• VA students receive benefits based on registration, therefore is it important to be diligent when registering for classes and making adjustments to your schedule. You must notify the VA representative of any adjustments (drops, adds and withdrawals) that you make to your schedule once you have been certified each term. Certification will start after the drop/add period for the term for which you are registered.
• VA students are only certified for courses that are applicable toward their degree; therefore it is important to meet with an academic advisor to ensure that you are registering for the appropriate classes each term. It is the VA student’s responsibility to notify the academic advisor that they are receiving VA benefits. The academic advisor can assist you with determining the appropriate classes and understanding the advising guide for your program. The advising guide serves as a guideline to determine the classes needed in order to graduate.
• All VA students are eligible to utilize the deferment process once an academic year (each academic year runs fall through summer). Students wishing to utilize the deferment option must come to the campus to request the deferment. This is not initiated by the campus VA representative and can only be used one time per academic year (no exceptions).
• Repeating Courses: The VA will only pay benefits for courses in which students have earned a satisfactory grade.  A "D" is considered satisfactory except when a "C" is required to continue in the sequence or to satisfy the "Gordon Rule" requirements for graduation.  When in doubt about the necessity of repeating a class, contact an academic advisor concerning the forgiveness policy (see catalog). Remember it is the student’s responsibility to notify the academic advisor that they are receiving VA benefits.
• Audited Coursework: Education benefits are not payable for audited courses.  Under no circumstances will the VA pay for the courses taken for audit.
• Irregular Terms: The VA student must contact the VA representative if registering for a class that begins after the regular term start date.  Otherwise, a significant delay in benefits may occur.  
• Graduating Term: If the VA student is in his/her LAST TERM (graduating term), and has a less than full-time credit course load, he/she may register for any other class (es) of their choice to be certified, as long as at least one class is a requirement toward the degree at HCC.  The student may use any credit hour course except those courses that have been completed with a passing grade.   NOTE: A "D" will be considered a passing grade except when a "C" is required.  A "D" can be used as an elective.
• Monthly Verification of Enrollment “WAVE.”  All chapter Montgomery GI Bill and 1606 students must verify enrollment on a monthly basis either by using the web site at https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave/index.do  and then go to the WAVE link, or by IVR (telephone verification) calling toll free 1-877-823-2378.  Verification letters will no longer be mailed to claimants.

• Whenever the student has an addition or loss of a dependent, the VA must be notified of the change.  A copy of the legal document to substantiate a dependent (e.g. birth certificate, divorce decree) must be provided.  
• When dependents reach the dependent eligibility cut off (as determined by the VA), they may no longer be claimed for VA benefits unless the dependent is a full-time student.   If the dependent is a full-time student, contact the VA to fill out the appropriate documentation.

Students applying to the Allied Health or Nursing Programs will be considered as non-matriculated students until the appropriate program has selected them.  These students are accepted into a program based on their GPA for prerequisite courses.

• The VA student must apply for admissions to the four-year institution and 
  
• Submit a letter to the Hillsborough Community College VA representative on school letterhead of the four-year institution with the signature of a designated official which includes the following items:

a.    Student name

b.    List of specific course credits that will be granted for them,

c.     Course will be accepted in partial fulfillment of graduation requirements for the bachelor degree

d.    The form must indicate approval as a VA student.

Upon receipt of the transient or cross-enrolled form, HCC will certify the VA student and forward paperwork to the Veterans Administration.  In this situation, HCC would be considered the supplemental school.

 Applicable for all programs except the Post 9/11 Bill*.

12 or more hours	Full Time - 100%
9 to 11 hours	3/4 Time - 75%
6 to 8 hours	1/2 Time - 50%
1 to 5 hours	Less than 1/2 time - only   eligible for cost of course

• *Post 9/11 GI Bill: Students utilizing benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill receive benefits based on a calculation of entrance into the military, service time, type of discharge and current course load. Student will receive between 40% and 100% of the benefits based on these calculations.

• The Transcript Evaluation Office can award credit for military experience.  To have military experience evaluated, the VA student will need to furnish a certified copy of either the DD-214 or DD-295 (evaluation of military experience).  Credit can be awarded for Army, Coast Guard, Marine, and Navy experience as well as for Department of Defense courses.  Courses administered by the Air Force are all shown on an official copy of the Community College of the Air Force Transcript.  Transcripts should be sent to the HCC Campus in which you are applying (campus addresses information is located at /campus-information.aspx .
• Credit for Prior Training: One of the criteria for approval of any school for veteran's training is that it reviews all prior credit and grants credits as appropriate to the VA  student’s current degree program the Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate in Science  (AS), College Credit Certificate (CCC) or Post-Secondary Adult Vocational (PSAV).  When giving prior credit, the school will grant credit for courses that specifically apply to the graduation requirement of the VA student's current degree program.  
• All prior college transcripts must be received before the evaluation is considered complete.  The VA can pay education benefits for up to 2 terms without prior credit information, but may not if records indicate that a student might have a significant amount of credits to transfer.  In such cases, a student may be currently registered for classes that may turn out to be "repeats" or exceed elective requirements and the student might have to reimburse the government for VA benefits collected for those courses. NOTE: HCC requires all transcripts to be in 30 days after the start of the first term of attendance.  After 30 days, a HOLD for missing transcripts is posted on the student record and students will not be able to register for classes until they are received.

• Students receiving VA benefits must remain in good standing, which is defined as maintaining a 2.0 grade point average (GPA).  A VA student who is not in good academic standing (below 2.0 GPA) will be granted two probationary terms to re-establish a 2.0 average.  VA students who remain below 2.0 GPA for two probationary semesters will be reported to the VA. This will result in termination of benefits.  VA students who are so reported will be referred immediately to an HCC Counselor for assessment, interests and future academic goals.  
• A VA student who desires reinstatement at HCC must submit a petition to the Academic Standards Committee, which will be accompanied by the Counselor's recommendations regarding program, course, and credit hour restrictions.   VA students who are reinstated by the Academic Standards Committee will then have their enrollment recertified to the Veterans Administration.