Creating a Creating a Military Military

Friendly CampusFriendly Campus

TASFAA 2011

• Initiatives and Events at Texas A&M University• Tracking our Vets• Recent State and Federal Educational Benefit

changes• Combat Exemption• DOD MOU• State Audit• Banner TCC Schools

AgendaAgenda

• What does the military term “G.I.” stand for ?o Government Issue

• However, these are all common interpretations or misinterpretations:o General Issueo General Infantry or Ground Infantryo General Inducteeo Government Inductee

• More opinions:o Everything a WWII soldier wore, carried, ate, or used was "Government

Issued", so they started referring to them selves by the same title.

DesignationDesignationTexas A&M University is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges

(SOC) Consortium affirming our commitment to recognize and work with current or former military students and their

families who want to obtain a college education.

Veteran Services at Veteran Services at Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University

• VA and Texas education benefits processing• Program advising for other campus departments• Scholarships & Financial Aid assistance• Referrals to other campus and community resources• Admissions• Student Affairs / Student Assistance Center• Student Counseling Services• Disability Services• Academic Advising• ROTC Office• Office of the Commandant• Texas Workforce Commission – Texas Veterans Commission• Veterans Affairs in College Station• Other veteran community resources

InitiativesInitiatives• Dedicated Veteran Services Office-one central

location to obtain information. • Dedicated veterans academic advisor• Dedicated veterans admissions advisor-targeted

communication prior to their arrival on campus. • Streamlined withdrawal and reenrollment

processes for deployed students while in school• Deferred tuition and fees pending VA funds• Veteran New Student Orientation• Veteran faculty/staff mentors• Serving Those Who have Served training every semester

InitiativesInitiatives• VA work study opportunities• Recognized Veteran Student Organization• Program Coordinator is Advisor

• Student services tailored to veterans• Yellow Ribbon Program participant• Veteran Programs and Workshops• Enhance Website-easy to find

information and link on schools website• Establish an Advisory committee that

includes representation across campus.

InitiativesInitiatives• Email blasts of pertinent information• Collaboration with Career Center• Survey students to find out their needs• Veteran Only Course with Learning Community•Military Credit Form• http://registrar.tamu.edu/General/

AllForms.aspx

NoteworthyNoteworthy• Pat Tillman Partner• AggiE-Vets-NSF Grant• Troops To College Initiatives

EventsEvents• Orientation • Veteran’s Day celebration• Serving Those That Have Served training every fall and spring• New Student Conferences-presentations and resource tables

Tracking our VetsTracking our Vets• Apply Texas-Optional question

o Military affiliation

• Current Question 9- U.S. Military-Veteran Status

If you have any military affiliations, please indicate by selecting all that apply: o current/former member of the US Armed Forces o current/former member of the National Guard o current/former member of the Reserves o dependent of a veteran o dependent of a deceased veteran o dependent of a veteran with a combat-related injury

Tracking our VetsTracking our Vets• RSC_CS_VETERANS_CERT -This report pulls all students that

have a Vet code on SGASTDN. This report is used for identifying missing docs, data pulls, sending mass emails, Veteran counts by comparison of program, etc.

• RSC_CS_VET_TF_MATCH - This report is used to calculate a student tuition and fee amount and pull exceptions.

This report pulls:

Any student who is a Chap 33 or Chap 30 Active Duty whose tuition and fees on ROAUSDF does not match their

tuition and fees from billing side. If the ROAUSDF side is blank and the student has tuition and fees they will appear on the

report. AndAny student who is a flagged on SGASTDN with a Vet Code whose hours reported on SGASTDN Veteran tab does not match the actual enrollment hours.

Surveying our Surveying our students students

• Will send a survey to all students using Veteran Educational Benefitso Measure satisfaction with Veteran Services Officeo Check usage of campus serviceso Ask what we should do for Veteranso Ask what we do best

What song was the Navy band playing at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked?

The Star-Spangled Banner.

Recent Hazlewood Recent Hazlewood ChangeChange

2011-2012 2011-2012 • Eligible children who receive the Hazlewood exemption for the first

time beginning fall, 2011 must be 25 years of age or younger on the first day of the semester or term for which the exemption is claimed (unless granted an extension due to a qualifying illness or debilitating condition). This requirement does not apply to children who received the exemption prior to the 2011-2012 academic year.

• Effective with tuition and fee charges fall, 2011, a veteran's spouse or a child's guardian, conservator, custodian, or other legally designated caretaker may re-assign unused hours to an eligible child (through Legacy) on behalf of the veteran if the veteran died prior to requesting the transfer of hours.

