All college credit curricula of Temple College have been approved for Veteran’s training. Applicants should secure the proper VA application form from the VA office at Temple College, the nearest VA Regional office, or on-line at www.va.gov. Students using federal VA benefits are required to fill out a Request for Certification and the Veteran Student Responsibilities, in writing, for each semester of eligible school attendance.
A program of education will consist of a combination of subjects or courses pursued at a school which is generally acceptable to meet requirements for a predetermined educational, vocational, or professional objective. Students using federal VA benefits may not be paid for courses that are not required for their programs of education and may not continue taking courses once his or her objective has been reached without filing for a change of program. For example, a Veteran who has received an associate degree may not continue taking courses at a junior college unless a change of programs is submitted.
Veterans or eligible persons may not be paid educational assistance for courses already completed satisfactorily.
Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill - Montgomery GI Bill / Chapter 30 (active duty or veteran status) must have served in the United States Armed Forces and participated in the GI Bill program. In most instances, veterans must also have been honorably discharged. Veterans must complete Form 22-1990 at VONAPP. The student must provide a copy of the certificate of eligibility to the TC VA Coordinator upon enrollment at the college.
Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation - VA Vocational Rehabilitation / Chapter 31 (service-connected disabled veterans) must apply with a VA caseworker to have rehabilitation plan developed indicating a TC degree plan. The student must provide a copy of the VA Form 1905 (generated by the vocational rehabilitation counselor) to the TC VA Coordinator upon enrollment at the college.
Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill - The Post-9/11 GI Bill is for 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill became effective for training on or after August 1, 2009. Veterans must complete Form 22-1990 at VONAPP. The student must provide a copy of the certificate of eligibility to the TC VA Coordinator upon enrollment at the college.
Chapter 35 Survivor and Dependents Educational Assistance Program - Survivor’s and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (dependents and spouses of 100% disabled or deceased veterans) / Chapter 35 must complete Form 22-5490 (application) and submit to the Department of Veterans Affairs at the following address:
VA Regional Office – Western Region
PO. Box 8888
Muskogee, OK 74402-8888
For a quicker response, go on-line to the VONAPP website and submit your paperwork electronically. Once the benefit is established, the VA will issue a certificate of eligibility to the dependent/spouse. The student must provide a copy of the certificate of eligibility to the TC VA Coordinator upon enrollment at the college.
Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill (Reserve) - Montgomery GI Bill / Chapter 1606 (selected guard and reserves) must have completed all initial entry training (IET) and are now assigned to a Reserve and/or a Texas National Guard Unit. Please submit a copy of your DD 214 Form and NOBE (Notice of Basic Eligibility, obtained from your unit education officer).Veterans must complete Form 22-1990 at VONAPP. The student must provide a copy of the certificate of eligibility to the TC VA Coordinator upon enrollment at the college.
Chapter 1607 Reservists Call to Active Duty (REAP) - Chapter 1607 (REAP) must have been called to active duty under federal authority for a contingency operation as determined by Congress or the President. Veterans must have served on active duty in a contingency operation for at least 90 continuous days after September 11, 2001. You must remain within your component to use benefits. Veterans must complete Form 22-1990 at VONAPP.
Students are responsible for paying all college tuition and fees. TC and the VA do not have an agreement to process tuition/fee waivers (excluding Hazlewood, and Chapter 31); therefore, failure of the VA to pay students in a timely manner does not eliminate or delay students’ financial responsibility to the college. Programs such as MYCAA and Post 9/11 GI Bill may cover a portion or all tuition/fees costs.
It may take the Muskogee VA processing center 6-8 weeks to process new education claims, so please plan accordingly.
All students receiving Chapter 30, 1606 or 1607 benefits must verify their monthly enrollment on the last day of each month or after. The benefit (monetary award) will not be released by the VA until this is done. Enrollment verification can be accomplished by using the VA toll-free telephone number 1-877-823-2378 or the WAVE feature found on the VA website www.gibill.va.gov.
