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General Guidelines

Credit Hours

It is important for you to understand how you are certified with the VA and how your progress is monitored:

• If you have previously used your VA Educational Benefits, the total hours you earned from those educational institutions has previously been submitted to the VA. We report UNCW's Evaluation of those hours:

  • All hours transferred from another institution to UNCW are identified by the Admissions Office and entered on a 'Transfer Credit Evaluation Report.' Using that report, we identify what credit hours are accepted under your new degree study program versus what courses are not.

  • You never lose credit hours, but in many cases when you change programs or institutions you cannot use all the credit hours you have previously earned.

  • The total credit hours you may use are subsequently furnished to the VA.

• If this is your first time using VA Educational Benefits we will be submitting your credit hours as you earn them each semester.

• While you attend UNCW, we will monitor all courses for which you register and track your accomplishments. Each course must be authorized by your particular program of study, as outlined in the University Catalogue. If a course(s) does not meet the program requirements, then you must have elective hours available to you or we cannot certify you for that particular course. This is usually the case for the majority of veterans who have had previous schooling.

• UNCW certifies to the North Carolina State Approving Agency in Raleigh that a student (veteran) can obtain a degree at UNCW by successfully completing 124 credit hours. There are some exceptions, and you can ask your counselor for a list.

• Dropping or adding a course which has not been coordinated with the Office of Scholalrships & Financial Aid (OSFA) may place you in an overpayment status with the VA, and could cause you to lose your educational benefits for a complete semester. Reinstatement would be contingent upon you agreeing to abide by VA procedures. It is easier to simply keep the OSFA informed of your actions.

• The VA mails an 'Award Letter' to you based upon the certification submitted by us. It is extremely important you save these letters since they indicate certification periods, rates of pay, and amounts of benefits remaining. They can also be helpful if problems develop in the future. For those veterans who apply for financial aid, this letter is an important part of the application. As a general rule, it simply is a good practice to save all correspondence from the VA.

Changes in Your Status

You should promptly report any change in status to the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid. Common changes include:

• Change in program.
• Change in curriculum.
• Change in credit hours.
• Change in dependent status.
• Change in last name.
• Change in address.
• Change in attendance of classes.
• Withdrawal from school.

Remember, you may only receive educational benefits for those subjects approved under your selected program of study as reflected in the school catalogue.

Failures

• If you receive the grade of "F," you may still receive your VA benefits. An exception would be if you did not complete the final exam and did not attend class according to university policy. Every failure ("F") is verified by the OSFA directly with the instructor. If a student fails to attend regular class and/or take the final exam, the VA is notified. The veteran is then classified as having received an overpayment of funds and may be required to repay the amount received for that course. Repayments are requested immediately and can affect your future benefits.

• If, however, the veteran has attended all classes according to UNCW policy, and completed the final exam even though a failing grade was received, no repayment is required

• You may receive benefits to retake a required course for which a failing grade was received.

Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA)

• You must maintain satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the university retention chart in order to continually receive your benefits.

• If you fall below the retention standards of the university, you will be placed on probation. Probationary status may be cleared up during a subsequent semester, (Summer I and Summer II are equal to one semester). If the minimum GPA is not regained within two consecutive semesters you will not be authorized certification for VA Benefits for at least one semester. To reenter your VA Educational Benefits program you will need to do the following:

  • Seek academic counseling (VA or at the university). You will have to explain why this failure occurred and what steps you have taken, and will take, to ensure it will not be repeated. You must demonstrate to the VA how you will to correct the situation.

  • If you were dropped by the university, and seek readmission, you may be required to change your program of study or show justification as to why you should be allowed to continue in it.

• Under VA regulations, you can be certified for no more than two consecutive terms without meeting the minimum GPA regardless of the university's standards and provisions.
  

Withdrawals and Dropped Courses

• If you drop a course or withdraw from courses during a semester or session, the VA may request all funds paid for that course or courses be returned. However, if you simply drop a course and replace it with another authorized course you will not have to repay any funds. If repayment is required and you wish to contest it, you must submit in-depth statements with supporting documentation outlining your appeal. If the reason(s) are accepted, no repayment for the course will be required; however, if the reason(s) are not acceptable, the VA will reduce your monthly allowance until the overpayment is repaid.

• Veterans are encouraged to register only for those classes they know they can complete. Dropping classes should be avoided if at all possible.

• If you withdraw from school, you must notify the VA immediately. Failure to do so, and continued acceptance of educational funds may be considered fraud.
  

Tutorial Services

• If you are having academic trouble in a course, the VA will reimburse you up to $100 per month. This assistance cannot exceed $1200 in four years.

• A request for this service is available in the FAVSO.

• If your assistance is in excess of $600, your VA Educational Fund will be charged as if the cost of the assistance were a course. That will mean you will lose some of the 36 months you have to complete your degree. In other words, after the initial $600 your benefits will be charged accordingly. Chapter 35 recipients are exempt from this charge.

• Graduate students may not normally apply for this assistance; however, exceptions are available but very limited.
  

VA Federal Work-Study Programs

There are a limited number of VA Federal Work-Study positions available to the 3/4 time student receiving VA Educational Benefits. The positions are approved by the VA and not by the university. To apply you need to call the points of contact to see if a position is available:

AVAILABLE POSITIONS

Location	Point of Contact	Telephone #
District VA Office	Steve Guthrie	910.251.5704
National Cemetery	Brenda Good	910.343.4877
Employment Security Commission	Stuart Fenster	910.251.5777
UNCW Financial Aid & Veterans Services Office	Shannon Miles	910.962.3177

Financial Aid

Financial assistance may be available to you while receiving VA educational benefits. You should complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. For more information, see our home page or talk with the UNCW Veterans Services Coordinator.

Changing Program of Study

• Changes in your program of study must be submitted to the VA. This is necessary because a reevaluation of all prior credits earned must be completed to ensure their full utilization. The final total of accepted credit hours are submitted to the VA. Requests may be obtained from the OSFA.
  

• You should be aware that making changes in your approved curriculum could delay graduation. This may occur because some of the courses you have completed, may not transfer to the new program of study.
  

• All changes need to be reported to the FAVSO to evaluate what course(s) will count towards graduation.

Semester Breaks

If you have not had continuous enrollment at UNCW, e.g., summer break, Chapter 30 veterans can be certified 120 days prior to the beginning of the semester. All other chapters can be accepted 60 days prior to the semester. Your check will generally take between 30 to 45 days before it is received. Continued enrollment means continued checks.

Eligibility

• You normally have 36 months of eligibility. If you enter the last semester with one day of eligibility left, you may appeal for an extension to pay you through the end of the semester.
  

• If you qualify under Chapter 35 you are authorized 45 months eligibility. There is no extension.

Unclassified Students

If you have been accepted to the university as an 'Unclassified' student you may not receive VA Benefits. As soon as you are able to change that status to 'Classified,' you may begin to receive your benefits. At the time your status changes, you may request reimbursement of the benefits not allowed as an 'Unclassified' student. In other words, you can seek retroactive payment of your benefits. You must wait until your status is changed to a 'Classified' student. Your request for reimbursement must be submitted within one year from your status change or you lose the right to be reimbursed.

Graduate Studies

If time remains after obtaining a Bachelors Degree, you may submit a 'Request for Change of Program,' and pursue another bachelor's degree, a teacher certification, or request to enter the graduate degree program. There must be time remaining from the original benefit.