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INTRODUCTION
The following is a source of information for students
eligible to receive VA Educational Benefits. The information is extensive
although not comprehensive. You should check with the YCCC Financial Aid Office
or the Veterans Administration to confirm your understanding of particular VA
Regulations or requirements which may affect you. The financial aid office
assists YCCC students with processing of VA Educational Benefits. Application
forms and basic information are available; however, the office is not a unit
attached to the Veterans Administration and inquiries regarding eligibility for
benefits, status of awards, or the release dates of checks are referred to the
VA in Buffalo, New York. We do our best to assist you with your benefits
questions and basic procedure questions.
It is important that you keep the YCCC Financial Aid
Office informed of any changes in your schedule, certificate/degree program,
address, or telephone number.
VA EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS
Students attending YCCC who are eligible to receive VA
Educational Benefits may qualify for one of the following Chapters of the GI
Bill of Educational Assistance:
CHAPTER 30
The Montgomery GI Bill provides educational assistance to veteran students who
enlisted after July 1,1985, and who contributed $1200.00 or were eligible for
Chapter 34 and had no break in service from October 1984 to July 1,1988.
CHAPTER 31
The Vocational Rehabilitation Program provides educational benefits to veteran
students who receive or are entitled to receive compensation for a
service-related disability. Eligibility is determined by the VA and usually
begins with a service-related disability of 20% or greater. Veteran students
under Chapter 31 have the cost of tuition, fees, books, and supplies paid by the
Veterans Administration and also receive a monthly benefit check.
CHAPTER 32
The Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) is
available for those who elected to make contributions from their military pay to
participate in this education benefit program. Contributions are matched on a $2
for $1 basis by the Government. Benefits may be used for degree, certificate,
correspondence, apprenticeship/on-the-job training programs and vocational
flight training programs.
CHAPTER 35
Dependents of a veteran whose death or disability was service-connected may be
eligible for monthly benefits. (Dependents may include a husband/widower,
wife/widow, child or stepchild). Dependents may also be eligible to receive a
tuition waiver from Maine Veterans' Services. Please contact Maine Veterans'
Services or the YCCC Financial Aid Office for specific guidelines.
CHAPTER 1606
People who enlist for six years or longer in the Selected Reserve or National
Guard after July 1, 1986, may be eligible to receive these educational benefits.
Eligibility is determined by the Department of Defense.
CHAPTER 1607
Reserve Educational Assistance program (REAP).
Established as a part of the Ronald W. Reagan National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. It is a new Department of
Defense education benefit program designed to provide educational assistance to
members of the Reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response
to a war or national emergency (contingency operation) as declared by the
President or Congress. This new program makes certain individuals who were
activated after September 11, 2001 either eligible for education benefits or
eligible for increased benefits.
DEGREE STATUS
Students receiving VA Educational Benefits must apply
for admission to YCCC and be accepted into a certificate/degree program to
be eligible to receive VA Educational Benefits. They must take courses that
fulfill degree requirements in their major, the core curriculum, and/or
electives. The Veterans Administration will pay benefits for two semesters to a
non-matriculated student.
APPLYING FOR VA
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS
Please note: All forms can be obtained from the YCCC
Financial Aid Office.
YCCC REQUEST FOR
CERTIFICATION
All students who receive VA Educational Benefits must
complete and submit a
Request for Certification each time he/she registers for courses. If the
Request for Certification is not submitted at least thirty days prior to the
beginning of the semester it may cause a delay in the arrival of the first
benefit check. The purpose of the Request for Certification is to signal the YCCC Financial Aid Office that
you are taking courses and the appropriate paperwork will then be forwarded to
the Veterans Administration. Failure to complete the
Request for Certification
will prevent the Veterans Administration from processing your benefits.
CONTINUOUS PAY
Veteran/dependent students enrolled in six or more credit
hours will receive continuous pay between semesters provided there is not more
than a thirty day break in class attendance between the ending of one semester
and the beginning of the next semester.
FINANCIAL AID
All veteran/dependent students should complete a FAFSA.
Receiving Educational Benefits from the VA does not disqualify a
veteran/dependent student from receiving financial aid which includes grants,
student loans, and work-study.
COURSE REPEAT POLICY
If a veteran/dependent receives a grade that is
unacceptable to the particular school or college, the VA will pay for the course
to be repeated ONE time only.
CREDIT HOURS AND
BENEFITS
Monthly benefit rates for all VA Educational Assistance are
based on the number of credit hours taken during each semester. Twelve credit
hours is considered to be full-time, nine credit hours is considered
three-quarter time, and six credit hours is considered half-time. Students
enrolled in less than six credit hours will only receive payment for the cost of
tuition and fees. All benefit checks, except advance pay, are sent directly to
the veteran/dependent at the end of each month of attendance. Chapter 30 payment
is generally six weeks after the start date of the semester. YCCC will not allow
veterans/dependents to defer payment of bills based on VA Educational Benefits
except for VA Vocational Rehabilitation students because the Veterans
Administration compensates YCCC directly for these students.
