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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 following offices
assist YCCC students with processing of VA Educational Benefits: financial aid office (for degree and certificate programs) and CEBS (Continuing Education and Business Servies- for specific programs see CEBS and view Courses). 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 us 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 33
The Post 9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
The amount of support that an individual may qualify for depends on where they live and what type of degree they are pursuing.
Approved training under the Post-9/11 GI Bill includes graduate and undergraduate degrees, and vocational/technical training. All training programs must be offered by an institution of higher learning (IHL) and approved for GI Bill benefits. Additionally, tutorial assistance, and licensing and certification test reimbursement are approved under the Post- 9/11 GI Bill.
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.
MyCAA (Military Spouse Career Advancement Account) Program Temporarily Suspended
The Department of Defense is expanding the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account initiative to provide financial assistance to eligible military spouses seekinf licensing, credentials and/or education for future or continued employment in portable career fields. Spouses married to an active duty or activated Guard or Reserve Service member are eligible to participate. Please go to the MyCAA website to learn more and get instructions for creating an account.
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/CEBS Office.
YCCC Request For
Certification
All students pursuing a degree or certificate 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.
CEBS students are not required to submit this form.
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 degree/certificate seeking 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. CEBS students do not qualify for financial aid.
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 or clock hours taken during each semester. For degree/certificate seeking students 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. For CEBS students, 22 clock hours is considered full-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 or confirmed Chapter 33 benefits 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 (for degree/certificate students)
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.
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.
Army/American council on education Registry Transcript System (AARTS)
ARMY/AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION REGISTRY TRANSCRIPT SYSTEM (AARTS)
The Army's Premier Transcript Service. They provide transcripts of military training and experience to Soldiers and Veterans of the Army, Army National Guard, and US Army Reserve. AARTS maintains a database of over 3,500,000 Soldier records and fills over 2,000 requests per week. Transcript requests are processed on the work day (M-F) they are received and mailed not later than two work days later (usually less) to academic institutions, Army Education Centers, and employers around the world.
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 |
