1. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission An Update on Student Veterans, WVASFAA, Spring 2016

2. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission Contact L.G. Corder Director Office of Veterans Education and Training Student Affairs Division (304) 558-0263 lg.corder@wvhepc.edu www.wvhepc.edu

3. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission Misc. Info. Most student veterans in WV are either Ch. 33 or 1606. In February, 2016, there were 19,760 VA beneficiaries enrolled in WV institutions (86% at APUS) VA reported in 2012 that WV was 21 st in the nation for amount of VA education dollars

4. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission Misc. Info. Cont’d VA expenditures to WV in FY 15: –Ch. 33 = $28.7 million –Ch. 30 = $2.2 million –Ch. 1606&1607 = $2.1 million –Ch. 35 = $5 million –Ch. 31 = $8 million = note that Voc Rehab can include money not for education or training FY 15 Total = $46 million = down roughly 8% from FY 14 FY 14 Total = $49.8 million

5. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission Current Trends Learn and Earn Issues “Deemed Approved” Programs 5 Star Challenge Certifying concurrent enrollment Certifying contracted courses Compliance Surveys GI Bill Comparison Tool GI Bill Complaint Tool

6. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission Learn and Earn Issues Increasingly popular VA Pitfalls –The on the job portion CAN be certified to VA ONLY if certain requirements are met –1. Must be described in the school catalog as cooperative training –2. Must be no longer than the classroom training –3. Placement must be controlled by the school –4. Credit must be awarded for the OJT

7. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission “Deemed Approved” Programs Around 2011, certain programs of education at certain schools were to be considered “deemed approved” for VA purposes Lots of confusion and waffling Now, all programs will again flow through the State Approving Agency Be particularly aware of contracted courses

8. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission 5 Star Challenge All our standard public 2 and 4 year institutions accepted the Challenge Most have begun implementing the Challenge The Challenge may open to private institutions in the future

9. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission Certifying concurrent enrollment Concurrent enrollment exists when a student is pursuing courses at two different institutions at the same time and the degree granting institution has agreed to accept the courses at the non-degree granting institution Each school certifies their own classes to the VA

10. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission Contracted Courses Contracted courses exist when the degree granting institution has contracted with an outside entity to provide some portion of the program’s curriculum Contracted courses must be approved for VA enrollments = the outside entity must be approved (VA laws, State laws, etc.) The degree granting institution certifies everything

11. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission Compliance Surveys Who decides? How many? Should I be freaking out? What if I get the dreaded discrepancy? What if I was just trying to protect the veteran? What are the most common mistakes?

12. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission GI Bill Comparison Tool It’s all out there now More will come Review and report https://www.vets.gov/gi-bill-comparison-tool

13. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission GI Bill Complaint Tool Money Matters Most Very visible now These are reviewed prior to compliance surveys We are required to inquire

14. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission Time?

15. West Virginia HIGHER EDUCATION Policy Commission Thank You My supervisor: –Dr. Adam Green –adam.green@wvhepc.edu –304-558-1112