Advance Pay
TC’s Office of Veterans Services does process VA Advance Pay, but must be notified and processed 60 to 120 days BEFORE the start of the semester/term.
College Credit for Heroes Initiative (CCHI)
College Credit For Heroes and the College Credit for Heroes Initiative (CCHI) is a partnership between the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to ensure our active duty, former and retired military personnel receive the credit they earned for their service to our country. This program allows for innovative approaches for awarding college credit by evaluating military and allied health-care training and experience, including testing and prior learning assessments. This process will allow the veteran or active duty member to demonstrate they are able to meet the competencies and cognitive objectives while not having to complete the entire program. Based upon your transcript, you will be given credit for previous learning for some classes, and will be required to demonstrate knowledge and abilities for other classes.
Please follow this link for further information and resources: https://www.collegecreditforheroes.org/
Military Personnel and Dependents
Persons in military service are presumed to maintain during their entire period of active service the same legal residence which was in effect at the time of entering the service. Education Code 54.058(b) provides that military personnel assigned to duty within the State of Texas, their spouses and their dependent children, shall be entitled to pay the same tuition as a resident of Texas regardless of the length of their physical presence in the state. To be entitled to pay resident tuition, military personnel shall submit at initial time of enrollment a statement from their commanding officer regarding their military status. This statement also must be obtained if active duty members seek resident tuition for their spouses or dependents. This statement is valid for one academic year. Each fall semester begins a new academic year at which time another form must be submitted.
Any military person, spouse or dependent may qualify for in-state tuition if they can also show that they are authorized to receive educational benefits for Veterans. The student will need to provide a letter of intent to establish residence in Texas and to reside in Texas while enrolled.
Veterans’ Satisfactory Progress
Students are required to be making satisfactory academic progress at the time they request Veterans’ benefits. All students requesting benefits must be following a degree or certificate plan. The VA will NOT pay for course work not on a student’s degree or certificate plan. Satisfactory progress will be measured at mid-semester and at the end of every semester (spring, summer, and fall.) Veterans who are placed on scholastic suspension will be reported as “unsatisfactory progress,” will have their Veterans’ folder flagged as academic dismissals and will not be re-certified at any subsequent semester of enrollment. The Veteran student who is on suspension must comply with VA guidelines for satisfactory progress before reinstatement of their VA benefits will be approved.
Grades of A, B, C, D, R, CE, CA, CR, and I are considered hours completed. The VA office will only pay students with these letter grades once, regardless of the college attended at the time of course work. If a student has credit for a course, or has a passing grade in a course (“D” or above), the VA will not pay for the student to re-take the course, even if the student did not use the Montgomery GI Bill during the semester the course was taken. Students repeating a course in which a failing grade (F) was previously received will only be certified to take the course one additional time at the expense of Veterans Affairs. (The VA office in Muskogee, OK reserves the right to evaluate each student’s academic appeal on a case-by-case basis.)
Satisfactory Progress Criteria
Temple College evaluates student satisfactory progress on the basis of a student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA). Students receiving Veterans’ benefits must meet this requirement in order to be certified.
VA Academic Probation
A student who does not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria will be placed on academic probation. If the student does not meet the minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria at the end of his/her probationary period, the student will be suspended from receiving Veterans’ benefits.
VA Academic Suspension
Students placed on VA academic suspension, although they may continue to enroll at the College, will not be certified for VA benefits until they have met the Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Reinstatement of Eligibility
VA eligibility will be reinstated after a student meets the Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria. Once the student has met this requirement, Temple College will certify them for VA benefits beginning the semester after the GPA was achieved.
VA Suspension Appeal Process
Reasons for Appeal:
Exceptions or special circumstances will be considered by the VA certifying official upon approval from the Director of Recruitment and Retention. An approval from the Director of Recruitment and Retention does not necessitate an automatic approval by the VA certifying official. Information, which may be considered for an appeal, may include, but is not limited to, unusual circumstances such as extended medical confinement, the death of a relative of the student, or divorce of parents or spouse.
