Veterans Education Benefits
Educational assistance may be available to:
- Members of the armed forces who entered active duty on July 1, 1985, and contributed to their education under the Montgomery GI Bill®
- Members of the armed forces who have served at least 90 days since September 11, 2001
- Eligible members of the Selective Reserves and the National Guard
- Individuals discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability
- Sons, daughters, wives and husbands of deceased or totally and permanently disabled veterans whose death or disability happened while in military service
Eligibility
Individuals enrolled in an approved program at Mitchell may be eligible to receive Veterans Education Benefits if they qualify. The student must have a completed admissions file, follow their program plan and maintain satisfactory academic progress, attendance and conduct.
How to Apply
- Apply for education benefits online at www.va.gov/education. The VA will send back a letter called the Certificate of Eligibility once the application has been processed. This letter will provide information regarding which VA chapter a student is eligible for and how many months of entitlement they have to use.
- Complete the Mitchell Community College application for admission.
- Submit official copies of transcripts or records from high schools, or acceptable high school equivalency scores and official transcripts for all post-secondary schools attended.
- Submit official transcript from Joint Services for military credit. Request transcript at https://jst.doded.mil/
- Provide the Admissions and Records Office with service schools or tests which may be evaluated for credit.
- Contact the Veteran Affairs Specialist to complete required paperwork for certification. The Veterans Affairs Specialist will need a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility on file.
Military Service Experience
Veterans may receive credit for USAFI courses and for service school training where appropriate to the student’s program and where a comparable course is offered by Mitchell. USAFI courses are evaluated based on the catalog of the USAFI.
School Service Training is evaluated based on “A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services,” published by the American Council on Education. Credit is allowed for physical education to veterans upon presentation of discharge or separation papers appropriate to the veteran’s course of study. Final acceptance or rejection of the credit lies with Mitchell. Credit for prior military courses and service is evaluated from the Joint Services Transcript.
Payment
Mitchell does not participate in the Advance Payment Program. Recipients of Veterans Education Benefits must pay all tuition and fees at registration, except for those veterans receiving 100 percent rate of Chapter 33 (Post 9/11) benefits. Students receive MHA payments directly from the Department of Veterans Affairs for the period the veteran is in attendance in an eligible program. Veteran students not attending 12 or more credits in term will receive prorated funds. Veteran students registered for all online classes may only be eligible for half of the monthly stipend.
Exclusions
The following will not be used in calculating hours for payment purposes:
- Audited courses
- Independent study courses
- Credits by exam
- Courses taken outside the curriculum
- Courses for which transfer credit has been awarded
- Repeated courses where the student received a passing grade
- Study abroad
- Courses not counted toward graduation—Students can be paid for remedial courses as determined by College Placement Exams
- Emporium Model Developmental Math Courses
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students receiving veteran’s benefits through the Department of Veteran Affairs must meet the requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress defined as a cumulative 2.0 GPA or the student will move to Probation 1. While on Probation 1, the student must maintain a Term GPA of 2.0, to remain eligible for benefits. Students who fail to maintain a 2.0 will not be certified for future terms. Reinstatement can occur with an academic plan approved by the School Certifying Official.
Priority Enrollment
Currently enrolled student veterans are allowed a “Priority Registration” period. This policy allows the current student veteran to register for classes earlier than other students.
Veterans Services
Mitchell Community College is honored to welcome veterans, reservists, and active duty students to our campuses. Our Veterans Support Team is available to assist with a variety services including: Academic Advising, VA Education Benefits (GI Bill®), Financial Aid, Accessibility Services, and acclimation to college. For assistance with Admissions, Advising, and Accessibility Services, contact the Academic Advising Center.
Note: Students who qualify to receive education benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs and Financial Aid are asked to attend an orientation session. Residency is determined through RDS. Please see the School Certifying official for more information regarding Instate tuition. Some veterans may qualify for Section 702 of the Choice Act.
Attendance
Recipients are paid by attending classes as scheduled. A student must notify the Veteran Affairs Specialist for any reason for absences. If a student withdraws from class, they must notify the Veteran Affairs Specialist immediately to avoid overpayment.
- Students receiving either the Montgomery GI Bill® Active duty or Selected Reserve MUST also verify their enrollments monthly to receive payments. This verification can be done either by using the WEB Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) application at www.gibill.va.gov or by using an automated telephone service (IVR) at 1-(877) 823-2378 and following the prompts.
- Students receiving Post 9/11 GI Bill® are also required to verify their enrollment monthly. (Check the VA website (va.gov/education) for more information.)
- Students are expected to attend and participate in class meetings.
- Students who drop or withdraw from class must notify Mitchell’s Veteran Affairs Specialist of this change. MHA benefits may be reduced for the remainder of the semester.
- Tuition for dropped classes may be required to be re-paid to Mitchell.
- Veterans using education benefits who Withdraw or Fail all coursework are reported to Veteran’s Affairs (VA) using the Last Date of Attendance (LDA). The LDA will be used in calculating potential overpayments and the student veteran may incur a DEBT for MHA and tuition and repayment of funds to VA and/or Mitchell Community College will be required.