Dependents' College Proof of Enrollment for the Military

I'm planning on joining college right after my high school. My dad's in the military and I've heard that I might need to provide some type of proof of enrollment. Does anybody know what they're looking for specifically? I'm just trying to make sure I have all of my ducks in a row.

This is an excellent question. The Uniformed Services typically need proof of enrollment for a variety of reasons, including continuing eligibility for military-dependent benefits such as healthcare, and maintaining a housing allowance if the member is assigned to a location away from their family.

Generally, for your dependent status to continue past the age of 21 (or 23 if you're a full-time student), the Uniformed Services will need evidence that you are enrolled full-time in an institution of higher learning.

The proof of enrollment that they're looking for is typically a document provided by the college you're attending that states you're enrolled as a full-time student. Most of the time, this document, which may be called a certificate of enrollment or verification of enrollment, contains information like your name, student identification number, the start and end dates of the term, the number of credit hours enrolled, and a certifying signature from the institution's registrar or another official.

One important thing to note is that the military usually requires this document to be submitted every year you're enrolled, so it's not a one-time thing. You should reach out to your college's registrar's office for more information about this process.

Lastly, remember that each branch of the service may have slightly different requirements, so you might want to check with your dad's military service for more specific details.