To use your GI Bill at an overseas school, the same eligibility requirements apply as to schools in the continental United States. The overseas educational program must lead to a college degree or equivalent. The school must be VA-approved. The VA does not consider U.S. schools that offer classes overseas to be overseas schools. Apply for the GI Bill in these schools the way you would if you were attending classes on U.S. soil.
To find out if your school is VA-approved, go to the VA's GI Bill website (see Resources). Click the "Find a School" button halfway down the page to go to the "Find a School" page. Click the "Search for Approved Education & Job Training Programs" link to go to the VA "Weams Institution Search" page. To search for schools outside the country, click the "Country" button on the upper right side of the page. Fill in the requested information and click the "Submit" button to see if your school is eligible to receive GI Bill funds. To see which schools in the overseas location of your choice are VA-approved, leave the "Institution Name" blank; for "Program Type," select "All Types" from the pull-down menu; select a country; and click the "Submit" button.
If the school you want to attend is not VA-approved, tell the school that you need it to apply to receive GI Bill benefits. Ask to have a school official request approval from the VA. This official must have the authority to sign an agreement with the VA for the school. The official can write the VA at Foreign School Approval Group (22-ESU), VA Regional Office, 130 S. Elmwood Ave., Suite 601, Buffalo, NY 14202, or call 716-857-3196 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time.
Fill out the correct form to request your GI Bill benefits at least 90 days before your classes begin. New students fill out Form 22-1990 (veteran) or 22-5490 (dependent). Transfer students fill out Form 22-1995 (veteran) or 22-5495 (dependent). Service-connected disabled veterans fill out Form 28-1900. Except for students who want to attend classes in the Philippines, send the forms to the VA office at Foreign School Approval Group (22-ESU), VA Regional Office, 130 S. Elmwood Ave., Suite 601, Buffalo, NY 14202.
The address to send forms to in the Philippines is: Director, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Manila Regional Office,1131 Roxas Blvd., 1000 Ermita, Manila, Philippines.
The VA office will send you a Certificate of Eligibility. Once you receive it, make a copy for your files and give the original to your school financial aid office. The school will submit your enrollment information to the VA on Form 22-1999. Once the VA receives the information and processes it, your benefits will be active.