Veteran Affairs Procedure - 50.01.02
College Policy Number/Title:
Howard Community College (HCC) is committed to the educational, career, and personal advancement of those who serve or have served in the U.S. armed forces. Veterans, active-duty service members, reservists, members of the National Guard, and qualified dependents are provided assistance in applying for veterans’ benefits and U.S. Department of Defense tuition assistance, and in accessing the full range of college services, such as academic advising, career counseling and job assistance, personal counseling, tutoring, disability support services, and mentoring. Special emphasis is placed on informing students who serve or have served in the armed forces about the full range of available options to help them pay for college.
The college’s office of records, registration, and veterans’ affairs (RRVA) administers HCC’s veterans’ benefits program. RRVA also facilitates access for students in the military community to other college units and services.
A student planning to utilize veterans’ benefits should contact RRVA as soon as the student has registered for classes. The Veterans Administration (VA) makes tuition and fee payments directly to the college for students using the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. Students remain responsible for submitting payment for First Day materials charges. The VA forwards all payments directly to the students who use the other Chapters of the GI Bill®. The college also offers a deferred payment plan specifically designed for students utilizing VA education benefits and tuition assistance. Students eligible for veterans’ benefits and tuition assistance are also eligible to apply for other forms of financial assistance and the college’s payment plan. Members of the military community may complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to determine the full complement of available funding; see 50.01.01 for more information. Students using VA education benefits should plan their finances to cover tuition, fees, books, and supplies, as well as a minimum of two months of estimated living expenses. Benefit payments can be expected within 12 weeks from the date a student’s claim is forwarded from HCC to the VA regional office. Students using the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, Montgomery GI Bill®, and Selected Reserve GI Bill® are required to self-certify attendance and enrollment on a monthly basis.
In accordance with VA regulations, all coursework certified for educational benefit payment must be part of an eligible degree or certificate of proficiency at HCC as outlined in the college catalog. VA educational benefits cannot be paid for coursework that is audited.
VA students enrolled in coursework required only for transfer to a four-year college or university must provide an official letter prepared by the transfer institution on institutional letterhead to document the requirement. A copy of the four-year institution’s catalog cannot be accepted as documentation.
VA regulations require that all students receiving VA educational benefits meet the academic satisfactory progress standard as stated in the college catalog.
Students who receive the grade of "F," “NA,” “W”, or “FW” in a course may be subject to repaying funds received for the course to the VA and the college. Students who receive the grade of “F,” “NA,” “W”, or “FW” and have documentation of mitigating circumstances should submit a detailed letter and related documentation to substantiate the claim to RRVA. Repeat course work for which an unsatisfactory grade was assigned (F, L, W, FW, and NA) may be eligible to be certified for educational benefit payment. Repeat coursework previously completed with a passing grade (A, B, C, or D) or evaluated as transfer credit to HCC, is not eligible to be certified for educational benefit payment. The adjudication officer at the VA will make all final determinations concerning payment approval. Appeal requests for payment denial should be directed to the Veterans Affairs regional office at 1-888-GIBILL-1.
HCC provides tutoring services to its students free of charge; these are generally small group sessions, though students may qualify for individual sessions. In addition to the services all students are eligible to receive, eligible veterans, who are enrolled at half-time or more, may be entitled to additional and individualized tutorial services. Any veteran using additional tutoring services may complete the VA tutorial application (VA Form 22-1990t) and submit it to RRVA after completion of the tutorial assistance. The tutor must verify the information reported by the applicant and certify that individualized tutorial assistance was given to the applicant and that the tutor is not a close relative of the veteran. The supplementary assistance allowance will be paid at the rate of the monthly cost of tutorial assistance not to exceed the rate allowed by law per month. This assistance amount is not to exceed an annual amount of $1,200.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Effective Date: 10/21/22
President's Office Use: VPSS