PROCEDURES

When you sign up for VA benefits, you have certain responsibilities you must fulfill. To ensure that your certification of benefits runs smoothly, please make sure you are familiar with all policies and procedures concerning veteran benefits. The following rules and information are important to your certification and receipt of pay under your VA Educational Benefits.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

1. Certification for benefits cannot be submitted to VA until all admission requirements have been completed and all required documents are received. Documents needed by the VA Office at MCC are as follows:

• Official full acceptance letter (we cannot certify provisionally accepted students)
• Official high school transcripts (mailed directly to school - not issued to student)
• Official transcripts from all colleges attended (mailed directly to school – not issued to student). This includes College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support test results
• DD-295 (Application for the Evaluation of Learning Experiences During Military Service) for active duty persons or an official copy of your DD 214 form (Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty) for Veterans
• VA Form 1990 (Application for VA Benefits). If you are on active duty, you must have this form signed by your Commanding Officer and your Education Officer. This form may be downloaded from the website
• Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE) Form for members of the Selected Reserve Educational Assistance Program. This needs to be signed by your Unit Commanding Officer
• Once you have enrolled in classes, see the VA Certifying Official at MCC to request certification. Be sure to bring your registration form with you.

2. In order to avoid any confusion when enrolling in courses, you must see the VA Certifying Official prior to registering for classes.

3. With your registration paperwork, we will aid you in ensuring that your courses match your degree program. It is ultimately your responsibility to make sure you follow the approved courses listed for your degree.

4. Only courses required to complete the appropriate curriculum or remaining elective courses in the individual’s curriculum may be counted in qualifying for VA benefits.

• The MCC course curriculum for your degree is the official list of courses covered under VA Educational Benefits. Any courses taken outside of the stated curriculum may be your financial responsibility.
• Second or subsequent changes to include an additional school requires documentation of approval by the Department Chair of your degree program to be provided to the VA Certifying Official. A request for approval for such will then be submitted to the North Carolina State Approving Agency (NCSAA). Approval must be made before your certification can be processed.
• The VA will not pay for courses previously passed with a grade of “D” or higher; courses for which transfer credit has been granted; courses passed by a proficiency exam or credit received for military schools.
• A full-time undergraduate student will be eligible to receive full VA benefits (12 credit hours or six credit hours minimum each term under compressed terms). For a student who enrolls for less than full-time, the amount he/she can receive in benefits will be prorated.

5. A record of approval of any changes must be provided to your VA Certifying Official at MCC for inclusion in your file. It is the responsibility of the student to advise the VA Certifying Official of any CHANGE in status, such as dropping/adding courses, course substitutions, or withdrawal from the school after a semester or term has begun.

• It is ultimately your responsibility to report any changes and to enroll in classes that meet your degree requirement. Failure to comply with these requirements and proper procedures could result in an overpayment situation, a lapse in payment, or a reduction in your benefits. Any extraneous benefits being received by the student will be terminated and/or recouped as quickly as possible; the government aggressively pursues repayment of any overpayments. All veterans must complete a weekly attendance form and submit to the certifying official. This will insure your benefits are accurate throughout the term in the event you add or drop a class.
• If you DROP or ADD a course, you must bring in the paperwork to your VA Certifying Official.
• If your advisor suggests that a particular course will benefit you, (outside your declared curriculum, and is NOT required for graduation in your degree) you must provide our office with a memorandum from the Associate Dean, notifying us of addition or change, otherwise we will be forced to adjust your hours.
• You must notify your VA Certifying Official of any address change; you must also notify the Department of Veterans Affairs.

6. MCC certifies students using the beginning and ending dates of the terms stated on the approved Academic Calendar. Internships as well as externships are reported as “irregular calendar dates” and approval must be received by the NCSAA prior to certification.

7. Students will automatically be paid for breaks between terms of less than thirty (30) days. If you do not want to be paid for these breaks, you must notify the VA.

8. Students taking classes at another institution with the purpose of transferring required credit back to MCC must provide a visiting student letter to the visiting school and a copy to your VA Certifying Official at MCC. You may be certified as a visiting student at the other institution provided all requirements are met.

9. Students certified for all Chapters (with the exception of Chapter 31 – Vocational Rehabilitation) are responsible for tuition, fees, and books. You cannot charge school costs to Veterans Affairs. You need to be prepared to pay out of pocket expenses to start school. It takes approximately forty-five-sixty (45-60) days to start receiving your VA benefit payments once you are certified by the VA Certifying Official at MCC.

NOTE: The VA office in Decatur , GA may not know about your VA claim for at least forty-five (45) days after certification has been sent to our office. This is due to the heavy mail load at the VA Regional Office during peak semesters.

10. Students whose Grade Point Average (GPA) falls below a 2.0 may be placed on probation. Failure to achieve a GPA of 2.0 while on probation could result in suspension of VA Educational Benefits for unsatisfactory progress.

11. Students are under obligation to both MCC and VA Regulations.

Bear in mind that VA regulations may differ from MCC regulations.

12. Students receiving VA benefits are subject to all rules and regulations stated in the College Catalog.