april 2010 maryland state approving agency va certifying officials training august 1, 2012

April 2010 April 2010

Maryland State Approving Maryland State Approving AgencyAgency

VA Certifying

Officials Training

August 1, 2012


Staff DirectoryStaff Directory


Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Name Position Title Phone Email

Trish Gordon-McCown

Veterans Affairs Coordinator 410-767-3098 [email protected]

Brian Gibbons Veterans Affairs Analyst [email protected]

Private Career Schools

Dean Kendall Associate Director of Workforce Development

410-767-3284 [email protected]

Amy KaniaEducation Analyst-Career/Workforce Education

[email protected]

Stephanie BakerEducation Analyst-Career/Workforce Education

[email protected]

Switchboard Operator

410-767-3300



Baltimore Education Liaison Representative (ELR)

Selica Cherry-AlexanderVA Regional Office (313/22)

Federal Building31 Hopkins Plaza

Baltimore, MD 21201410-230-4545 office410-230-4558 fax



GI Bill Chapters

Payments to schools

33 Post 9/11 GI Bill

Payments to students

30/34 Montgomery GI Bill (AD)

1606 Montgomery GI Bill (SR)

1607 Reserve Educational Assistance Program

35 Dependents Education Assistance Program

31 VA Voc Rehab – contract between VA & school



SAVE UNDER YOUR FAVORITES

G I Bill Information: http://www.gibill.va.gov

Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) – MD State Approving Agency for Veterans Educational Benefits: http://www.mhec.state.md.us/higherEd/acadAff/VeteransBenefits/index.asp

SCO Handbook (updated June 4, 2012):http://www.gibill.va.gov/school-certifying-officials/sco-training-resources/handbook.html



Post 9/11 (Ch-33) GI Bill Notables:

Private Institutions will have a per VA Academic Year (August 1st – July 31st ) $18,077.50 maximum for Tuition & Fees for 100% eligible GI Bill users.

Stipends, paid to the student, may be available for housing and books up to $1000. No Change.



As of August 1, 2012, VA-ONCE electronic

certification will be required for all

programs

of education except on-the-job training,

apprenticeship training,

and correspondence training.



Enrollment

Certification

Process



VA DOCUMENTS

•Letter of Eligibility

•Department of Veterans Affairs Application for VA Educational Benefits (and/or Request for Change of Program or Place of Training)

•DD214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty for most recent period of active duty.

•Transcripts for all periods of education after high school.

•Kicker Contract (the Department of Defense may be able to provide this information if you cannot locate a copy of the contract.)


PRIOR CREDIT

•One of the criteria for approval of any school for Veterans' training is that it review prior credit and grant credit as appropriate to a VA student's current program.

•Schools must evaluate prior credit, grant credit as appropriate, notify the student of the evaluation, and shorten the program certified accordingly.

•The change simply means credit evaluations no longer have to be reported to VA. Whenever a student initially enrolls in your school or changes programs at your school a credit evaluation must be completed. VA will review credit evaluations during compliance surveys and credit evaluation records must be kept and made available to VA upon request.

•The Prior Training Credit box in VA-ONCE is now NA (Not Applicable) by default and is locked (grayed out). Military Education and Training Resources Military education and training should be evaluated for prior credit. Information needed to evaluate military education and training is available online. The ACE Military Guide The ACE (American Council on Education) Military Guide (Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services) is on the web at: http://militaryguides.acenet.edu/.

Military Transcripts Information about military transcripts and how to request the transcripts is available from the Army and Navy as shown below: • Army (AARTS transcript): http://aarts.army.mil • Navy & Marine Corps (SMART Transcript): https://smart.navy.mil/smart/welcome.do

Pages 48 – 49, SCO Handbook



What Goes in the Tuition Box on the Enrollment Certification?

1. Start with Gross Tuition for the program

2. Compute, with the help of the Billing & Financial Aid Offices, the Net Tuition



Identify the program’s gross tuition

Subtract out Military TA, Federal TA, ROTC Scholarship, Third Party ‘billings’, including College employee discounts/waivers, STAR is not subtracted (State money).

Subtract scholarships that designate tuition payments (Provost scholarships, etc.)

