However, there are limitations to keeping the equipment. Initially, courses will be offered from 29 accredited higher education institutions with more universities expected to sign-on in the future. It will connect more than 170 Naval Reserve Web sites. For the first time, Naval Reserve centers and facilities will have full interconnectivity for transferring electronic data and e-mail. VA employees register the data, print the form, and mail it back to the veteran for signature.
Veterans can also print out the completed form and mail it to a VA health care facility themselves.
Completed applications are sent electronically to the veteran's local VA office. Processing begins right away, and veterans receive a response letting them know the status of their applications. Later this year, the VA plans to offer education applications on the Internet. Meanwhile, veterans are not required to apply online and can continue to use paper applications. The form should not supplant actually going in and talking with a teacher, administrator, or school liaison officer, but it gives a quick and easy way to ask a question and get an answer.