The Bureau of State Approving Agency for Veterans Training has approved many of the certificate training programs offered at the tech centers. Visit one of the VA Certifying Officials located in the Financial Aid Office of the tech centers to apply for or re-activate your VA educational entitlements. Upon completion of the necessary forms, the student must take them to the VA Certifying Official with certified copies of their DD214, marriage license and birth certificates of children (if applicable).

Online VA information is available at http://www.gibilla.gov

Regulations:

The documentation is then forwarded to the Department of Veterans Affairs for processing. Upon completion of the first day of class, the enrollment certification is reported, by the VA Certifying Official, to the Department of Veterans Affairs for processing. It takes approximately 4-8 weeks to activate benefits. The Department of Veterans Affairs will send the benefit check directly to the entitled individual. The student must pay all fees upon registration. A deferment may be granted, if warranted, once per academic year until the VA benefited student starts to receive the VA entitlement checks. All veterans receiving educational benefits while attending one of the tech centers are subject to the policies and procedures of the school.

The following regulations apply:

Standards of Progress and Attendance:

• All students receiving Veterans Educational benefits must maintain satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the regularly prescribed standards and practices of the institution in which the student is enrolled. If the student is not making satisfactory academic progress according to those standards and practices, educational benefits will be discontinued for the student. Veteran and non-veteran students alike will be referred to Student Services for counseling to a program that may offer the possibility of success.
• Attendance reports must be submitted monthly to the schools’ VA Certifying Official.
• Students must attend classes regularly; all absences will be recorded and maintained by the school. Veterans are allowed (3) unexcussed absences and three (3) excussed absences within a calendar month. DVA will be notified when seven (7) absences and/or four (4) unexcused absences have been recorded within a calendar month and VA benefits will be terminated. All absences are considered unexcused unless otherwise documented. These criteria are considered excused absences: illness of self, death of immediate family member, jury duty or active military service. Documentation supporting absences must be given to the VA Certifying Official immediately upon student returning to school.
• Satisfactory attendance is defined as compliance with existing school attendance policy and the VA attendance policy. One may be stricter than the other. It is the student’s responsibility to adhere to both in order to continue the educational program and receive monetary benefits.
• Satisfactory academic progress is defined as mastery of at least 75 percent of assigned program competencies for the particular valuation period and an overall performance rating of average or above. Academic progress will be reviewed by a VA Certifying Official at the end of each nine week marking period or term.
• Two unsatisfactory progress reports will result in termination of Veterans educational benefits for program enrolled.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs will be notified by the schools’ VA Certifying Official if the veteran does not maintain satisfactory academic progress or satisfactory attendance.

Reinstatement of Veteran Educational Benefits:
VA Educational benefits discontinued due to unsatisfactory attendance may be reinstated upon completion of one calendar month of satisfactory attendance. VA Educational benefits discontinued due to unsatisfactory academic progress may be reinstated upon completion of a nine week marking period or term of satisfactory academic progress. Documentation must be in the student’s file before VA benefits may be reinstated.

Credit for Remediation:
A VA benefited student may receive additional hours toward a program length for basic remediation that is required for program completion. The student may receive up to an additional 300 hours credit if the student is attending a program of 750 hours or greater in length. The student may receive up to an additional 150 hours credit if the student is attending a program less than 750 hours in length.

Credit for Previous Training:
A VA benefited student is required to transfer previous training credits from an accredited institution to one of the tech centers. Credit for previous training will be evaluated by the instructor and granted, if appropriate. Upon acceptance of the transfer credits, the training time may be reduced. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the student will be notified if previous training credit is granted. The evaluation will be performed within the first 90 days of enrollment.

VETERANS ADMINISTRATION – Most programs at Orlando Tech are approved for veterans who are eligible for benefits through the Veterans Administration. Please visit the Financial Aid office in Room 276 on the main floor for more information.