Veteran Benefits

Eligibility for Veteran's Educational Benefits can be extended to veterans, members of the Selected Reserves or National Guard, and children or spouses of service-connected deceased, or totally and permanently disabled veterans under one of the following programs:

• Montgomery G.I. Bill®
• Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation Program
• Veterans Educational Assistance Program
• G.I. Bill® for Dependent
• Montgomery G.I. Bill® for Reservists
• Post-9/11 G.I. Bill®

The Iowa Lakes Community College Veterans Affairs Office cannot determine your eligibility for VA education benefits. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can only determine your eligibility.

You may receive benefits under only one VA education chapter at a time - even though you may have eligibility under more than one chapter.

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

The Harry W. Colmery Educational Assistance Act of 2017, also known as the "Forever GI Bill," enacts several GI Bill® changes that positively impact Veterans and their families. 

The 15-year time limitation for using Post-9/11 GI Bill®

The 15-year limitation to use these benefits was removed for Veterans who left active duty on or after January 1, 2013, children who became eligible for the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) on or after January 1, 2013 and all Fry Scholarship eligible spouses.

You need to take no action; if eligible, the limitation was removed for you.

Restoration of Benefits due to School Closure 

We are now authorized to restore benefits and provide relief to Veterans affected by school closures or disapprovals.

Suppose you attended courses or programs discontinued from January 1, 2015, to August 16, 2017, and attended an accredited higher learning institution and did not transfer any credits to a comparable program. In that case, entitlement will not be charged for the entire period of your enrollment. The law also provides separate criteria for partial benefit restoration for school closures after January 1, 2015.

Independent study programs at career and technical education schools covered by GI Bill® 

This allows anyone eligible for the GI Bill® to benefit from an accredited independent study program at career and technical schools or postsecondary vocational schools providing postsecondary level education.

Before the passage of this law, most non-college degree programs weren't approvable if any portion was online. This change in the law allowed non-college degree programs to be considered for approval (even if some or all of the instruction is online). These programs will go through the ordinary course of approval by the appropriate State Approving Agency. Any new programs are added to the GI Bill Comparison Tool.

Reservists who had eligibility under the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) and lost it due to the program's sunset will have that service credited toward the Post-9/11 GI Bill® program.

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

What You Should Know About the Post-9/11 GI Bill® Implementation

When will VA begin accepting applications?

VA is now accepting applications for the Post-9/11 Bill. A revised application is available at benefits.va.gov/gibill. Applications can be submitted electronically on the website at Veterans On-Line Application (VONAPP). The new application includes a Post-9/11 GI Bill option. NOTE: VA is currently accepting applications for Transfer of Entitlement (TOE). More information about TOE can be found at benefits.va.gov/gibill.

What should you consider before electing the Post-9/11 GI Bill®?

There are several things you should consider before electing benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. These include:

• Type of training you plan to pursue
• Cost of tuition and fees at your school
• Highest in-state undergraduate tuition and fees at a public institution in the state where your school is located
• Amount of the monthly housing allowance in the zip code where your school is located
• The number of courses you plan to pursue
• Other VA education benefits you are eligible to receive
• Other financial aid you may be entitled to receive
• For more information on comparisons between the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and other VA education benefit programs, visit benefits.va.gov/gibill.

How do you apply for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®?

If you have never applied for VA education benefits, you must submit a VA Form 22-1990, Application for Education Benefits.

All applicants are encouraged to submit an application on the revised form. If you are also eligible for another benefit or benefits, you must indicate that you are electing to receive the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, specify the benefit you wish to relinquish to receive the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, and the effective date of your election under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. You should also submit any available supporting documentation including copies of DD-214(s), activation orders and enlistment contracts.

What should you expect when you submit an application?

VA will be reviewing applications under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and issuing Certificates of Eligibility (COEs) to qualified individuals. The COE will contact basic eligibility information including months of entitlement, period of eligibility and benefit level. If you have chosen a specific school and program, the COE will also indicate if Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits are payable for that school and program. Upon receipt of your COE, you should retain a copy for your records and submit a copy to the VA Certifying Official at the school you plan to attend.

