Skip to Content

National tests and prep courses

The GI Bill covers more than just tuition. You can use part of your entitlement to cover the costs of certain tests (or exams) and preparatory courses (also called “prep courses”). Find out how to get paid back for national tests and how to use your VA education benefits to pay for prep courses.

National tests

You can use part of your entitlement to cover the costs of national tests (admissions tests required for college or graduate school)—even if you’re already receiving other education benefits. We’ll pay you back for the cost to register and any administrative fees. We’ll prorate the entitlement charges based on the actual amount of the fee charged for the test.

To get paid back for national tests, you must already be covered under one of these benefits:

  • Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), or
  • Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (Chapter 30), or
  • Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606), or
  • Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)

Find out how to apply for VA education benefits

How many tests can I get paid back for?

We’ll pay for as many national tests as you want to take as long as you have remaining entitlement and use your benefits within the time limit. We’ll pay you back even if you don’t pass the test. We’ll also pay you back if you need to take the same test more than once.

What types of national tests will my benefits cover?

Your benefits will cover only tests approved for the GI Bill. We’ll pay you back for the approved national tests listed here. If you don’t see a test listed, it may be a valid test that’s just not yet approved. We encourage you to submit an application for reimbursement.

Approved college admissions tests:

  • SAT (formerly “Scholastic Assessment Test”)
  • ACT (American College Testing)
  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

Approved tests that you can take to earn college credits:

  • AP (Advanced Placement Examination)
  • CLEP (College-Level Examination Program)
  • DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests)
  • ECE (Excelsior College Examinations)
  • PLA (Prior Learning Assessment) testing through learningcounts.org

Approved graduate school admissions tests:

  • GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
  • GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
  • LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
  • MAT (Miller Analogies Test)

Approved admissions tests for pre-health professional programs:

  • DAT (Dental Admission Test)
  • MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
  • OAT (Optometry Admission Test)
  • PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test)

Check the approved fees for these tests

We won’t pay you back for these fees and costs

  • Pretest costs (such as Kaplan tests)
  • Fees to get scores quickly
  • Optional items not required to take an approved test

How do I get paid back for national tests?

First, you’ll need to fill out a Request for Reimbursement of National Exam Fee (VA Form 22-0810).

Get VA Form 22-0810 to download

Then, submit your form in one of these 2 ways:

Option 1: Upload your form online through QuickSubmit

Upload your completed form using QuickSubmit on AccessVA

When you submit your completed form, you’ll need to include these:

  • A copy of the receipt for the testing fee, and
  • A copy of the test results

Option 2: Mail your form to us

Mail your completed form to the VA regional processing office for the state where you live.

Find your regional processing office address

When you submit your completed form, you’ll need to include these:

  • A copy of the receipt for the testing fee, and
  • A copy of the test results

Prep courses for national tests

You can use your VA education benefits to pay for courses that help you prepare for national tests. We approve only prep courses for national tests that we’ve already approved. We charge your entitlement based on training time or rate of pursuit.

To use your education benefits to pay for prep courses, we must have already awarded you one of these benefits:

  • Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), or
  • Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (Chapter 30), or
  • Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606), or
  • Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)

Find out how to apply for VA education benefits

How many prep courses can I get paid back for?

We’ll pay for as many prep courses as you take as long as you have remaining entitlement and use your benefits within the time limit.

How do I use my VA education benefits for prep courses?

Ask the certifying official at the school or other educational program provider to submit an enrollment certification to us. If the prep course is at a school, you can usually find the school certifying official in the registrar’s or financial aid office.

How to contact us if you have questions

You can contact us in either of these ways:

Last updated: