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This institution is approved to offer Gl Bill® educational benefits by the Virginia State Approving Agency.
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 website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill
Information concerning veteran educational benefits may be obtained from the Veterans Certifying Official located in the Department of Financial Aid. SWCC’s Veterans Certifying Official coordinates all Veterans’ educational benefits for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs for the College. The office of the certifying official is located in Dellinger Hall, Room 215 and can also be reached at (276) 964-7290.
Veterans and dependents of Veterans may be eligible for educational benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Students who wish to determine eligibility for Veteran educational benefits should contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-888-442-4551 or visit http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill. The Veterans Certifying Official can also aid with this process. Once eligibility is determined, individuals should contact the certifying official at SWCC to complete the necessary forms to establish and maintain eligibility for benefits.
Programs and courses of study at SWCC are approved by the Virginia Department of Education and the Veterans Administration for payment of veteran’s educational benefits. We provide support to students who are eligible for education benefits under the Montgomery GIBill®, Post 9/11 GIBill®, Educational Benefits for Dependents & Spouses, Veteran Readiness & Employment, and Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program.
For students using Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® or Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness & Employment benefits of 100%, SWCC will not prevent the student from enrolling, will not assess a late penalty fee, will not require alternative or additional funding, and will not deny access to any college resources that are available to other students that have paid. Students wishing to utilize veteran’s benefits at SWCC must provide a Certificate of Eligibility.
The VA requires students receiving educational benefits to be enrolled in an approved curriculum leading to a certificate or degree in order to receive benefits. Additional information is available from SWCC’s Veterans Certifying Official. Students who receive educational benefits are required to report enrollment each semester. In addition, students are responsible for reporting any changes of enrollment including classes that are canceled, added, dropped, withdrawing from classes, or a change in program of study.
Full-time educational benefits are available to those registering for and maintaining 12 or more credits in degree program courses. Three-quarter-time benefits are paid for 9 to 11 credits and half-time benefits are paid for enrollment in 6 to 8 credits per semester. Active duty servicepersons and those registered for less than 6 credits are entitled to tuition reimbursement only. Educational benefits will be prorated/calculated for non-standard terms based on beginning/end dates and credit hours.
Military transcripts may be requested by visiting https://jst.doded.mil/jst/ (Army, Navy Marine Corp, & Coast Guard). Air Force personnel military transcripts can be acquired through the Air Force Transcript Portal or through https://www.parchment.com/.
For additional information regarding Veterans Affairs, please refer to https://sw.edu/home2/admissions/veterans/
The Virginia State Approving Agency (SAA), is the approving authority of education and training programs for Virginia. Our office investigates complaints of Gl Bill® beneficiaries. While most complaints should initially follow the school grievance policy , if the situation cannot be resolved at the school, the beneficiary should contact the SAA office via email saa@dvs.virginia.gov.
Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (As Amended by Public Law 114-315) and Title 38, U.S.C Section 3679(c)
The following individuals shall be charged the in-state rate, or otherwise considered a resident, for tuition purposes:
- A veteran using educational assistance under either Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill® -Active Duty Program) or Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®), of Title 38, United States Code, who lives in the Commonwealth of Virginia while attending a school located in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of their formal state of residence).
- Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits who lives in the state where the IHL is located, and the transferor is a member of the uniformed service serving on active duty.
- A spouse or child using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (38 U.S.C. § 3311(b)(9) who lives in the Commonwealth of Virginia while attending a school located in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of their formal state of residence).
- A spouse or child using benefits under Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance (Chapter 35) living in the Commonwealth of Virginia while attending a school located in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of their formal state of residence).
- An individual using educational assistance under chapter 31, Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) who lives in the Commonwealth of Virginia while attending a school located in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of their formal state of residence) effective for courses, semesters, or terms beginning after March 1, 2019
- Anyone described above remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or terms) at the same institution. Therefore, the described person must be enrolled in the institution and use educational benefits under Chapters 30, 31, 33 or 35 of Title 38, United States Code.
Military Tuition Assistance Policy
Return of Tuition Assistance: Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded.
To comply with the new Department of Defense policy, Southwest Virginia Community College will return any unearned TA funds on a prorated basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending. These funds are returned to the military Service branch.
Instances when a Service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, the educational institution will work with the affected Service member to identify solutions that will not result in student debt for the returned portion.
Schedule for returning unearned TA to the government
5-week Course Withdraw submitted:
Note: The educational institution’s week of instruction is counted as 7 days.
16-week Course Withdraw submitted:
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Before or during weeks 1-2 100% return
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During weeks 3-4 75% return
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During weeks 5-8 50% return
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During weeks 9 40% return (60% of course is completed)
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During weeks 10-16 0% return
10-week Course Withdraw submitted, the 60% of course completed at 6 weeks
8-week Course Withdraw submitted:
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Before or during week 1 100% return
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During week 2 75% return
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During weeks 3-4 50% return
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During week 5 40% return (60% of course is completed)
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During weeks 6-8 0% return
5-week Course Withdraw submitted, the 60% of course completed at 3 weeks
- 100% of Tuition Assistance (TA) received will be returned if the student withdraws within the first week of class, but before submission of the first assignment. The student’s request will be processed as a drop for the purpose of returning TA funds only, not for Financial Aid attendance or recalculating of aid.
- 75% of TA received of TA received will be returned if the student withdraws after submitting the first assignment and through the end of the second week of classes.
- 50% of TA received will be returned if the student withdraws after the second week of classes, but before the end of the fourth week of classes.
- 25% of TA received will be returned if the student withdraws after the fourth week of classes but before the end of the sixth week of classes. (60% of course is completed).
- No TA received will be returned if the student withdraws after the sixth week of classes.
Section 103 Compliance
SEC. 103. DISAPPROVAL FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF CERTAIN COURSES OF EDUCATION THAT DO NOT PERMIT INDIVIDUALS TO ATTEND OR PARTICIPATE IN COURSES PENDING PAYMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.-Section 3679 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(e) (1)Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, beginning on August 1, 2019, a State approving agency, or the Secretary when acting in the role of the State approving agency, shall disapprove a course of education provided by an educational institution that has in effect a policy that is inconsistent with any of the following:
(A) A policy that permits any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31, 33, or 35 of this title and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
(i)The date on which the Secretary provides payment for such course of education to such institution.
(ii) The date that is 90 days after the date on which the educational institution certifies for tuition and fees following receipt from the student such certificate of eligibility.
(B) A policy that ensures that the educational institution will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary under chapter 31 [1] 33, or 35 of this title.
(2) For purposes of this subsection, a covered individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 1 33, or 35 of this title.
(3) The Secretary may waive such requirements of paragraph (1) as the Secretary considers appropriate.
(4) It shall not be inconsistent with a policy described in paragraph (1) for an educational institution to require a covered individual to take the following additional actions:
(A) Submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance not later than the first day of a course of education for which the individual has indicated the individual wishes to use the individual’s entitlement to educational assistance.
(B) Submit a written request to use such entitlement.
(C) Provide additional information necessary to the proper certification of enrollment by the educational institution.”
(b) PROMPT PAYMENTS.-
(1) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure that the Secretary makes a payment to an educational institution on behalf of an individual, who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of title 38, United States Code, and who is using such assistance to pursue a program of education at the educational institution, not later than 60 days after the date on which the educational institution certifies to the Secretary the applicable tuition and fees for the individual.
(2) SEMIANNUAL REPORTS.-Not later than May 1 and October 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a semiannual report summarizing any cases in which the Secretary failed to make a payment described in paragraph (1) within the period set forth in such paragraph and an explanation for each delayed disbursement of payment.
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.-In a case in which an individual is unable to meet a financial obligation to an educational institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary under chapter 31 or 33 of such title and the amount of such disbursement is less than anticipated, nothing in section 3679(e) of such title, as added by subsection (a), shall be construed to prohibit an educational institution from requiring additional payment or imposing a fee for the amount that is the difference between the amount of the financial obligation and the amount of the disbursement.
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 website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill
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