Course Catalog / BMU 106 / Syllabus

BMU 106 Navigating VA Programs: A Plain Map: Course Syllabus

About 5 minutes to read. Last updated October 29, 2026. Keep this page as your map for the course.

Welcome. You are an adult with a full life, and this course is built for that. This page shows what you will learn, why it matters, what you will do, and how to succeed. Come back to it any time you wonder what is next.

Why this course matters

VA has many programs, and the names and forms can feel like a maze. This free course gives you a plain map of six programs: health care, disability compensation, education, careers, home loans, and life insurance. For each, you see who may qualify at a glance and where to check. You finish with a one page VA benefits map and one next action. BMU 203 goes deeper on education benefits and BMU 301 on disability claims.

This course is for you if:

• You are a Veteran, a Guard or Reserve member, or about to leave service
• You are a family member helping a Veteran find benefits
• You are not sure which VA programs you might qualify for

What success looks like

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

1. Given a stated need, match it to one of six VA programs (health care, disability compensation, education, careers, home loans, life insurance) and name an official or accredited place to check eligibility.
2. Check the basic service and discharge rules for VA health care against a case, and name the four ways to apply and the papers to gather.
3. Check the two basic requirements for disability compensation, explain that ratings are combined by table rather than added, and choose free accredited help.
4. Check the basic Post 9/11 GI Bill and VR&E rules against a case and choose which to ask about first.
5. Explain the COE and the lender's role in VA backed home loans, state the VGLI and VALife rules, and finish a one page VA benefits map with one dated next action.

You will know you got there in two ways. First, you pass the Posttest with 80% or higher. Second, your course project passes every automatic check on the Course project page.

Your next step

Start with the Pretest. It takes about 10 minutes and is not graded. Then open Lesson 1: The VA map: six programs and where to check.

Here is the full path through the course:

1. Pretest: 10 questions, plus 3 quick confidence questions. Not graded. You take it once.
2. The lessons, in order: 5 lessons, from Lesson 1: The VA map: six programs and where to check to Lesson 5: Home loans, life insurance, and your VA benefits map.
3. Posttest: 10 questions. Pass with 80%. Retake as often as you need.
4. Course survey: about 2 minutes, optional and anonymous.
5. Your certificate: type your name and print it.
6. A 30 day check in, if you opt in.

Your dates. BMU sets no deadlines. You choose them. Pick a start date and a target finish date now, and put both on your calendar. Each lesson's action step also says when to do it, such as tomorrow or this week.

Getting started

Welcome from BMU Learning. Thank you for starting Navigating VA Programs: A Plain Map. This course is built to help you do one real task on your own, step by step, at your own pace.

About this course

• There is no instructor. BMU Learning wrote and checked the lessons, and every person in the examples is made up.
• The lessons are text you read. If a page has audio, the narration is an AI voice, not a real person. Your phone or computer can also read any page aloud.
• Support: BMU Learner Support answers questions by the contact form in the Help Center. See Getting help below.

Prerequisites

None. If you can open a link and scroll on a phone or computer, you can start.

How to move through the course

1. This syllabus first. It says what you will do, how long it takes, and how you finish.
2. Pretest: a short check that is not graded. It shows where to start.
3. Lessons, in order: Lesson 1: The VA map: six programs and where to check; Lesson 2: VA health care: who can enroll and how to apply; Lesson 3: Disability compensation: the plain version; Lesson 4: Education and careers: the GI Bill and VR&E at a glance; Lesson 5: Home loans, life insurance, and your VA benefits map.
4. Each lesson has the same order: why it matters and what you will learn, the steps, a worked example, practice with feedback, a Try it step, a self check with feedback, and a short summary. Use Next up at the bottom of each lesson to go on.
5. Course project after Lesson 5, on the Course project page: build it in the guided builder and press Check my project. Each rubric row is checked for you, with a note on what to fix.
6. Posttest after Lesson 5. Score 80% or higher. With your course project done, that earns your certificate.
7. Keep and use: the job aid, the glossary of key words, and the follow up plan.

Technology you need

A phone, tablet, or computer with internet and a current browser. See What you need below for the full list.

How to finish

Your Certificate of Completion needs both of these:

• Pass the Posttest with 80% or higher. Retakes are unlimited.
• Finish your course project (the capstone) on the Course project page after Lesson 5. Build it in the guided builder and press Check my project. The page checks each rubric row automatically and tells you what to fix. When every row passes, download or print it. It is what you keep and use.

Your certificate will say you passed its Posttest and completed the course project. The checks run in your browser; no person grades the project.

Common questions

I fell behind. What now?

Nothing is late. Open the lesson you stopped on and read its quick review. If a week went by, redo that lesson's self check before you go on.

I am stuck on a lesson.

Read the worked example again, then try the practice and open its feedback. Still stuck? Write to BMU Learner Support with the lesson name and the step.

I did not pass the Posttest.

Look at which questions you missed. Each one names the lesson to review. Review it, then take the Posttest again. There is no limit on tries.

Who checks my capstone?

The Course project page checks it for you, automatically, in your browser. You build the project in guided boxes, tables, and choices, then press Check my project. Each rubric row says Passed or Not yet, with a note on what to fix. Fix it and check again as often as you need. You do not grade yourself, and no person grades it.

Where is my progress saved?

In this browser only, like your lesson badges and Posttest score. If you switch devices or clear your browser, redo the course project step.

Course schedule

Every lesson has the same parts, so you always know what is coming. You get a short read, a Try it action step you do in real life, and, in most lessons, a quick check. Times come from each lesson page.

