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Students who have completed basic training in military service may be granted credits based on training and experience, which may be used to satisfy Liberal Arts physical education and/or elective requirements. If the student was not in a service branch that has basic training, then Blue Ridge Community and Technical College will grant the same credit to individuals who present a certified copy of their DD-214 form after completing a minimum of one year of active military service. It is the student’s responsibility to request this credit and to verify this military experience to the Registrar. Other credits may be awarded based upon military experience and/or training. Correspondence work completed at accredited institutions of higher learning cooperating with the Armed Forces Institute is accepted by colleges in West Virginia.
To remain approved for VA’s GI Bill ® programs, schools must charge in-state tuition and fee amounts to “covered individuals.” A covered individual is defined in the Choice Act as:
- A Veteran who lives in the state in which the Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of discharge from a period of active duty services of 90 days or more.
- A spouse or child using transferred benefits who live in the state in which the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the transfer discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
- A spouse or child using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship who lives in the state in which the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the Service member’s death in the line of duty following a period of active duty service 90 days or more.
An individual described above will retain covered individual status as long as he/she remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between terms) at the public IHL. Public IHLs must offer in-state tuition and fees to all covered individuals with Post-9/11 GI Bill and Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (MGIB-AD) benefits in order for programs to remain approved for GI Bill benefits for terms beginning after July 1, 2015. VA will not issue payments for any students eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill or the MGIB-AD until the school becomes fully compliant.
The residency policy allows veterans and current military service members residing outside of West Virginia to be eligible for in-state tuition. If you are a dependent of a veteran or service member attending Blue Ridge Community and Technical College under any VA Education benefit (i.e. Chapter 33, Chapter 35, MyCAA), you are also eligible for in-state tuition.
The Veterans Administration provides a number of programs for veterans and service personnel seeking funding for education and/ or training. Please contact the School Certifying Official at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College to inquire about available assistance or call 1-888-442-4551 to speak with the VA benefits hotline.
All students using VA education benefits must complete the initial VA application process through www.vets.gov (excluding Chapter 31). Students must submit a copy of their Certificate of Eligibility and a Veteran’s Enrollment Reporting Form to the School Certifying Official.
Veteran’s Enrollment Reporting Form
If you wish to use VA Education Benefits, you must complete the Veteran’s Enrollment Reporting form and submit it to the School Certifying Official. Forms are available online through the Veterans link at https://www.blueridgectc.edu/financialaid/veterans. Forms must be completed after registration and should be submitted at least 30 days prior to the start of each semester. VA Education Benefits will not be initiated if the form is not submitted or is submitted incomplete. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the School Certifying Official of their registration, ensure all courses for which they are registered are required as part of their degree plan and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress. Once the completed form is submitted and processed, a registration hold will be placed on the student’s account at which point the student will need to contact the School Certifying Official in order to make future changes to that semester’s schedule.
Veteran’s Re-Education Act
Eligibility for funding by the Veteran’s Re-Education Act is determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and awards are given to West Virginia residents who have exhausted all other veteran’s benefits and must meet other criteria related to need. Applications may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office.
Tuition Assistance
Tuition Assistance is available for all active duty military members including Guard and reserve.
State Tuition Assistance for Guard members must be requested 60 days prior to the start of each semester. Grades must be submitted at the completion of each semester.
Federal Tuition Assistance requests must be submitted 2 to 3 weeks prior to the start of each semester. Grades must be submitted at the completion of each semester.
Montgomery GI Bill ® (Chapter 30)
The Montgomery GI Bill ® pays a flat rate per term /semester. The monthly rate is paid to the student and it is the student’s responsibility to pay the school for tuition/fees. There is no housing allowance or book stipend for students utilizing this chapter. Students must certify their enrollment with the VA at the end of each month.
VA Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31)
If you have a service-connected disability, you may be entitled to benefits under this program. Veterans will contact their VA Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and submit an application. It will be necessary to have a disability rating to participate in this program.
Once deemed entitled by Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and you are accepted to Blue Ridge, the VA counselor will send Blue Ridge an Authorization 1905 Form to certify your enrollment. Students must still complete the Veterans Enrollment Reporting Form each semester in order for benefits to be certified.
Post 9/11 GI Bill ® (Chapter 33)
The Post 9/11 GI Bill ® will pay the tuition and fees directly to the school. Students attending school with greater than half time rate of pursuit will be given a monthly housing allowance based on the Zip Code of the school. Online only students will receive a housing allowance half of the national average. Every student receives an annual book stipend of up to $1,000. Students must certify their enrollment with the VA at the end of each month.
Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) Program (Chapter 35)
This benefit is for spouses and children of 100% permanently and totally disabled veterans. This benefit pays a monthly amount directly to the student. The student must then pay the school for tuition/fees. There is no housing allowance or book stipend for students utilizing this chapter of benefits.
