VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION March 26,02015 2015 Atlanta RPO Conference XYZ Advanced SCO Refresher Training

VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION March 26,02015

2015 Atlanta RPO Conference

XYZ Advanced SCO Refresher Training

VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

•VA Once– Brower Compatibility– Reductions vs Withdrawals– First Day of Term Terminations– Modifying a terminated cert– Graduating students – Remarks & using “other”

•Tuition & Fees– When/what to certify– VA vs TA

•Punitive & Non Punitive Grades•Reductions & Terminations•Walk Away F•Probation & Unsatisfactory progress, attendance or conduct

– How to report probation– How to report Unsatisfactory progress– When to terminate for unsatisfactory progress, attendance or conduct

•Service after 8/1/11•Miscellaneous issues•Who to Contact & Resources

Training Topics


VA ONCE COMPATIBILITY ISSUES

VA Once is only tested to work with Internet Explorer (IE) 9 or below

•IE 10 or 11 OR other browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, etc., will cause errors

•Some common errors:– “Preregistered but reduced/withdrew prior to the first day of the term” Error message = “Effective date must be between begin & end date” but VA Once will not allow you to change the LDA/EFF date

– You are unable to add remarks– You are unable to add standard terms or the terms do not show up in your drop down– VA Once requiring T&F for less than ½ time training but the student is not < 1/2 time

•Always turn off pop up blockers

•If you cannot go back to IE 9 or below you can work in compatibility mode

3


VA ONCE COMPATIBILITY MODE

For more info regarding compatibility mode: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2536204

•If working in IE 10 or 11 it you must use the compatibility mode. You can find the compatibility mode on your address bar near the search field:

4

• Click on the icon that looks like a torn sheet of paper & it will appear to come together, turn blue or disappear. You are now in compatibility mode.



• If you don’t see the compatibility icon click on Tools or the icon that looks like a gear or cog

• Then click on Compatibility View Settings. You will get a pop up box

5



• Add “va.gov” to the list of websites or check the box for “Display all websites in compatibility view”

• If software is updated by your IT department the websites may be removed so periodically check your settings to ensure va.gov is still listed

NOTE: The online SCO self-paced training has the same system requirements6


Reduction VS Withdrawal

STUDENT DEBT

•A student reduces his/her course load at any time (i.e., before or during the term)

•A student begins a term/session (i.e., attends more than just the 1st day)

and then completely withdraws from the term/session

SCHOOL DEBT•Student doesn’t show up for the term/session at all OR •shows up for only the first day & then completely withdraws from the term/session

•Mini sessions are treated separately by VA

EXEX: 1/10/14 – 3/12/14 3 CR complete no show 1/10/14 – 5/10/14 3 CR completes these credits

School debt because the student was a “no show” for the 1/10/14 session even though they completed the term

Also a school debt when:

•T&F are changed but hours are not•School is double paid/mispaid•School is paid for the wrong student

7

For VA purposes “reduction” means a student drops one or more hours but

continues training in one or more hours

“Withdrawal” means the student stops attending all hours certified


Overpayment procedures state if a student never shows up for a term at all, or withdraws on the 1st day, no payment is due & the debt is on the school

• First Day of Term Terminations in VA Once are not being processed properly by the LTS if “withdrew during drop/add” is chosen, as instructed in the SCO Hand book • 1 day prorated T&F and housing payments are being generated • The T&F debt is being placed on the student

First Day of Term Terminations ~ CH33

So for terminations on or before the 1st day of the term: – Do NOT use “withdrew during drop/add”– Choose “Preregistered but never attended” or– Choose “Withdraw before beginning of term”

NOTE: If your browser is not compatible you will get errors not be able to submit


Modifying Terminated Certifications

VA ONCE will not allow a school to report adjustments or corrections to a term that has been terminated

•VA Central Office has advised that schools should: – Recertify the term using the VBA standard remark that has been added to VA Once:

“Correcting previously terminated enrollment. Notice of Change in Student Status(s) to follow”

– Submit any adjustments that need to be made the same day

•VA feels this will reduce the possibility of duplicate CH33 payments

•Double check all such certifications to ensure you were not double paid

9

VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION 10

Modifying Terminated Certifications


GRADUATING STUDENTS IN VA ONCE

Although VA cannot require you to report graduation data it is highly encouraged and recommended, as this data is being used to provide GI Bill © Outcome Measures and for the GI Bill© Comparison Tool