-more-



Subtract MD National Guard Tuition Waiver, State Waivers (Foster Care)

DO NOT Subtract Pell Grants, Student Loans, Scholarships for educational/financial need (non-tuition/fee specific),

Do not subtract tuition reimbursement between a student/employer

Place Net Tuition in Tuition Box



VA Form 1999 (if applicable)



NCD Only (if applicable)



Only Mandatory Fees may be included

Mandatory fees are considered those fees required to be paid to the school

True “application” fees are to be excluded

Place Fees in Box #11-B



Private career school programs are measured and approved in Clock Hours

Maryland approves school schedules that identify the number of Clock Hours per Week students will be attending any given program

These clock hours per week are identified on the student’s enrollment agreement

Place these Clock Hours per Week in Box #10

Multiple schedules?



Report Changes in Enrollment– schedule, end date, interruption in

training, withdrawal/termination

Report Graduation

Report Student Placed on Probation



Use “Termination” when reporting changes in enrollment status and graduation.

For Last Date of Attendance and Last Date Credit Accrued, write in the student’s last date of attendance



Notice of Change in Student Status

Amend is used to change begin date, end date, tuition and fees, add a remark, and advance pay and accelerated pay requests on a certification already submitted.

Adjust is used to report an increase or decrease in clock hours. If tuition or fees were reported, they must also be changed to correspond to the adjusted number of clock hours.

Terminate is used to report a complete withdrawal from an enrollment period, or to report graduation or program completion. If a student certified for multiple enrollment periods completely withdraws from one enrollment period, then terminate the enrollment period from which he withdrew. VA-ONCE will give you the option to terminate any subsequent enrollment periods or to leave those periods as certified.



Academic Probation Applicable to schools that have a satisfactory

progress policy that includes academic and/or attendance probation prior to termination for Unsatisfactory Progress

Notify VA promptly when a student receiving VA education benefits is placed on academic or attendance probation

Notifications should be sent using VA’s Internet Inquiry System

Include the student’s name and Claim Number along with the statement “Student placed on academic (or attendance) probation”



When term or semester ends, payments stop.

Examples: Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) will stop

after last day of the term (prorated)

Ch-30, 1606, 1607, 35 payments to students will stop after the end of the term (prorated).



Active Duty & Spouses are not eligible BAH is based on the zip code of the Main

Campus Student must be enrolled more than ½ time BAH will be pro-rated based on rate of

pursuit BAH will stop after last day of the term

(prorated)



In order to change a currently enrolled and certified veteran or eligible dependent to Chapter 33 benefits, the student must be RE-Certified by the school to Chapter 33.

To do so, RE-Certify the student for Chapter 33 through VA-Once. RE-Certify for Chapter 33 as described in this training session (i.e., listing net tuition and fees after all applicable 3rd party waivers and payments are granted).

Under Remarks: “RE-Certifying under Chapter 33, effective (Date) ”



SCHOOL FISCAL ISSUES,

STUDENT OVERPAYMENTS,

AND DEBT COLLECTION

See SCO Handbook

Pages 87 - 99



Generally, overpayments of VA benefits are the responsibility of the student. However, there are instances under the Post 9/11 GI Bill when an overpayment is created on a school and funds need to be refunded by the school to the VA.



A debt is established on a school when: The student never attended classes for which he/she

was certified regardless of the reason for non-attendance

The student completely withdraws on or before the first day of the term. If student reduces hours, the debt is a student debt

The school received payment for the wrong student

The school received a duplicate payment



The school submitted an amended enrollment certification and reported reduced tuition and fee charges. (Reductions based on student’s action should be reported on a 1999b with the changes in the enrollment)

The student died during the term, or before start of the term

VA issued payment above the amount certified on the enrollment certification that was used to process the payment (VA data entry error)



A debt is established on the student for tuition and fees when:

The student withdrew after the first day of the term (FDOT)

If the student completely withdrew on the FDOT, treat as if student never attended

The student reduced hours whether the reduction occurred before or during the term



If the student attended at least one day of any of the classes certified and a payment has been issued, any debt created by the reduction/withdrawal should be charged to the student

The school submitted a change in enrollment (1999b) and reported a reduction in tuition/fees due to student action

If a student drops a course and adds a course so that there is no net change in training time, any change to tuition/fees is a student debt



Schools may refund money to VA in one of three ways:

1. Schools may send a check to the agent cashier of the Regional Processing Office of jurisdiction. It is essential that you include the student’s name and VA file number when you make a payment to VA. Please send payments to the attention of the “VA Agent Cashier” at the Regional Processing Office of Jurisdiction. Those addresses can be found on pages 87 - 90 of the School Certifying Official Handbook.



