VETERANS AFFAIRS

Information

Financial Aid Office
Washington Adventist University
7600 Flower Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912-7796

Alfred Taylor | VA School Certifying Official (SCO)
301-891-4233 | altaylor@wau.edu

VETERANS CERTIFICATION GUIDELINES

Washington Adventist University cooperates with the Veterans Administration guidelines for the certification of veterans enrolled at the university. The major guidelines are outlined below for students eligible for veterans’ benefits.

Applying for benefits: Veterans should call the VA Regional Office (888-442-4551) to verify their eligibility and monthly entitlement. After being accepted, students who will be using VA benefits must contact the VA certifying official on campus and complete the appropriate form.

Student responsibility: Since the VA pays benefits only for courses that apply toward the student’s degree, it is his/her responsibility to make certain the courses he/she is taking apply toward the declared degree. Each time a student registers for, adds or drops a course, it is his/her responsibility to contact the WAU certifying official in order to be reimbursed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Concurrent registration: If a student registers at WAU and at another college or university simultaneously to take a course that will apply toward his/her degree, he/she must notify the WAU certifying official in order to get reimbursement for the class at the other school.

Notification of student class load to the VA: After the last day to register for classes each term, the certifying official will notify the VA of the class load for which each veteran is registered. A copy of the certification will be sent to the student.

Notification of change of student class load or major to the VA: The student is to inform the certifying official immediately of any change in major or class load so that the VA can be notified. Within a week after a veteran files an add/drop form with the Office of the Registrar to discontinue studies or to change class load, the certifying official informs the VA that the veteran has a changed class load status.

Release of student records to VA authorities: U.S. government guidelines indicate that the university may release confidential information, including grades, to officials from the VA without prior authorization from the student.

ENROLLMENT GUIDE FOR STUDENTS USING DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TUITION ASSISTANCE (TA)

We strongly recommend you start this process at least four weeks prior to the semester start date.

1. Apply for admission to Washington Adventist University and print your degree plan. You will need to upload your degree plan to your service component’s TA portal.
2. Meet with your academic adviser and register for courses. NB: all branches require registration prior to approval.
3. Let Alfred Taylor, VA School Certifying Official (SCO) at the Financial Aid Office know that you will be paying for your courses with TA funds.
4. Meet with your Education Services Officer (ESO) for a briefing on TA. If you need assistance in identifying or contacting your ESO, please contact Alfred Taylor at altaylor@wau.edu or 301-891-4233
5. Log into your branch education portal and follow their process for enrolling and requesting TA. You will need to make a separate request for each course with a unique start date.
6. Disclose all sources of aid. Please contact Alfred Taylor, VA SCO at altaylor@wau.edu or 301-891-4233 if you take advantage of all sources of aid to which you are entitled and to disclose any other aid you might be receiving.

Service Branch TA Portals

Each branch of the service has a specific TA process. Please select your branch portal below for the most up-to-date information.

• Air Force (Form AF 1227) | Help line: 877-596-5771, Option 7
• Army (Form DA 2171) | Help line: 800-817-9990
• Coast Guard (Form CGI 1560) | Help line: 405-954-1360
• Marine Corps (Form NAVMC 10883)
• Navy (Form NAVEDTRA 1560/5) | Help line: 877-838-1659

POLICY FOR READMISSION OF MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS

1. Scope and purpose
   Washington Adventist University acknowledges that students may be temporarily unable to attend classes or be required to suspend their studies in order to perform military service. WAU encourages such students to resume their education once a military service obligation has ended and adopts this policy to ensure the timely readmission of such students.
   In accordance with federal regulations, 34 C.F.R. § 668.18 and the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), WAU will promptly readmit servicemembers who seek readmission to a program that was interrupted due to a uniformed service obligation.
2. Eligibility
   This policy shall apply to: (1) servicemembers who are unable to attend classes for more than 30 consecutive days; and (2) servicemembers who are unable to attend classes for less than 30 days when such an absence would result in a withdrawal from the university.
   A student is eligible for readmission under this policy if, during an absence, the student performs uniformed service, voluntary or involuntary, in the Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserve, active duty, active duty for training or full-time National Guard (under federal authority). The cumulative length of all absences for uniformed service (service time only) must not exceed five years.
3. Notification
   A student must provide oral or written notice of a uniformed service obligation to the VA School Certifying Official(SCO) in the Financial Aid Office as far in advance as possible, unless precluded by military necessity. Such notice does not need to indicate when the student will return to the university.
   The student must also give oral or written notice of his/her intent to return to WAU within three years after the completion of the period of service. Immediately upon the student’s return to school, the student must provide notice that he/she may be entitled to the tuition and enrollment benefits outlined in this policy. The returning student may be required to provide supporting documentation.
   Notification under this section must be provided, by the student, to the SCO in the Financial Aid Office at altaylor@wau.edu or 301-891-4005
4. Tuition and fees
   A returning student must be charged the same tuition and fees in effect during the last academic year the student attended, unless veterans’ education benefits or other servicemember education benefits will pay the amount in excess. For subsequent academic years, the returning student may not be charged tuition and fees in excess of what other students in the program are charged.
5. Readmission requirements
   A returning student will be permitted to reenroll in the next class(es) scheduled in the same academic program, unless the student requests a later date of reenrollment or agrees to a different program. A returning student will be readmitted into the same academic program the student was enrolled in prior to the military service obligation. If the exact program no longer exists, the student must be admitted to the program that is most similar, unless the student requests or agrees to admission to a different program. Returning students will be reenrolled with the same enrollment status, number of completed credit hours, and academic standing as the last academic year of attendance.
   If the university determines that a returning student is not prepared to resume the program or is unable to complete the program, the university must make reasonable efforts to enable the student to resume or complete the program at no additional cost to the student. If such efforts are unsuccessful or place an undue hardship on the university, the university is not required to readmit the student.
   In accordance with federal regulations, returning students who receive a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge from the Armed Forces (including the National Guard and Reserves) are not eligible for readmission under this policy. However, servicemembers who receive dishonorable or bad conduct discharge may remain eligible for readmission even though they will not be entitled to the benefits outlined in this policy.

POLICY BANNING HIGH-PRESSURE RECRUITING TACTICS FOR SERVICE MEMBER ENROLLMENT

PURPOSE: Washington Adventist University complies with the Department of Defense (DoD) ban on using certain inducements, commissions and high-pressure tactics for the purpose of securing Service member enrollment in WAU as specified in the DoD Memorandum of Understanding paragraph 3.j.(3). Approved December 24, 2019.

POLICY STATEMENT: WAU abides by the DoD guidelines banning certain inducements, commissions and high-pressure recruitment tactics intended to secure the enrollment of current military service members. The University must not provide any inducements to any individual or entity to secure the enrollment of current military service members or obtain military provided tuition assistance. The University must prohibit the use of high-pressure recruitment tactics such as multiple unsolicited contacts (3 or more), including contacts by phone, email, or in-person, and engaging in same-day recruitment and registration for the purpose of securing Service member enrollments.

DEFINITIONS: Military Service Member: Active member of the “uniformed services,” consisting of the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard), the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Services.

SCOPE and EXCEPTIONS: This policy applies to all WAU staff, affiliates, and/or third parties under the control of Washington Adventist University who engage in financial compensation or incentives and/or engage in current military service member recruitment and/or enrollment.

VIOLATIONS: Any violation of these guidelines or procedures by University staff or faculty could lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

VA Tuition Assistance Refund Policy

Washington Adventist University has a policy that returns any unearned Tuition Assistance (TA) funds on a proportional basis through at least the 60 percent portion of the period for which the funds were provided.

TA funds are earned proportionally during and enrollment period with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending. In instances when a service member stops attending due to military service obligation, the university will work with the affected service member to identify solutions that will not result in student debt for the returned portion.

The percentage of return from the start of the semester up to the 60 percent of course completion for each type of semester’s lengths i.e., 8-week, 16-week and 8-week online classes is shown below:

8-week Course Withdraw submitted

16-week Course Withdraw submitted

8-week online classes

• 100% of Tuition Assistance (TA) received will be returned if the student withdraws within the first week of class, but before submission of the first assignment. The student’s request will be processed as a drop for the purpose of returning TA funds only, not for Financial Aid attendance or recalculating of aid.
• 75% of TA received of TA received will be returned if the student withdraws after submitting the first assignment and through the end of the second week of classes.
• 50% of TA received will be returned if the student withdraws after the second week of classes, but before the end of the fourth week of classes.
• 25% of TA received will be returned if the student withdraws after the fourth week of classes, but before the end of the sixth week of classes. (60% of course is completed)
• No TA received will be returned if the student withdraws after the sixth week of classes.

GI Bill Delayed Payment Policy

The university complies with the GI Bill Delayed Payment Policy.

For any student using Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill or Chapter 31 VocRehab Benefits, the university will not prevent enrolling, assess a late penalty fee, require securing alternative or additional funding or deny access to any school resources that are available to other students that have paid even if the VA has not yet paid tuition and fees.

For details regarding financial aid, see the FINANCIAL AID OFFICE  section.