Suggested pace

Two lessons a week. That is about two and a half weeks. Lesson 5 asks you to finish your VA benefits map, so plan one longer sitting for it. Go faster or slower if your life calls for it.

How much time it takes

• Each lesson: 16 to 18 minutes to read, in one sitting.
• Each action step: 10 to 30 minutes, done in your real life within the window the lesson gives.
• At the suggested pace: up to about 69 minutes a week.
• The whole course: about 3 hours and 13 minutes, including the tests and the survey.

What you will do and why

Each task below practices or checks one of the outcomes above. Nothing here is busywork.

Your capstone rubric checks these parts:

• Needs
• Status
• Where to check
• Papers
• Next action
• Privacy

How the course checks each goal

Each goal below is taught in a lesson, tested on the Posttest, and, where it can be, built and checked in your course project.

Goal	Lessons	Posttest questions	Course project rows
Given a stated need, match it to one of six VA programs (health care, disability compensation, education, careers, home loans, life insurance) and name an official or accredited place to check eligibility.	1, 5	1, 2	Needs, Where to check, Papers, Next action, Privacy
Check the basic service and discharge rules for VA health care against a case, and name the four ways to apply and the papers to gather.	2	3, 4	Status
Check the two basic requirements for disability compensation, explain that ratings are combined by table rather than added, and choose free accredited help.	3	5, 6	Status
Check the basic Post 9/11 GI Bill and VR&E rules against a case and choose which to ask about first.	4	7, 8	Status
Explain the COE and the lender's role in VA backed home loans, state the VGLI and VALife rules, and finish a one page VA benefits map with one dated next action.	5	9, 10	Status

Grading and your certificate

• Pretest: not graded. You take it once. It is fine to miss questions. They show where to start.
• Posttest: you need 80% or higher. You can retake it as many times as you need. Your first try is the one BMU uses to see how much the course helped, so there is no need to rush it.
• Course project (capstone): you start it in Lesson 5 and build it on the Course project page. The page checks each rubric row for you and says exactly what to fix. Fix it and check again as often as you need. A row that says Not yet just shows you where to look next.
• Certificate of Completion: it unlocks when you do two things: pass the Posttest with 80% or higher, and pass every automatic check on your course project. The survey is optional and never blocks it. Type your name on the certificate page and print it.

Your Certificate of Completion lists the skills under What success looks like, the course time (about 3 hours), and the standard you met: you passed its Posttest and completed the course project.

BMU is a learning community, not an accredited college. This certificate does not carry college credit. It is not a degree, diploma, license, or professional certification.

What you need

• Cost: free. There is nothing to buy.
• Device: a phone, tablet, or computer with internet and a current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox.
• Skills: you can open links, type in a box, and scroll. Printing is optional. You can also save pages as a PDF.
• A phone, tablet, or computer to read VA.gov
• Your DD214 if you have it, or a plan to request it
• Job aids and tools: VA Benefits Map (printable).

How this course works

This course is self paced and online. There are no live classes, no group posts, and no one checks when you log in. Taking part means three things:

• Read each lesson in order, in one sitting if you can.
• Do the Try it step in your real life. That is where the learning happens.
• Be honest with yourself on the self checks and the end of course self check. Your reflections are private, and you never have to share them.

Policies and flexibility

• Pace: go at your own speed. There are no late penalties. If you miss a week, pick up where you left off.
• Retakes: lesson checks and the Posttest have no limit on tries.
• Your progress: lessons, notes, and test scores are saved in this browser on this device. They are not tied to your name. If you clear your browser data, use private browsing, or switch devices, your progress will not follow you.
• Honest work: take the Pretest and Posttest on your own, without notes, other people, or AI. Please do not share test answers. Your certificate says you passed, so let the score show what you can do.
• Using AI: You may use AI to brainstorm, explain an idea in simpler words, or practice. If AI helps you draft your capstone, check every fact and make it sound like you. Never paste passwords, account numbers, or medical details into an AI tool.
• Keep it accurate: This course explains how VA programs work. It is not legal advice. VA rules change, so every fact is dated and you recheck VA.gov before you act. Never share your Social Security number or VA login with anyone who is not VA or your accredited representative.
• Changes: if BMU changes this course, the date at the top of this page will change, and we will say what changed here.

Getting help

This course is self paced, so there is no live instructor. You are not on your own, though. Here is where to go:

• Quick answers: the BMU Help Center covers progress, certificates, billing, and technical problems.
• Ask a person: use the Contact BMU support form and pick a topic. We read every message and reply as soon as we can. Please do not send card numbers or passwords.
• Something not working: refresh the page and try a current browser. If it still fails, contact support, choose Technical problem, and tell us the page, your device, and your browser.

Accessibility

We want every page to work with a keyboard, a screen reader, and zoom. Tables scroll on small screens, and answers open with a tap. If anything gets in your way, or you need a lesson in another format, tell us on the contact form. Choose Technical problem, say it is an accessibility issue, and describe the page. We will work to fix it or get you the content another way.

Check your understanding of this syllabus

Can you answer these three questions? If so, you are ready to start.

1. What does success look like in this course?

You can do the 5 things listed under What success looks like. You pass the Posttest with 80% or higher, and your capstone rubric shows Ready to use.

2. What is your next step?

Take the Pretest, then start Lesson 1: The VA map: six programs and where to check. Put your own start and finish dates on your calendar.

3. Where do you get help?

Try the Help Center first. Then use the contact form. We read every message and reply as soon as we can.

Recap

• Start with the Pretest. It is not graded.
• Do one lesson at a time, and do each Try it step in real life.
• Pass the Posttest with 80% and finish your course project to earn your certificate. Retakes are unlimited.
• Need help? Use the Help Center or the contact form.