Veterans

Programs and courses of study (including Career Studies Certificates) at DCC are approved by the Virginia Department of Education and the Veterans Administration for payment of veteran’s educational benefits. Programs include the Montgomery GI Bill®, Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Educational Benefits for Dependents and Spouses and Active-Duty Tuition Assistance. For information about VA educational benefits, contact the DCC Veteran’s Affairs Specialist at (434) 797-8506 or the Veteran’s Administration in Roanoke (1.800.827.1000). Free tuition is available for dependents of certain disabled or deceased (service-related) veterans through the Virginia War Veterans Department.

• The Virginia State Approving Agency (SAA) is the approving authority of education and training programs for Virginia. Our office investigates complaints of GI Bill® beneficiaries. While most complaints should initially follow the school grievance policy, if the situation cannot be resolved at the school, the beneficiary should contact our office via email saa@dvs.virginia.gov.

       The school grievance policy is included in the Student Handbook.

• This institution is approved to offer GI Bill® educational benefits by the Virginia State Approving Agency.

DCC is a member of the Servicemen’s Opportunity College (SOC) Network and recognizes that learning occurs in extra-institutional and non-instructional settings. As an SOC institution, DCC awards credit for CLEP, DSST, ECE and DANTES as appropriate for each veteran student’s program of study. All veterans receive a physical education credit for basic training. DCC is dedicated to recognizing the experience, training and education of veterans and will on a case-by-case basis evaluate each individual to ensure that they receive the maximum allowable credits.

Students wishing to submit a Veteran Certification Request should go to the Financial Aid Office each semester.

Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) The Post-9/11 GI Bill® is for individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. Honorable discharge required for eligibility. For more information, visit www.gibill.va.gov/ GI_Bill_Info/benefits.htm.

Transfer of Post 9/11 GI Bill® Benefits to Dependents (TEB) Service members enrolled in the Post 9/11 GI Bill® program are able to transfer unused educational benefits to their spouses or children effective August 1, 2009. For more information on how to apply for TEB, visit www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/Ch33/Transfer.htm.

Academic Residency Requirement for Active-Duty Service Members: DCC limits academic residency to no more than 25 percent of the degree requirements for all associate degrees for active-duty service members. Academic residency can be completed at any time while active-duty service members are enrolled. Reservists and National Guardsmen on active-duty are covered in the same manner. The following individuals shall be charged the in-state rate, or otherwise considered a resident for tuition purposes:

A veteran using educational assistance under either Chapter 30 (Montgomery G.I. Bill - Active Duty Program) or Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 G.I. Bill)of Title 38, United States Code, who lives in the Commonwealth of Virginia while attending a school located in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of his/her formal State of residence).

Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) who lives in the state where the IHL is located, and the transferor is a member of the uniformed service serving on active duty.

A spouse or child using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (38 U.S.C. § 3311(b)(9)) who lives in the Commonwealth of Virginia while attending a school located in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of his/her formal state of residence).

A spouse or child using benefits under Survivors’ and Dependent’s Education Assistance (Chapter 35) living in the Commonwealth of Virginia
while attending a school located in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of their formal state of residence).

An individual using educational assistance under Chapter 31, Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) who lives in the Commonwealth of Virginia while attending a school located in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) effective for courses, semesters, or terms beginning after March 1, 2019

Anyone described above remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or terms) at the same institution.

Therefore, the described person must be enrolled in the institution and use educational benefits under Chapters 30, 31, 33 or 35 of Title 38, United States Code.

This policy shall be amended as necessary to be compliant with the requirements of 38 U.S.C. 3679 as amended.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

DCC I-63: Military (Department of Veterans Affairs) Delayed Payment Policy

Purpose: This policy documents compliance with the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, section 3679 of Title 38 of the United States Code.

Definitions: A covered individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits.

Policy: Danville Community College requires all covered individuals to submit a written request of certification of their enrollment each semester for which they plan to use their Chapter 31 or 33 entitlement benefits. The Certification Request for Veterans Affairs (VA) Educational Benefits must be submitted no later than the last day to drop and receive a refund for the respective semester.

Any covered individual will be permitted to attend or participate in a course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to Danville Community College a Certificate of Eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31 or 33 (a “certificate of eligibility” can also include a Statement of Benefits obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website, eBenefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for Chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates:

1. The date on which payment from VA is made to Danville Community College.
2. 90 days after the date Danville Community College certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.

Due to the delayed disbursement of funding from the VA under Chapter 31 or 33, Danville Community College will not assess a late penalty fee, deny access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or require a covered individual to borrow additional funds because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to Danville Community College for the VA delay.

Danville Community College reserves the right to follow normal collection procedures for any difference between the amount of a covered individual’s financial obligation and the amount of the VA education benefit disbursement.