What is expected of students:
- A certification request is required each semester when using VA education benefits.
- Students should submit their certification request (CR) after registering for the semester.
- To avoid late fees, students should submit their CR before the earliest drop date for their classes.
- Do NOT need to resubmit the form when schedule changes are made.
Veteran Services will track changes and submit to VA accordingly. Please email veteran.services@rrcc.edu if a schedule change was made and you have not seen it reflected in a new email from the VA’s system within two weeks of that change.
To request your course(s) be certified with VA:
- Register for your classes
- Log into The Rock and navigate to the Military Benefits card. You may have to search for it in Discover. *If you are requesting certification for a previous semester, please email veteran.services@rrcc.edu
- Complete the CR form. The benefit specific questions will appear once the benefit type is chosen.
- Track the status of your CR form under the ‘Submitted Certification Request’ section. Once it is listed as Approved, keep an eye on the Notifications section and your student email. We will notify you of any problems or when the certifications are submitted to VA.
- CR Status Key
- Pending = Not Processed
- Enrollment Under Review = Form processed, classes under review
- Rejected = Form needs to be resubmitted
- Closed = Student requested to not be certified
- Student Action Required = Student action required before certification can be submitted
- Submitted = Certification processed and sent to the VA
TIPS regarding VA Certification Requests:
DD214s are no longer required or requested
- If it is your first semester using VA education benefits at RRCC, please upload a pdf copy of your Certification of Eligibility (COE), Statement of Benefits (SOB), or benefit application confirmation page. If you have any issues locating the documentation, please email us at veteran.services@rrcc.edu for assistance.
- The earlier you register for classes, settle your schedule (no more changes), and submit your Certification Request, the earlier we will be able to submit your certifications to VA.
- If you are a guest student from another school, complete the Certification Request form and select ‘Guest Student from Another School.’ Be sure to upload a copy of your parent letter from your primary school. Summer Semester: for VA education benefits, 7 credit hours is considered full-time. Be sure you are full-time the entire semester AND for CH33/31 students be sure at least one class is “on-campus.”
*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.
Under the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, schools are prevented from penalizing students using Chapter 31, Veterans Readiness & Employment, or Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits due to late payments by the Department of Veterans Affairs within a 90-day window.
Schools are prevented from doing any of the following:
- Assess late fees.
- Deny access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities.
- Require the student to use or borrow additional funds to pay the institution as a result of delayed payments for educational benefits from VA.
To qualify for this protection, students must provide a copy of their Certificate of Eligibility or Statement of Benefits prior to the start of the semester.
Students who submit their Certificate of Eligibility after the start of the term may be subject to late fees due to the delayed submission.
Additionally, education institutions are still permitted to require a student using Chapter 31, Veterans Readiness & Employment, or Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill® to take the following additional actions:
- Submit verifiable and authoritative proof of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance (e.g., Certificate of Eligibility; Statement of Benefits) not later than the first day of a course of education for which the student has indicated he or she wishes to use entitlement to educational assistance.
- Submit a written request to use such entitlement.
- Provide additional information necessary to the proper certification of enrollment by the educational institution. “Additional information necessary for proper certification of enrollment” requirements need to be approved by the SAA before going into effect.
Please review the Academic Calendar to ensure you're familiar with the official start date of the term. Submitting your documentation on time helps avoid unnecessary charges and delays in processing your benefits.
For more information, please refer to Policy Protecting Students from Fees and Penalties Due to VA Payment Delay - Education and Training.