Documentation Required for Appeal:
- Documentation such as that listed below is required, must document the claim being made, and originate from a verifiable source;
- Verification from a doctor, copy of death certificate, or other verifiable documentation that substantiates the student’s claim.
- Letters from instructors, counselors, or others to support the appeal request.
A student who has been denied veterans’ benefits for failure to meet the satisfactory progress requirements outlined in this policy may appeal by completing an appeal form, explaining mitigating circumstances, and providing the documentation to support their claim. The VA Certifying official shall evaluate individual mitigating circumstances and will notify students of the decision regarding their appeal within three weeks.
Students may appeal the decision of the VA Certifying official to the appeals committee. The VA Certifying official must receive this written appeal before the following deadlines:
August 17 for Fall - 2012, January 11 for Spring - 2013, and May 217 for Summer - 2013.
If the deadline falls on a holiday or a weekend, the deadline date will be extended to the next business day.
Exceptions to this policy may be made at the discretion of the VA Certifying Official. This policy is subject to change as required by the Veterans’ Affairs Office in Muskogee, OK and/or by Temple College.
Veterans Attending Temple College Under the Hazlewood Act
The Hazlewood Exemption (Hazlewood Act) is an education benefit provided to honorably discharged or separated Texas Veterans and to eligible dependent children and spouses of Texas Veterans. Eligible veterans, their children and spouses may receive an exemption from tuition and fees for up to 150 credit hours. This does not include books. The Hazlewood Exemption may not be used to pay for tuition and fees for continuing education classes at Temple College.
Veterans are considered eligible for the Hazlewood Exemption if, at the time of entry into the U.S. Armed Forces: they were Texas residents, designated Texas as Home of Record, or entered the service in Texas. Eligible veterans must have served at least 181 days of active military duty excluding training, as indicated as “net active service” (the sum of 12(c) and 12(d) on the DD214). Eligible veterans must have received an honorable discharge or separation or a general discharge under honorable conditions and are not in default on a student loan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas. All eligibility requirements can be reviewed at http://www.tvc.texas.gov/Hazlewood-Act.aspx
Dependents of Texas Veterans are eligible through the Legacy Program if the Texas Veteran meets the eligibility requirements and the dependent can provide documentation to establish the relationship to the veteran. Students eligible for an exemption of tuition and fees through the Legacy Program must abide by the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. If the student is placed on Financial Aid Suspension, then he or she will become ineligible to use the exemption. The student may reinstate eligibility for the Legacy Program once he or she has established a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status.
Eligible students must submit the appropriate application, as the veteran or eligible spouse or child, once each academic year. If the veteran is signing over his or her hours to the eligible spouse or child, then an application from the veteran will be required in addition to the eligible spouse or child’s application. A copy of the used Hazlewood hours must be submitted per the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. If the student has not registered on-line, then he or she will need to submit proof of on-line registration at the time the application is due, before the Hazlewood Exemption can be processed. If the student is an eligible child or spouse of a Texas Veteran, the student will need to provide documents to establish the relationship with the Veteran to the Financial Aid Office.
In the event that an eligible Veteran or dependent is unable to submit all appropriate documentation by the deadline, the student may be dropped from classes and will be responsible to pay for tuition and fees.
All regulations regarding the Hazlewood Act are subject to change per the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. For more information, students can refer to http://www.tvc.texas.gov/Hazlewood-Act.aspx.
Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
Spouses of active duty military members receive up to $6,000 of MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) that can help them pursue education, training, licenses, certificates and degrees leading to employment.
The student must submit a request for approval on-line at https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/default.aspx.
Eligible spouses must elect TC as their school of choice and register for classes at TC before completion of approval.
Service members Opportunity Colleges
Temple College is a member of the Service members Opportunity Colleges (SOC). As a member of SOC, Temple College fully supports and complies with the SOC principles and criteria. The Admissions and Records office will evaluate military experience based on recommendations made in the applicable publications of the American Council of Education. This evaluation will be coordinated with Department Chairmen and credit may be awarded. Upon completion of 12 semester hours in residence, the credit hours will be added to the student’s record.
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