•You can report CH33 graduation data for students back to 8/1/09 if you choose, but should not report graduation data at all for the following students:

– If the CH33 student transferred and didn’t graduate from your school (ie a student at a 2 year school transfers to a 4 year school but doesn’t graduate from the 2 year school)

– If the CH33 student exhausted his/her CH33 entitlement in a term prior to graduation– If the CH33 student reached his/her delimiting date in a term prior to graduation

• If you certified a student using a paper 22-1999 the graduation data should be reported using a paper 22-1999b

• Use “end of term or course” from the drop down menu for reason to report graduation/completion from an NCD program

•Never report an LDA/EFF date for graduation that is later than the ending date of the last term certified

11


VA ONCE REMARKS

• VA requests that you use remarks only when necessary

– When remarks, other than “VBA Standard Remarks”, are used the certification must be processed by a claims examiner

– This increases the RPOs workload, slows down receipt of funds and increases the chances of processing errors

• Limit using “other” with a remark for an change to a certification•All of the required information to process the change is often not provided in the remark (ie punitive or non punitive grades, within drop period or not etc)

• Generally VA does not need to know “why” something has occurred. If you have correctly amended, adjusted or terminated a certification the info VA needs is provided

• Examples of remarks that should not be used– “Tuition & Fees will be submitted as soon as possible after drop/add” – “Correcting attendance level with student dropped below full time” – “Reporting a decrease to tuition amount only OR “correcting tuition and fees only”

12


VA ONCE REMARKS

Examples of remarks that should be used:

•When certifying an active duty CH30 student in receipt of Tuition Assistance for some classes but not others during a term

– Add a remark telling us the names/course numbers of the Non TA courses you are certifying

•When reporting a Leave of Absence for a CH33 student – Do not terminate the cert - do an adjustment and insert a remark providing the dates of the

LOA as terminating the cert causes payment errors

• A term with a “break” of 7 continuous days or more - Annotate the break in remarks so VA can calculate equivalent credit hours

- If you only enter it under your admin section it will NOT print on the cert

•If you are completing a change in VA Once due to a compliance Survey – Add a remark with the SAA or VA employee’s email address to which the RPO will send

notification of under or overpayment

13


QUESTIONS on VA Once Entries?


TUITION & FEES

Certify “NET” Tuition & Fees:• ALL CH33 students

Certify “Charged” Tuition & Fees:• If training at < ½ time under:

– Ch30 MGIB– CH1607 REAP– CH35 DEA

• Active duty students under:– CH30 MGIB– CH1607 REAP

• For NON CH33s you can always certify T&F without issue

15

TIP: If you can’t remember when to certify T&F for a NON

CH33 check the GI Bill website’s Payment Rate screens

TIP: If you can’t remember when to certify T&F for a NON

CH33 check the GI Bill website’s Payment Rate screens


When reporting a reduction w/ T&F, VA needs the tuition and fees for the reduced number of credits

VA is not concerned with what the student actually owes the school

You must report the T&F the student would have been charged had they initially started the term with the reduced number of credits

Tuition & Fees

Wrong!Wrong!


Military Tuition Assistance (TA) and VA

CH33 Post 9/11: •We handle veterans and active duty exactly the same

– SCO certifies all credits enrolled & deducts the TA received from T&F certified

– Does not matter if TA is state or federal

– Advise students NOT to send a TA form to VA

– TATU/TOP UP is not payable

• CH30 MGIB:– VETERANS: Certify as you would any

other CH30 student

– ACTIVE DUTY:• Do not certify any course for

which TA was received • Student submits a copy of TA

form to VA for payment under TATU/TOP UP

• Certify any courses for which TA was NOT received

• Only certify T&F applicable to NON TA courses

• Include names/numbers of course(s) certified in remarks on cert

17


Military Tuition Assistance (TA) and VA

• CH1606 & CH1607 Not On Active Duty– Do not certify any course for which *FEDERAL TA was received – Certify any courses for which FEDERAL TA was NOT received

• CH1607 on Active Duty:– Do not certify any course for which TA was received – Do certify any courses for which TA was NOT received– Only certify T&F applicable to NON TA courses– Student is not entitled to TATU/TOP UP

• CH1606 on ACTIVE DUTY: • Do not certify to VA AT ALL - CH1606 benefits are suspended while on active duty

18


QUESTIONS on T&F?


