Certifying Officials

A Certifying Official (CO) is the training institution's representative responsible for completing paperwork necessary to certify enrollment for students eligible for VA benefits. The CO:

• Informs the Department of Higher Education of any changes requiring approval (e.g., accreditation, location, ownership, catalogs and program modification).
• Sends certified copies of the school’s publications to the Department of Higher Education.
• Meets with Department of Higher Education staff to provide necessary files and information during site and supervisory visits.
• Certifies enrollment of veterans and eligible students to VA.

For institutions of higher learning and non-college degree programs, the Massachusetts Certifying Officials guide [.DOC] contains procedures and information related to the certification of students for GI Bill purposes.

For on-the-job training programs, the On-The-Job Application Handbook [.PDF] contains additional procedures and information for certifying officials.