or if the benefits section is completely greyed out, please reach out to our office, and we will be happy to assist you.
How do Summer certifications work?
How do Summer certifications work?
Summer certifications work much the same as Fall and Spring, but you should be aware that the Summer semester is split into 5 different sessions. The chart below shows the dates for each Summer 2024 session compared to each other.
Due to the 5 different sessions, the units for full-time certification change during Summer. The chart below will show you the different unit amounts and their corresponding certification value. Please see the "What classes can be certified?" tab above for information on what classes count for certification.
Things to note:
To be eligible for housing allowance rates, the student's rate of pursuit must be greater than 50% (greater than and not equal to 1/2 time status).
CH 31 & CH 33 users need at least 1 unit in person to receive IN PERSON Monthly Housing Allowance
The below picture is an example to show how units are divided between the summer sessions. If a student takes 3 units for T1 (12 weeks), and 3 units in S1 (6 weeks), the student will only be considered full-time during the S1 dates. This is due to the student being enrolled in 4+ units (6 in this case) during the S1 time period, but as soon as S1 ends, the student will only be taking 3 units in T1 for the remainder of the summer, putting them as less than half-time as per the chart above.
Since the addition of all these units to make full-time can be confusing, we have provided 3 separate examples of full-time summer semesters down below. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, or want a more personalized answer for your situation, please don't hesitate to reach out to our office.
What about certification for previous semesters?
What about certification for previous semesters?
If you wish to back-certify for a previous semester, please submit your request through the my.sdsu system. Simply select the semester you want to back-certify for and follow the steps outlined in the video/PDF above.
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