The Higher Education Relief Opportunities For Students (HEROES) Act of 2003 aims to ensure that service members receiving student aid are not affected because of their military status. Among those who are eligible for the HEROES Act of 2003 are active-duty military and members of the National Guard serving during a war, along with their spouses and dependents.

You should also speak to your advisor about getting a course extension should you not be able to complete any work for a class because of a military obligation.

SCC also has a course withdrawal process specifically for active-duty students See Board Policy at 424 Military Duty (stchas.edu).

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers a number of education programs for veterans, service members and dependents. Current information on each program, along with eligibility and payment rates, can be found on the VA Education & Training website.

*GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Some veterans are approved for the education benefits program known as Chapter 31. This program provides benefits to those veterans who have been determined to have a disability and need additional assistance. These veterans will meet with a VA Vocational Rehabilitation caseworker for program approval. If accepted into Chapter 31, VA form 28-1905 is required to be submitted to the VA School Certifying Official. A Certification Request Form should be completed before payment due date each semester. This will allow for the approval of the veterans courses to be secured in the system until payment has been made. The issuance of a credit for books and supplies and certification by the college's VA School Certifying Official will also require this approval process.

SCC is a participating institution for students using federal and state tuition assistance. If eligible, you must apply for these benefits through your service branch. If your request for tuition assistance is approved, you must contact the veteran services coordinator and provide proof of approval for tuition assistance. If your tuition assistance request is approved and you notify the veteran services coordinator prior to the tuition payment deadline, you will be held in your courses. If your tuition assistance request is not approved, or you fail to contact the veteran services coordinator prior to the tuition payment deadline, you will be responsible for paying any tuition and fee charges by the deadline to avoid being dropped from your courses. Failure to pay before the payment deadline will result in you being dropped from your courses.

SCC is a participating institution for students using MyCAA education benefits. If eligible, you must apply for these benefits through https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa. If your request for tuition assistance is approved, you must contact the veteran services coordinator and provide proof of approval for tuition assistance. If your tuition assistance request is approved and you notify the veteran services coordinator prior to the tuition payment deadline, you will be held in your courses. If your tuition assistance request is not approved or you fail to contact the veteran services coordinator prior to the tuition payment deadline, you will be responsible for paying any tuition and fee charges by the deadline to avoid being dropped from your courses. Failure to pay before the payment deadline will result in you being dropped from your courses.

This law provides that institutions of higher education that receive any state funds shall limit the tuition charged to combat veterans to $50 per credit hour, as eligibility is determined, for any program leading to an undergraduate certificate or an associate or baccalaureate degree. A combat veteran is any person who served in armed combat after Sept. 11, 2001, who was a Missouri resident when first entering the military, and who was discharged from military service under honorable conditions. More information on the Act can be found on the MDHE website.

Background

Section 103 of Public Law (PL) 115-407, ‘Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018,’ amends Title 38 US Code 3679 by adding a new subsection (e) that requires disapproval of courses of education, beginning August 1, 2019, at any educational institution that does not have a policy in place that will allow an individual to attend or participate in a course of education, pending VA payment, providing the individual submits a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31 or 33.

Pending Payment Compliance

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679(e), St. Charles Community College adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post-9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from VA. St. Charles Community College will not:

• Prevent the student’s enrollment;
• Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
• Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
• Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

• Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
• Provide a written request to be certified;
• Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).