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

A veteran of military service or National Guard, or his/her spouse or dependent child shall be classified as a resident if the veteran is domiciled in Iowa and one of the following conditions is met:  

1. The veteran has separated from a U.S. military force with an honorable discharge or a general discharge, is eligible for benefits, or has exhausted benefits, under the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or any other federal authorizing veteran educational benefits program. 
2. The individual is an active duty military person or activated or temporarily mobilized National Guard member. 

 A dependent child must be claimed as a dependent on an eligible veteran’s internal revenue service tax filing for the previous year to qualify for the exemption.

Readmission of Service Members

Iowa Lakes Community College values service members and commits to accommodating their ability to pursue higher education. The following requirements were developed to facilitate service member readmission while maintaining compliance with Federal Student Aid requirements and recommendations.

• If a student cannot attend school due to military service, Iowa Lakes Community College will promptly readmit them with the same academic status they had at the time of their last attendance, withdraw due to military service, or accept admission to the college. Military Service includes voluntary or involuntary service, armed force service, including National Guard or Reserve on active duty, active duty for training, or full-time National Guard duty under federal authority for a period of more than 30 consecutive days. This does not include National Guard service under state authority. The student must notify the school of their military service and intention to return to school as follows:
  • Notification of military service. The student (or an appropriate officer of the armed forces or official of the Department of Defense) must give oral or written notice of such service to the Iowa Lakes Community College Student Veteran’s Center or Records Offices as far in advance as is reasonable. This notice does not have to indicate whether the student intends to return to the school and may not be subject to any rule of timeliness. (Timeliness must be determined by the facts in each case.) At the time of readmission, the student must submit an attestation of military service that necessitated their absence from school.
  • Notification of intent to return to school. The student must also give oral or written notice of their intent to return to their program of study to the Student Veteran’s Center or Records Office within three years after the completion of the period of service. A student hospitalized or convalescing due to an illness or injury incurred or aggravated during service performance must notify Iowa Lakes within two years after the end of the period needed for recovery from the illness or injury.

Title 38 USC 3679(e) Compliance

The following policies and procedures are of primary concern to veterans, servicepersons, members of guard and selected reserves, and other eligible persons who receive VA educational benefits while enrolled at the University.

Please note: Academic standards of progress and attendance are covered under school standards of progress as specified by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, License Division, and are required by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e}, this school adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs {VA} Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33} or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. This school will not:

• Prevent the student’s enrollment;
• Assess a late penalty fee to;
• Require student secure alternative or additional funding;
• Deny their 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:

• Provide Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility (or its equivalent} or for Chapter 31, VA VR&E’s contract with the school on VA Form 28-1905 by the first day of class.

Note: Chapter 33 students can register at the VA Regional Office to use E-Benefits to get the equivalent of a Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility. Chapter 31 student cannot get a completed VA Form 28-1905 (or any equivalent} before the VA VR&E case-manager issues it to the school.

• Provide written request to be certified;
• Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies

Disapproval of Courses

(a)(1) Except as provided by paragraph (2), any course approved for the purposes of this chapter which fails to meet any of the requirements of this chapter shall be immediately disapproved by the Secretary or the appropriate State approving agency. An educational institution which has its courses disapproved by the Secretary or a State approving agency will be notified of such disapproval by a certified or registered letter of notification and a return receipt secured.

(2) In the case of a course of education that would be subject to disapproval under paragraph (1) solely for the reason that the Secretary of Education withdraws the recognition of the accrediting agency that accredited the course, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, and notwithstanding the withdrawal, may continue to treat the course as an approved course of education under this chapter for a period not to exceed 18 months from the date of the withdrawal of recognition of the accrediting agency, unless the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the appropriate State approving agency determines that there is evidence to support the disapproval of the course under this chapter. The Secretary shall provide to any veteran enrolled in such a course of education notice of the status of the course of education.

(b) Each State approving agency shall notify the Secretary of each course which it has disapproved under this section. The Secretary shall notify the State approving agency of the Secretary’s disapproval of any educational institution under chapter 31 of this title.