BILLING
All students who do not receive financial aid are expected
to pay YCCC upon receipt of their bills. (Dependents who are eligible to have
his or her tuition waived by the State of Maine are only responsible for fees
which are not covered by the tuition waiver.) Students may participate in YCCC's
Payment Plan. For more information please contact the Business Office.
ADDS/DROPS/WITHDRAWALS
ADDS:
If a veteran/dependent student adds a course, he or she must contact the YCCC
Financial Aid Office. A change in credit hours will sometimes mean a change in
enrollment status resulting in an increase of VA Educational Benefits.
Note: The following information is an attempt to
summarize a very complex VA Regulation concerning drops and/or withdrawals. For
additional information contact the YCCC Financial Aid Office or the Veterans
Administration.
DROPS:
If a student reduces his or her credits during the first 30 days of the semester
and the reduction results in a change in the full or part-time enrollment status
of the student, benefits are not reduced for that month. The student must notify
the YCCC Financial Aid Office of any reduction in credit hours. A reduction in
benefits will take place beginning with the next month.
WITHDRAWALS:
If a student withdraws from a course, benefits may be reduced back to the first
day of the semester if mitigating circumstances are not reported to the VA.
Students are allowed a one-time automatic mitigating circumstance if they remain
in at least six credit hours. If there are extenuating circumstances, he or she
must submit a statement of explanation. This will be forwarded to the VA by the
YCCC Financial Aid Office. The student should realize that the submission of the
statement WILL NOT guarantee that he or she will be released from the
overpayment liability. The VA has the final authority to determine whether or
not the circumstances are acceptable.
BOULOS FAMILY
SCHOLARSHIP:
The Boulos Family Scholarship can be used at any regionally
accredited Maine college or university. The Scholarship amount is based on the
average cost of tuition (up to 60 credits) for a two-year degree program at a
Maine Community College. Effective July 2006 the Scholarship amount is $2,340 a
year or $4,680 over two years.
The Boulos Family Scholarship is for Maine military
personnel who served in Iraq or Afghanistan in the post-September 11, 2001
conflicts. Military personnel who served, or are currently serving in the U.S.
Military, National Guard or Reserves, and/or those who have been honorably
discharged are eligible for the Scholarship. Scholarship recipients must have
been a Maine resident prior to serving in either conflict.
Any individual who meets the Scholarship eligibility criteria, regardless of
financial need, may receive a Boulos Family Scholarship.
Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Scholarship may be used for credit courses, and/or for an undergraduate or
graduate program of study. It may be used to cover such costs as tuition, fees,
books, supplies, room & board, and general student support. Recipients may
attend college as full-time or part-time students. The full Scholarship award
must be used within four years of the initial award.
To receive the Scholarship, Maine veterans who meet the
eligibility criteria must complete the Boulos Family Scholarship online
application
form with a college official. You will need to show official verification of
military service (DD-214 or other official documentation).
THE FUND FOR VETERANS EDUCATION
The Fund for
Veterans Education was established to provide scholarships to veterans
from all branches of the United States Armed Forces who served in Afghanistan or
Iraq since September 11, 2001 and who are now enrolled in college or
vocational-technical school.
The Fund for Veterans Education is administered by Scholarship Management
Services, a department of Scholarship America. Scholarship America is a national
nonprofit education support and student aid service organization that seeks to
involve and assist the public and private sectors in expanding educational
opportunities and encouraging educational achievement.
The Fund for Veterans Education will award up to $1,000,000 in
scholarships beginning with the Spring 2008 semester. If
selected as a recipient, the veterans will receive an award for
the Spring 2008 term which may be renewed for the 2008-2009
academic year.
The award is intended to cover any unmet financial need based
on the cost of attendance, the student’s expected family
contribution, all federal, state and institutional need-based
grants, and military educational benefits. Awards are for
undergraduate study only and may be used for tuition, fees,
books and supplies, and required equipment.
SERVICEMEMBERS OPPORTUNITY COLLEGES
Servicemembers
Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium colleges and universities are
dedicated to helping servicemembers and their families get college degrees.
Military students can take courses in their off-duty hours at or near military
installations in the United States, overseas, and on Navy ships.
REFERENCES FOR FURTHER
ASSISTANCE
VA Regional Office (Togus, Maine)
(800) 827-1000
http://www.vba.va.gov/ro/east/togus/
VA Vocational Rehabilitation (Togus, Maine)
(207) 623-8411
http://www.vba.va.gov/ro/east/togus/vocrehab.htm
Maine Bureau of Veterans Services (Augusta, Maine)
(800) 626-4464
http://www.mainebvs.org/
VA Education Benefits Office (Buffalo, New York)
(888) 442-4551
http://www.gibill.va.gov/
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