PUNITVIVE VS NON PUNITIVE GRADES

Punitive grades:

• A punitive grade affects the criteria to be met by the student for graduation

• It is used in determining the student's overall progress toward completion of graduation requirements

• It is a factor in computing the student's grade average or grade point average

• VA Pays for punitive grades through LDA

A failing grade

Non punitive grades:

•Doesn’t apply to the degree and they don’t affect academic progress

• grade that doesn’t count as earned credit and isn’t considered in progress standards for graduation

•It isn’t calculated into GPA and isn’t considered in academic progress criteria like probation and suspension

•VA does not pay for non punitive grades unless acceptable mitigating circumstances are provided and then, only through LDA

Has same effect as an audit

20


Reductions & Terminations

GENERAL RULEWhen a VA student interrupts or terminates his or her training, including unsatisfactory attendance, conduct or progress, or when he or she changes the number of credits or scheduled clock hours of attendance, this must be reported to VA.

Schools with an established attendance policy must monitor compliance with that policy, enforce the policy, and report terminations due to violations of the policy to VA.

Absences that do not violate the established attendance policy don’t need to be reported. This would include absences such as snow days, holidays etc.


Reductions & Terminations

NON ACCREDITED Schools AND Accredited schools who have a published attendance policy

• If a student stops attending a class/term/session for any reason:

–You must report the last date of attendance (LDA) to VA whether the grade is punitive or non punitive

–If reduction/termination is reported as w/in the drop/add and occurs w/in the first 30 days of the term the change will be treated as a punitive grade for overpayment purposes

–If your school assigns a WF (or similar) grade at the end of a term because the student stopped attending but did not officially withdraw, you must determine and report the student’s last date of attendance to VA.

•VA does not consider you to have a “published” attendance policy if your school’s policy is to let each individual instructor determine his/her own attendance policy


The Walk Away F Grade

Last year VA Central 0ffice clarified reporting requirements for changes in attendance for ACCREDITED SCHOOLS WITH NO PUBLISHED ATTENDANCE

POLICY ONLY:

– You do not need to report the last date of attendance for punitive grades

– If a student receives all punitive grades for a term you do not need to report LDA(s)

– Your school’s standards of progress should catch students who are failing routinely

– It is very important to monitor and enforce your Standards of Progress

REMEMBER: If your school assigns a NonPunitive grade you must still determine and report the student’s last date of attendance to VA within 30 days


Probation • Schools that have a period of probation can’t continue to certify a student (who

remains in a probationary status) for an indefinite period

– Generally VA allows 2 terms– Check your school and/or SAA policy

• Report when a student is placed on probation through Right Now Web (ie the Q&A section of the GI Bill website) Include in the report:

– Student’s name and VA file number– Put "Student placed on academic probation“ in the subject line– See SCO Handbook page 14 for instructions on setting up a RNW account.

• If multiple students are being reported you may submit a single notification by using the spread sheet on page 77 of the SCO handbook

• Advise student of any counseling services etc available through the school to establish a meaningful plan for resolving the student’s academic or other issues

• VA has counseling services available to these students (CH36) using VA Form 28-8832


Unsatisfactory Attendance, Conduct or Progress

What does Unsatisfactory Attendance, Progress or Conduct mean:

•It means academic suspension:

– The student is not meeting either the attendance, conduct or progress standards for his/her program and

– you are terminating their VA eligibility at your school until they are once again meeting your schools progress standards

• This means you should not be certifying any terms immediately after you have terminated a student for unsat, as they will not be payable.

•Do not use this termination reason if a student just stops attending a class(s) or is failing a class(s) and you simply need to terminate them.

•Do terminate even if the student is not returning to your school – If the student returns to the same school/program VA will resume benefits– If the student makes a change, VA may have to determine of the new program is suitable before

benefits can be resumed



When do you terminate for Unsat:

• School or SAA approval doesn’t allow a probationary certification period:

– Terminate for unsat at the end of the period during which the determination of unsat was made.