• Effective with tuition and fee charges for fall, 2011, all applicants (veterans, spouses and children) must complete and submit the appropriate application and documentation to the Veteran Services Office no later than one year after the earlier of the date the school:

provides written notice to the applicant of his/her eligibility, or receives written notice from the applicant that acknowledges the applicant's awareness of his/her eligibility for the exemption.

Recent Hazlewood Recent Hazlewood ChangeChange

(Sept 2011) (Sept 2011) • The Coordinating Board, after consulting with

representatives from the Texas Veterans Commission and Legislature, has concluded the following:

o Veteran – if current military orders (of the veteran or his/her spouse) are the only reason an otherwise-eligible veteran is not residing in Texas, he or she is eligible to use Hazlewood.

 o Legacy – a parent who is a veteran and who qualifies for Hazlewood is

considered to be “residing in Texas” if he or she is out of state only because of current military orders (his/her own, or that of a spouse) and if his/her (or the spouse’s) orders and most recent three months’ Leave and Earnings Statements (LES) show Texas to be the person’s home.  If the orders and LES do not both indicate Texas as the person’s home, other documentation must be provided to support the person’s claim to domicile in Texas. 

GI Bill ChangesGI Bill ChangesEffective 8/1/11 •Includes Active Service performed by National Guard members under title 32 U.S.C. for the purpose of organizing, administering, recruiting, instructing, or training the National Guard; or under section 502(f) for the purpose of responding to a national emergency. •Prorates housing allowance by the student’s rate of pursuit (rounded to the nearest tenth). A student training at a rate of pursuit of 75% would receive 80% of the BAH rate. •Break or interval pay is no longer payable under any VA education benefit program unless under an Executive Order of the President or due to an emergency, such as a natural disaster or strike.

Effective 10/1/11 •Housing allowance is now payable to students (other than those on active duty) enrolled solely in distance learning. The housing allowance payable is equal to ½ the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents. •Allows students on active duty to receive a books and supplies stipend.

Combat Exemption no Combat Exemption no longer fundedlonger funded

The Combat Exemption for Children of Military Service Members, a Texas military benefit, is to provide an education benefit to a child, or stepchild, of a member of the Armed Forces who is deployed to active duty in a combat zone outside the United States. The Texas legislature has determined that funding to award Combat Exemptions to eligible students for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 academic years is not available. Texas A&M University will continue to grant the exemption while it is unfunded through the state. Please contact the Veteran Services Office to utilize this benefit.

DOD MOUDOD MOUdodmou.comdodmou.com

• Under the new agreement, "The institution ... must agree to one single tuition rate per Office of Post-Secondary Education identification number. What this means is that institutions cannot charge service members different tuition rates to attend the same class."

• The agreement requires that schools be accredited by an agency recognized by the Department of Education, abide by DOD and military service regulatory guidance on voluntary education, and adhere to the principles and criteria established by the Servicemembers' Opportunity Colleges.

What Civil War general graduated first in the West Point class of 1829?

Robert E. Lee

State AuditState AuditSept. 2010Sept. 2010

An Audit Report on Veteran’s Service at Selected Institutions of Higher Education and Survey Results Related to Veteran’s Services at All Texas Public Higher Education Institutions•Texas A&M University•Texas State University - San Marcos•Texas Tech University•University of Houston•University of North Texas•The University of Texas at El Paso•The University of Texas at San Antonio

State Audit, contState Audit, contAuditors identified several areas in which the institutions should consider providing additional services and support •Sending targeted communications about financial assistance and resources available to student veterans prior to their arrival on campus.•Enhancing their Web sites to ensure that they provide easily located and comprehensive information about the educational benefits available to student veterans, including a link to those resources on the Web site's home page.•Offering student veterans one central location on campus where they can obtain information about both the federal and state education-related financial assistance available to student veterans.•Establishing a veterans advisory committee that includes representation from all stakeholders. •Offering early class registration to student veterans.

o http://www.sao.state.tx.us/reports/main/11-004.html

What two continents have never been the site of a major military conflict?

Antarctica and Australia

Helpful InformationHelpful Information

• Veteran Services Office• veterans.tamu.edu

• VA/GI Bill Information• gibill.va.gov• Texas Hazlewood Information• collegeforalltexans.com

Banner SchoolsBanner SchoolsTCC ParticipantsTCC Participants

• Collin County Community College and Texas A&M University are currently Beta testing 2 new forms in Banner that will be used to facilitate the reporting