(c)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter and subject to paragraphs (3) through (6), the Secretary shall disapprove a course of education provided by a public institution of higher learning if the institution charges tuition and fees for that course for covered individuals who are pursuing the course with educational assistance under chapter 30, 31, or 33 of this title while living in the State in which the institution is located at a rate that is higher than the rate the institution charges for tuition and fees for that course for residents of the State in which the institution is located, regardless of the covered individual’s State of residence.

(2) For purposes of this subsection, a covered individual is any individual as follows:

• (A) A veteran who was discharged or released from a period of not fewer than 90 days of service in the active military, naval, or air service less than three years before the date of enrollment in the course concerned.
• (B) An individual who is entitled to assistance under­
  • (i) section 3311(b)(9) of this title; or
  • (ii) section 3319 of this title by virtue of the individual’s relationship to­
  • (I) a veteran described in subparagraph (A); or
  • (II) a member of the uniformed services described in section 3319(b) of this title who is serving on active duty.
• (C) An individual who is entitled to rehabilitation under section 3102(a) of this title.

(3) If after enrollment in a course of education that is subject to disapproval under paragraph (1) by reason of paragraph (2)(A), (2)(8), or (2)(C) a covered individual pursues one or more courses of education at the same public institution of higher learning while remaining continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters or terms) at that institution of higher learning, any course so pursued by the covered individual at that institution of higher learning while so continuously enrolled shall also be subject to disapproval under paragraph (1).

(4) It shall not be grounds to disapprove a course of education under paragraph (1) if a public institution of higher learning requires a covered individual pursuing a course of education at the institution to demonstrate an intent, by means other than satisfying a physical presence requirement, to establish residency in the State in which the institution is located, or to satisfy other requirements not relating to the establishment of residency, in order to be charged tuition and fees for that course at a rate that is equal to or less than the rate the institution charges for tuition and fees for that course for residents of the State.

(5) The Secretary may waive such requirements of paragraph (1) as the Secretary considers appropriate.

(6) Disapproval under paragraph (1) shall apply only with respect to educational assistance under chapters 30, 31, and 33 of this title.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Secretary or the applicable State approving agency shall disapprove a course of education described in paragraph (14) or (15) of section 3676(c) of this title unless the educational institution providing the course of education-

• (1) publicly discloses any conditions or additional requirements, including training, experience, or examinations, required to obtain the license, certification, or approval for which the course of education is designed to provide preparation; and
• (2) makes each disclosure required by paragraph (1) in a manner that the Secretary considers prominent (as specified by the Secretary in regulations prescribed for purposes of this subsection).

(e)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, beginning on August 1, 2019, a State approving agency, or the Secretary when acting in the role of the State approving agency, shall disapprove a course of education provided by an educational institution that has in effect a policy that is inconsistent with any of the following:

(A) A policy that permits any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of this title and ending on the earlier of the following dates:

• (i) The date on which the Secretary provides payment for such course of education to such institution.
• (ii) The date that is 90 days after the date on which the educational institution certifies for tuition and fees following receipt from the student such certificate of eligibility.

(B) A policy that ensures that the educational institution will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual's inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary under chapter 31 or 33 of this title.

(2) For purposes of this subsection, a covered individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of this title.

(3) The Secretary may waive such requirements of paragraph (1) as the Secretary considers appropriate.

(4) It shall not be inconsistent with a policy described In paragraph (1) for an educational institution to require a covered individual to take the following additional actions:

(A) Submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance not later than the first day of a course of education for which the individual has indicated the individual wishes to use the individual's entitlement to educational assistance.

(B) Submit a written request to use such entitlement

(C) Provide additional information necessary to the proper certification of enrollment by the educational institution

Rule of Construction

Pub. L. 115-407, title I, §103(c), Dec. 31, 2018, 132 Stat. 5370, provided that: “In a case in which an individual is unable to meet a financial obligation to an educational institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary under chapter 31 or 33 of such title [title 38) and the amount of such disbursement is less than anticipated, nothing in section 3679(e) of such title, as added by subsection (a), shall be construed to prohibit an educational institution from requiring additional payment or imposing a fee for the amount that is the difference between the amount of the financial obligation and the amount of the disbursement.”