• School and SAA approval does allow a probationary certification period:

– If at the end of that period the student is still not meeting their program’s attendance and/or progress standards, you would then terminate them for unsat.

26

What LDA/EFF date do you use:

• If the student completed the term/mod/session:

• Report the last day of the term/mod/session as the LDA/EFF

• If the student stops attending before completing the term/mod/session and is later determined to be unsat at the end of that term/mod/session:

• Report last date of attendance for the LDA/EFF date

• Terminate the last term/mod/session for which the student is entitled to payment



VA-ONCE will insert the end date of the term as the default “LDA/EFF Date”.

You can change the default end of term date if it isn’t the correct date.


Student will receive a suspension letter:


Appeals

• If a student is academically suspended but the suspension is appealed and readmittance is granted:– Annotate the students file regarding the successful appeal– you do not terminate the certification– If the termination was already submitted you should recertify the

term– Check to see if any subsequent terms were affected

29


QUESTIONS?


CH 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill ~ ELECTIONS

• IMPORTANT: Individuals with an enter on active duty date (EOD) on/after 8/1/11, cannot use the same period of service to establish eligibility to CH33 & CH30, CH1606 or CH1607.

• They must make an election to which benefit the service should be credited.

• This does not effect prior periods of active duty that started prior to 8/1/11 or immediate reenlistments, which are counted as separate periods of service.

31


MISC Issues & Reminders

• VA has always required that changes to a cert be submitted within 30 days of the change

– Submit changes as soon as possible to reduce student overpayments– Make sure copies of withdrawal forms are in the student’s VA file

• VA is now also requiring that you certify a student within 30 days of the start of the term

EXCEPTIONS:

– If the student is a non CH33 who training at < ½ time • Should not be certified prior to the first day of the term• Full charged T&F are required

– You do not have required documentation to certify the student by the 30th day of the term– The student comes and asks to be certified more than 30 days into a term– NOTE: you should document in the file why you did not certify by the 30th day in such cases


MISC Issues & Reminders

• A DD214, COE and/or copy of the 1990 application are NOT required by VA for certification!

• OFFICIAL transcripts & a prior credit evaluation ARE required – VA generally allows 2 terms of certification while student is attempts to obtain official copies– Subject to your school’s published policy and SAA approval

• CH33 TOE VS Ch35 dependents in VA Once – CH33 TOE students :

• Both VA File Number and SSN fields are students SSN– CH35 dependents:

• The SSN field is the student’s SSN• The VA File number field is the veteran’s VA File number (may be the SSN or a VA assigned 8 digit #)• Each dependent is assigned a “Payee Number” (Spouse = W/10, children A/41, B/42 etc)

• Only CH33 (& Voc. Rehab – Ch31) pay the school directly – all other chapters pay student directly– the student is responsible for paying the school


QUESTIONS?


For status inquiries & student specific questions

Students or SCOs

Ask a question in GI Bill® website (Right Now Web for SCOs)

See page 14 of SCO Handbook for instructions

For general questions/status inquiries:National Call Centers:

888-442-4551 – Students

855-225-1159 - SCO dedicated phone line** DO NOT SHARE THIS # WITH STUDENTS**

For inquiries regarding a debt:Debt Management Center:

800-827-0648 www.va.gov/debtman/

[email protected] – Students

[email protected] – SCOs only

Who To Contact & GI Bill Website Resources

For Voc. Rehab (CH31) Inquiries or Questions

Your school’s Voc. Rehab Counselor


GI Bill® Website

**View** SCO Handbook•On-line SCO training•Power points

– VA Once– Chapters

•Transcripts of web-in-airs•Yellow Ribbon info•Treasury Off set Info•ARTS & SMARTS transcripts•Pamphlets•WAVE & E-Benefits

Certification, complicated student specific questions or VA Once – ELR

** Please do not share your ELRs contact info with students**

Who To Contact & GI Bill Website Resources

Compliance Issues

Your VA Education Compliance Survey SpecialistOr Your SAA Program Specialist

Keep in mind they are often out of the office performing audits and may take awhile to get back

to you

Approval issues if you are a Non Deemed approved School

Your SAA Program Specialist:


QUESTIONS?

37

Documents

VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION March 26,02015 2015 Atlanta RPO Conference XYZ Advanced SCO Refresher Training