Reserve/Guard Montgomery GI Bill ® (Chapter 1606)
The Montgomery GI Bill ® pays a flat rate per term /semester. The monthly rate is paid to the student and it is the student’s responsibility to pay the school for tuition/fees. There is no housing allowance or book stipend for students utilizing this chapter. Students must submit a NOBE (Form DD2384-1) to the School Certifying Official and certify their enrollment with the VA at the end of each month.
All students using VA education benefits are eligible for priority registration. In order to participate, students must send course information (course title, subject, number, and CRN) for the classes that the student wishes to be registered in, by the Wednesday prior to open registration for each semester. This should be emailed to vetsource@blueridgectc.edu. If there are pre-requisite or program requirements, the School Certifying Official will contact the student at their Blue Ridge e-mail before proceeding to register the student in any course.
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College comply with Section 103 of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018. This regulation goes into effect on August 1, 2019. For any student using Chapter 33/GI Bill or Chapter 31/Vocational Rehabilitation, BRCTC will not prevent enrollment, will not assess late payment penalties, require additional funding, or deny access to school resources PRIOR to the VA payment. BRCTC does require that students receiving Chapter 33 or Chapter 31 benefits to have submitted the Certificate of Eligibility and Veteran’s Enrollment Reporting Form prior to the start of classes.
Definitions
- Active Military Duty—Called or ordered to state or federal active service in any active duty or reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States or of the National Guard of this state or any other state.
- Military Member—Any person who is a current, active member of active duty, reserves, or guard unit of any branch of the United States Armed Forces.
- Unexpected Drop—A drop necessitated solely because of an unforeseen, unplanned, emergent military call to duty or geographic reassignment that prevents the student service member from attending class and completing coursework as planned. Geographic reassignment must be demonstrated by orders clearly stating that the student is physically relocating during the term in question.
Policy
In the event of an unexpected call to duty, the student service member shall be afforded a choice of options for completion of enrolled coursework.
- Drop all registered courses without academic penalty and receive no credit for the course pursued, but receive a refund of tuition and fees for the term, as permitted within adherence to financial aid regulations, or
- Receive an “incomplete” grade for the course if at least 70% of coursework is complete with a class average of C or better and written verification of permission from the instructor or department chair is provided. Course work must be completed within one year of release from military duty.
Student service members seeking relief under this rule must provide proof, in the form of a dated copy of official orders, that the call to duty or reassignment could not reasonably have been foreseen prior to the beginning of the term in which the student was registered.
This rule shall not be applicable in the case of planned military training during an enrolled term if the planned military training was scheduled and the service member was notified of it prior to the beginning of the term. In this case, please follow the guidelines for notifying your instructor outlined in the Student Handbook under “attendance”.
Military Attendance Policy
Prior to missing class, students will be expected to provide, at a minimum, an e-mail from their command outlining the dates for which they will be absent. Upon their return, the student must provide formal documentation (i.e. orders, or a letter written and signed by the commander) to verify their absence.
If the student is aware of the training prior to the start of the semester, it is the responsibility of that student to work out a plan for completing the missed coursework and assignments with the instructor(s) of the class(es) from which they will be absent.
Blue Ridge CTC Student Veteran Association (BRCTC SVA)
The mission of the BRCTC SVA is to provide veterans, military service members, and their families with resources, support, and advocacy needed to succeed in higher education and following graduation by:
- Assisting new student veterans in the transition to college life
- Serving as an outreach mechanism
- Assisting veterans in locating and accessing the many services and benefits available to them by providing information and support
- Educating the campus and community of current issues facing our veterans and service members
- Inviting guest speakers to campus who support the mission and advocate on behalf of our veterans
- Building camaraderie and providing a peer and professional network for student veterans
- Working with other veteran advocacy groups (IVMF, VFW, American Legion, IAVA, etc.) and attending national conferences
- Building a positive military community and becoming involved on campus and in the community by conducting social, fundraising, networking, and advocacy events.
Assistant Registrar/School Certifying Official
The designated point of contact on campus for veterans, service members, and their families lies with the Office of the Registrar. The Assistant Registrar/SCO is available to assist with VA education benefits questions, provides access to community resources, ensure VA compliance, and certify enrollment. For questions or to schedule a meeting, please contact vetsource@blueridgectc.edu.
Five Star Challenge
In keeping up with the initiative of the 2015-2016 Five Star Challenge posed by the West Virginia Office of Veterans Education and training, Blue Ridge CTC continues to uphold our commitment to student veterans. We strive to meet the unique needs of this special population by ensuring top-down support of military, veterans, and their families, allowing for easy access and affordability, offering specialized academic support, fostering cultural and social support, and increasing community collaboration.
Principles of Excellence
Blue Ridge CTC adheres to the requirements of the Principles of Excellence. As outlined by the program, Blue Ridge CTC offers easy access to the cost breakdown for students each semester and to their individual education plan. Students can easily view this information through their BRIDGE account.
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.
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