Frequently Asked Questions

First, make an appointment with the adult student counselor. The counselor can offer you information on Kent State University as well as information specific to adult students and can answer your questions. Then, if you like what you hear, it is time to apply. Fill out an application (which can be found online through the main Kent State web page), have your transcripts sent to the school, and pay the $50 non-refundable application fee. 

1. If you haven't already received a Certificate of Eligibility from VA, Activate your benefits. This is a one-time workflow, so you'll never need to do it again. Once you have your Certificate of Eligibility (also called a Notice of Basic Eligibility), you can forward or take a picture of it and send to cavs@kent.edu as an attachment so we have a copy for our records. It’ll take VA about 4-6 weeks to get this to you.
2. Be sure to fill out an Intent of Enrollment form EVERY semester you intend to take classes once you have a class schedule for that semester. A link for that can be found at kent.edu/cavs. Once we submit your benefits, you'll receive an automated email from Sarah Helmick with the subject line "Intent of Enrollment" and, once VA accepts that certification, they'll send you an email with the subject line "Confirmation - Enrollment Information Sent to VA".
3. If you're a member of the Ohio National Guard, you need to apply for your ONG scholarship every semester (at ongsp.ohio.gov) and it will pay for your tuition (but not fees, parking tickets, library fines, residence hall bills, etc.). And if you have more than 3 months of federal deployment time, contact cavs@kent.edu so we can talk more about which benefit type may be best for you.
4. Students using the Post 9/11 GI Bill, Chapter 30, or Chapter 1606 benefits (ONG and Reserves) must verify their attendance with VA every month. Within the Intent of Enrollment form there are instructions on how to do this. Chapter 30 and Chapter 1606 students must verify enrollment near the end of each month with VA by logging in to gibill.va.gov/wave or calling 1-877-823-2378 and Post 9/11 users will verify via a monthly text from VA. You will not receive your monthly stipend if you do not verify your enrollment every month you're taking classes
5. Students using the Chapter 35 benefit (for dependents of veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating) may also want to look into the Ohio War Orphan Scholarship at highered.ohio.gov. (The deadline for that scholarship to be used in the upcoming school year is typically in May but the veteran only needs to have a 60% or greater disability rating.) You do not need to reapply for this scholarship every year.
6. Send your Joint Services Transcript to KSU to get credit for any military training at jst.doded.mil/jst.
7. Use some of our resources for a more complete overview of VA educational benefits and our office processes including Federal Tuition Assistance.
8. You may want to check out the pages we have for military-connected scholarships and adult learner scholarships.
9. When you fill out an admissions application for Kent State, choose the “Pay Later” option where it asks you for the application fee and, if you’re a veteran, you won’t be charged.
10. Be sure to apply for financial aid.
11. Last, for benefits updates and reminders, follow us on social media using the links at the bottom of kent.edu/cavs and feel free to contact us with further questions.

Students may also refer to their monthly stipend as a "B.A.H." You get paid at the beginning of the month for the previous month, so, for example, you should receive payment by March 7th for your February stipend. If you haven't received your stipend, be sure you filled out an Intent of Enrollment form for this semester. You may also want to call VA at 1-888-GIBILL-1 to ask when you can expect to get paid.

(Post 9/11 GI Bill users, Chapter 30, and Chapter 1606 recipients are also required to verify their enrollment with VA at the end of each month. Post 9/11 students will verify via a text message from VA while Chapter 1606 and Chapter 30 students should call 1-877-823-2378 to verify. You will not get paid unless your verify your enrollment every month.)

We typically certify your benefits before the start of the semester. Once we submit your benefits, you'll receive an automated email from Sarah Helmick with the subject line "Intent of Enrollment" and, once VA accepts that certification, they'll send you an email with the subject line "Confirmation - Enrollment Information Sent to VA". If you search your old emails and can't find either of these confirmations, email cavs@kent.edu to ask if you submitted an Intent of Enrollment form.

Book money for Post 9/11 GI Bill users is typically deposited to your account sometime within the first two weeks of the semester. Call 1-888-GIBILL-1 to ask for more specific information on when you can expect to see that. If you haven't received your stipend, be sure you filled out an Intent of Enrollment form for this semester.

Our office has a list of adult learner scholarships, and military-connected scholarships.

If you're using military-connected benefits and are thinking of adding or dropping a class, send an email to cavs@kent.edu to let us know so we can adjust your benefit certification, if needed. If you have questions on how that add or drop may affect your benefits, please include that question in the email.  

The chart below shows the number of credits within each term during the summer semester that are needed for full-time status in order to obtain the maximum monthly housing allowance/stipend.

If you are looking to get other tuition funding, you may need to be full-time (ex. Ohio War Orphans Scholarship or Maximum Pell Grant). 

If you have questions about a specific funding source and the requirements for summer, please reach out to the designated department that administers those funds.

You can see our offering of programs for this semester through our live calendars. 

Also through our site, find info on our Veterans Day Commemoration, about our Veteran Career Initiative, or get details about Military-connected students.

The VA has posted a fact sheet at their website that details the benefits that can be transferred and the transfer process.

View the transfer fact sheet

Check out the Parenting Student Resource page and our page for adult learners. This page also includes info on Family-Friendly Study Hours

Follow us on Facebook or @KSUCAVS for Instagram, Twitter/X for updates on programs/services.

You can file the FAFSA at any time on the Federal Student Aid site.

Yes. Schedule an appointment to see one of our advisors. We can help you establish a support system and assist you in your transition to college. Additionally, we may be able to refer you to other resources on and off campus that can help you be successful in college.

You will be happy to know that thousands of adult students throughout the Kent State system are undergraduate students. Adult students take classes during the day, evening, and weekends. They have multiple roles and responsibilities and still find time for college success!

Use the resources in Career Exploration and Development to research your career field. You may wish to visit their website or their office in person. You may also find it useful to discuss your plans with your academic advisor, a career services advisor, a favorite professor, or a fellow student.

On this website you can link to national databases for available jobs. On the Career Exploration and Development website you can link to campus jobs for students. On the Kent State University homepage you can link to jobs available on campus. Additionally, many students find local newspapers and the Kent Stater to be helpful.

In general, with a full-time job, adult students take no more than two courses or six hours of credit. This will ensure that you will have enough time to take care of your academics as well as your personal and professional responsibilities.

Free tutoring is available at the Academic Success Center. Students can also take advantage of workshop courses aimed at improving study skills, which Continuing Studies offer.

A major is a collection of credit hours in a specific field such as business administration or interior design.

A credit hour refers to how many hours per week a student spends in class. For example, a typical course is three credit hours. Therefore, a student would spend three hours in class per week. Some schools calculate credit hours by semester and some by the quarter. KSU is on the semester system and can accept semester or quarter-credit hours.