We are proud to continue to serve the hard working men & women veterans who want to acheive their higher education goals at our Palo Alto campus.
Sofia University is approved to accept VA education benefits
Whether you use veterans’ benefits, tuition reimbursement, cash, third-party billing or financial aid, you’ll have help every step of the way during your education. All of our degrees are approved to use Federal and State benefits, and our Admissions counselors are here to serve military students with certification of Federal GI Bill® benefits, as well as connections with campus and local resources.
Honoring Heroes Scholarship
As a Veteran using a VA GI Education benefit, you may be eligible to apply for Sofia University’s Honoring Heroes Scholarship and be awarded up to $3,000 to assist with out-of-pocket tuition costs.
Types of military veteran benefits:
1.
Post-9/11 GI Bill - Chapter 33
2.
Transfer of Education Benefits (TOE) - Chapter 33 Dependents
3.
Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
4.
Montgomery GI Bill – Chapter 30
5.
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Vet Success Program Chapter 31
6.
Survivors and Dependents Assistance - Chapter 35
What kinds of financial aid can I use?
There are many kinds of financial aid opportunities available to students who need it. Some options are scholarships and military veteran financial aid.
Federal Student Loans:
Sofia students may be eligible to receive subsidized and unsubsidized loans based on their financial needs. Here are some commonly asked questions about federal student loans:
- What is the difference between Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans?
- Am I eligible for a Direct Subsidized Loan or a Direct Unsubsidized Loan?
- What are the current interest rates?
- Other than interest, is there a charge for this loan?
- What additional steps must I take to receive my loan?
The Post 9/11 GI Bill® Yellow Ribbon Program:
The Yellow Ribbon Program can help you pay for higher out-of-state, private school, or graduate school tuition that the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn’t cover. Find out if you’re eligible, and if your school takes part in this program.
Are you qualified for the Yellow Ribbon program?
You may qualify for this program if you and your school meet the requirements listed below. You must qualify for the maximum benefit rate under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
To qualify, at least one of these must be true. You:
- Served at least 36 months on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service), or
- Received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service, or
- Received a Fry Scholarship on or after August 1, 2018, or
- Served for at least 30 continuous days (all at once, without a break) on or after September 11, 2001, and were discharged after 60 days with a service-connected disability, or
- Are a dependent child using benefits transferred by a Veteran or a service member who has served for at least 36 months on active duty and qualifies at the 100% level, or
- Find out about transferring Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
- Are receiving the Fry Scholarship (beginning August 1, 2018)
Learn more about the Fry Scholarship
Note: At this time, you’re not eligible for the maximum benefit rate under the Post-9/11 GI Bill if you’re an active-duty service member or the spouse of an active-duty service member. But, as of August 1, 2022, you may become eligible if you’re an active-duty service member who qualifies at the 100% level, or the spouse using the transferred benefits of an active-duty service member who qualifies at the 100% level.
I tried other universities, however, I felt disconnected and I didn’t feel like part of the university. With Sofia, I feel like I am a part of a family. I decided to pursue a doctorate degree in Philosophy and Transpersonal Psychology because I know that, despite my injuries, I can still help protect people in need from a mental standpoint. My advice to current and future VA students would be to know that any dream is achievable. No matter how lost you may feel or how unattainable your dream must seem, keep going. It’s only when you stop that your dream cannot be achieved.
Larry D. Weeden, Jr.
Student, PhD in Transpersonal Psychology
Class of 2021
Trademark Terms of Use
Authorized Use
Third-party use of the trademark is restricted to the education and training institutions eligible to receive VA education benefits, State Approving Agencies, and recognized Veterans Service Organizations. Parties not identified are prohibited from using GI Bill in any manner that directly or indirectly implies a relationship, affiliation, or endorsement with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Authorized third-parties may use the registered trademark ‘‘GI Bill’’ in print, electronic, radio, digital, or other media as established by the terms of use.
The trademark symbol ‘‘®’’ should be placed at the upper right corner of the trademarked phrase in the most prominent place at first usage; such as the title of a brochure, form, or the very top of a Web page and the following trademark attribution notice must be prominently visible: ‘‘GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/index.asp.
Use of the registered trademark symbol is not required each time the mark appears in a single document or on a Web page. However, the symbol should be prominent on all individual documents and Web pages.
Third-party use of the trademark is restricted and subject to the following:
- The GI Bill trademark is not to be incorporated or included in company or product names, trademarks, logos or internet domain names.
- The term ‘‘GI Bill®’’ is to be used solely to promote official VA benefit programs and services and must include the proper trademark symbol.
Use of the trademark attribution notice, indicating that the mark and all associated services belong to VA, is required and shall be taken as evidence that use of the mark is in good faith.
No entity shall use the GI Bill trademark in any manner that directly or indirectly implies a relationship, affiliation, or association with VA that does not exist.
Disparagement or misrepresentations of VA services through use of the mark, or by the use of confusingly similar wording, are strictly prohibited.
Suspected Violations
VA reserves the right to bring action against any party that violates VA’s terms-of-use concerning the mark in Federal court. Suspected violations must be reported by email to GI- Bill.Trademark@va.gov with the following information:
Date suspected violation occurred;
Location;
Explanation; and
Designated Point of Contact Information
Supplementary Information
On April 27, 2012 President Obama signed Executive Order 13607, directing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Defense, and the Department of Education to undertake a number of measures to ‘‘stop deceptive and misleading’’ promotional efforts that target the GI Bill educational benefits of Servicemembers, Veterans, and eligible family members and Survivors. Trademarking ‘‘GI Bill’’ was part of that order to protect military families from being misled by schools that target their Federal education benefits.
A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. A trademark typically protects brand names and used on goods and services.
For the purposes of this trademark, GI Bill is defined as a service, ‘‘providing education benefits, namely, financial assistance such as accelerated payment and tuition assistance for institutions of higher learning, non-college degree programs, on-the-job training and apprenticeship training, flight training, independent training, distance learning and internet training, correspondence training, national testing programs,licensing and certification; entrepreneurship training, work-study programs, and co-op training to Veterans, Servicemembers, National Guard members, Selected Reserve members, and eligible dependents.’’
As of October 16, 2012, ‘‘GI Bill’’ is a federally registered trademark owned by VA. The mark consists of standard characters without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color.
Authority: E.O. 13607, USPTO Reg. No. 4,225,784.
