Massachusetts Board of Higher Education

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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.