Direct Deposit of Veteran Educational Benefits
This service is available for Chapter 30 and Chapter 1606
Why Should You Sign Up for Direct Deposit?
If you sign up for Direct Deposit, also known as Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), the VA will send your education benefit payments directly to your account. Direct Deposit is the safest and fastest way to receive your VA education payments. You no longer have to worry about your check being delayed by the mail or being lost or stolen.
How Do You Sign Up for Direct Deposit?
You can sign up for Direct Deposit by phone or by mail. To sign up by phone, call: 1-877-838-2778. This is a toll-free call. To sign up by mail, provide information below and mail to:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Regional Office
125 S. Main St. Suite B
Muskogee, OK 74401-7004
Whether you sign up by phone or by mail, you'll need to give the VA some information about the account where you want your payments to go.
What Information Should You Give The VA?
- Your bank or financial institution's nine digit routing number
For checking accounts, the routing number is the first nine digits on the bottom of the check.
For savings accounts, you'll probably need to ask your financial institution for their routing number. - The account number
- The type of account: checking account or savings account
- Your signature
- Your home and work telephone numbers
If using your checking account, all of this information is on your checks. So, the easiest thing for you to do is send a "void" check when you sign up. You can void a check by writing "VOID" across the front of a blank check.
Students with an award already processed by the VA, can use WAVE, www.gibill.va.gov to submit a Direct Deposit Request. Go to the Direct Deposit on the Main Menu, fill out the form and hit the Submit button.
A change of address can also be submitted from the WAVE site.
Updated June 2007 by Marketing and Student Recruitment.