Serving Those Who Serve

A student who is entitled to education assistance under any of the available Veterans Administration Education Benefits is expected to provide the Certificate of Eligibility or Statement of Benefits to the Certifying Official no later than the start of the initial semester in which the entitlement is intended to be used. In addition, each semester the student must submit a written request (VA Benefits eForm) as confirmation of their intention to use the entitlement before the Enrollment/Tuition and Fees Certification can be reported by the Certifying Official to Veterans Administration for processing.

If you’re considering taking advantage of the education benefits offered by Veterans Affairs,  first ensure that the VA deems you eligible for those benefits and that it has your chosen course of study on an approved list. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website states who is eligible for education benefits. The Veterans Online Application website also outlines the forms needed to support an initial application for those benefits. For questions on the GI Bill®, call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551).

Pursuant to Section 103 of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, a student who is entitled to education assistance under chapter 31‐Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or chapter 33‐Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits will be permitted to attend and participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date in which the student submits a written request to use such entitlement and ending on the earlier of the following dates:

• The date on which payment from the Veterans Administration is made to the institution
• 90 days after the date the institution submitted a certification of enrollment/tuition and fees to Veterans Administration

Harrisburg University will not impose any penalty, including late fees, limited access to university resources, or require additional borrowed funds on any eligible student due to the inability to meet their financial obligation to the university based on delayed disbursement of Veterans Administration funding.

A student who is entitled to education assistance under any of the available Veterans Administration  Education Benefits is expected to provide the Certificate of Eligibility or Statement of Benefits to the  Certifying Official no later than the start of the initial semester in which the entitlement is intended to be used. In addition, each semester the student must submit a written request (VA Benefits eForm) as confirmation of their intention to use the entitlement before the Enrollment/Tuition and Fees Certification can be reported by the Certifying Official to Veterans Administration for processing.

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If a student is called to active duty by the National Guard or the reserve forces of the United States during an active semester, they should provide documentation of their call to active duty to the Certifying Official. The below procedure will then apply:

1. Course Registration/Grades
The student will be given an option to have courses dropped or an “I” (Incomplete) grade assigned to each of their courses. The assigning of an “Incomplete” is by mutual consent of the faculty member and the student and an appropriate completion date is to be assigned. If the active duty call occurs late in the term, the faculty member also has the option of assigning a final grade rather than the “I” grade.

2. Tuition
Tuition charges will be canceled or refunded‐in full‐ for all courses dropped. Courses in which the grade of “I” or a final grade is assigned will have applicable tuition assessed. The student must coordinate with the Certifying Official to address any overpayment or other financial considerations with Veterans Administration funding.

3. Housing
If the student resides in campus housing, they should initiate a discussion with Residence Life Staff.

4. Student Record:
The Student record will be kept active for one year from the later of the following dates, after which the student would be eligible for re‐admission:
‐ Effective date of dropped course(s)
‐ End of the final completed semester
‐ Latest deadline of assigned “I” grade

Under the following conditions, a student may receive academic credit for training programs completed while serving in the U. S. Armed Services:

1. The student must present a copy of the discharge notice (completed DD-214 form)

2. The veteran’s military occupational specialty (MOS) designation must appear on the discharge

3. The student’s MOS is described in the American Council on Education’s Educational Experiences in The Armed Services volumes 1-3.

Credit is awarded based upon the ACE recommendation and the closeness of the match between the training program and a University course.

Developed by the PNGAS Education Advisory Council, the PNGAS Guard-Friendly School standards were designed to recognize colleges, universities, and trade schools that meet or exceed ten (10) baseline criteria that create a supportive learning environment to assist members of the Pennsylvania Guard pursuing post-secondary degrees.