2. The school may return an uncashed Department of Treasury check to the following address:

U.S. Department of the Treasury

Financial Management Service

P.O. Box 51318

Philadelphia, PA 19115-6316



3. Schools may refund the VA electronically via Automated Clearing House. To do so, schools shall request their banks return the full payment amount using an R31 ACH return code. Each bank has its own time constraints for returning ACH payments. Please speak with your bank’s representative to obtain specific instructions on this process.

If your school refunds only a partial amount of a payment, you must utilize option one.



When the school writes a check, make the check payable to the Department of Veteran Affairs and mail the check to the Agent Cashier.

Submit any needed paper or VA-ONCE amendment, adjustment or termination before mailing the check to the Agent Cashier.

See detailed instructions on pages 89 - 99 of the School Certifying Official Handbook.



Returning Funds to VA

Schools should wait to refund payments to VA until a

collection notice from the VA Debt Management Center

(DMC) is received. In those instances where schools are

responsible for making a remittance to VA for excess

Tuition, Fees, or Yellow Ribbon payments, schools may

make a refund to VA in one of five options.



Schools may send a check, payable to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, to the VA Debt Management Center.

The address to the VA Debt Management Center is:

VA Debt Management Center Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building

P.O. Box 11930 St Paul, MN 55111-0930



Additional options of making payments to the VA:

Major credit card, debit card, or by electronic funds transferWestern Union Agent location or by visiting www.westernunion.com. School may return the uncashed Treasury check to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service Schools may refund VA electronically via Automated Clearing House (ACH).

SEE FULL DETAILS FOR REFUNDS ON PAGES 89 – 99 OF THE SCO HANDBOOK.



Requirements for IHLs to Maintain Approval

for VA (SAA Approval)



Prior to 8/1/11 Effective 8/1/11

New ApprovalsSchools and institutions request approval

for programs in a new school or facilityState Approving Agency State Approving Agency

Approval CriteriaSet by Statute

(38 USC chapter 36)

Programs deemed approved are subject to Title 38 USC 3675

(b)(1) and (b)(2), 3680A, 3684, 3696

Modifications to Programs State Approving Agency

VA’s Education Liaison Representatives

Compliance

State Approving Agencies

performed supervisory visits

State Approving Agencies and the VA will perform compliance surveys



Certified catalogs – two hard copies of catalog with Standard Certification:

“True and correct as to content and policy” with Certifying Official’s signature

Submit IHL Catalog Review form (located on the MHEC Website) -- provide any new credit based programs/updates since the last publication submission.

Additional publications – Student Handbook



New/yearly schedules must be submitted to the Maryland SAA for approval to the VA

Preferred delivery is via letter

One copy of schedule of Start and End dates is sufficient



ADDITIONAL

SCHOOL

RESOURCES


MARYLAND STATE APPROVING AGENCYMARYLAND STATE APPROVING AGENCY

IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION

SCO VA CONTACT LINE – (855) 225-1159 (Hours 7am – 5pm)

CALL CENTER (GENERAL INQUIRIES) – (888) 442-4551 (Hours 7am – 7pm)

SUBMIT A QUESTION - https://gibill.custhelp.com/app/utils/login_form/redirect/ask/session/L3RpbWUvMTM0NzQ2MzI4OC9zaWQvbjc2dkYzNmw=

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) https://gibill.custhelp.com/app/answers/list

april 2010 maryland state approving agency va certifying officials training august 1, 2012

Documents

va school slide

state money

prior credit

periods of education

net tuition slide

prior training credit

fax slide

education military guide