1. North Carolina State Approving Agency
Dr. Joseph Wescott II, Executive Director, NC SAA

2. History FDR signs GI Bill of Rights
Congress recognizes responsibility of States to determine education of their citizens
Late State Approving Agencies created;
1940’s overseen by Governor, but funded by the VA
Today A cooperative and successful combined federal-state program!

3. NC SAA Staff Joseph Wescott II, Executive Director Program Specialists
Elizabeth Kelly
Jay Fitzgerald
Meghan-Joy Woodall
Jenne Herbst, Program Assistant
Eva Nehring, Executive Assistant / APP & OJT Liaison

4. And of course--THE VA-ELIGIBLE STUDENTS
The Players
The “Triad” VA
SAA
Institution/SCO
Other players ED
DoL
FAA
Accrediting agencies
State L&C agencies
And of course--THE VA-ELIGIBLE STUDENTS
Mutual trust,
Mutual dependence!

5. It Takes A Team! SAA & VA collaborate to help you
Interpret laws and regulations
Maintain integrity of programs
Train the SCOs
Encourage greater use of VA benefits
Help your school better serve veterans! VA
VA Central Office (VACO)
Regional Processing Office (RPO)
Education Liaison Rep (ELR)
State Approving Agency (SAA)
School Certifying Official (SCO)

6. Mission & Responsibility
NC SAA
Mission & Responsibility
To ensure quality instruction, appropriate administration, and fair and equitable practices for every veteran (and eligible person) who enters a NC SAA-approved educational program.
We do this by:
Validating and approving educational courses and programs to be pursued by veterans and eligible persons
Overseeing North Carolina’s educational institutions, and ensuring compliance with federal and state guidelines
Ensuring the interests and prerogatives of the State are preserved in both processes

7. NC SAA Program Specialists’ Assignments*
All: Public and Private Universities, Community Colleges
Elizabeth Kelly: On-Military-Base, Truck, Beauty, Barber
Jay Fitzgerald: Religious Exempt Institutions & Nursing
Meghan-Joy Woodall: Trade, Business, Hospitals, Massage
Joseph Wescott: Flight, High Schools, L&C, new applications
* Note: Some assignment overlap occurs based on workload

8. Our Partnership with You
NC SAA
Our Partnership with You
Approvals
Evaluate educational programs for approval
Provide written evaluations and approvals to VA and the schools  
Inspections and Compliance Survey Visits
Visit and inspect each new/active educational institution
Confirm compliance for approved courses and programs  
Technical Assistance
Respond to institutional and veteran requests for information and assistance
Provide written reports to DVA, as requested
Maintain records and files for the State of North Carolina

9. NC SAA
The Approval
This is THE document that actually conveys State / DVA approval for educational programs to be considered for payment under the GI Bill™.
Your Approval contains…
General information about your school
Programs and hours that are approved (or EXCLUDED…)
Calendars, tuition and fees
Unique programs or policies (Remedial / Branches, others…)
Requirements specific to your institution

12. NC SAA The Approval Remember:
Every approval is different! It is specific to your school or institution, and is based upon your catalog and applicable state and federal law.
You should read/review your approval annually, and comply daily.
Many of your questions are answered here. Keep it handy!

13. NC SAA The Approval The Addendum… A unique NC SAA Form that contains…
The General Information section from the Approval, AND
A specific change to the Approval
Corrects or changes some portion of an Approval
Examples:
Changes to the academic calendar date (after published)
Change of policy in Requirements section
Delete a program or change the hours approved for a program

14. NC SAA The Approval The Addendum…
Addenda are ed to you with instructions
Supersedes the original information in the Approval
Print a copy of the Addendum and add it to the Approval
Comply with the Addendum changes

16. Important Special Interest Items
NC SAA
Important Special Interest Items
Prior Credit
High School Transcripts
The DVA Form
Continuing Education
Remedial Education

17. Important Special Interest Items
NC SAA
Important Special Interest Items
Prior Credit/Transcripts
Must be evaluated and recorded (by law…) prior to enrollment OR within 2-terms.
This means you must have official transcripts of all previous training on file.
Must have proof of prior credit evaluation in the student file.
However, if a transcript cannot be obtained, you may continue to certify enrollment as long as the student has matriculated. Reviews of prior credit policies will be conducted during compliance surveys and treated as approval issues if the school is not complying. Bottom line: GET TRANSCRIPTS!

18. Important Special Interest Items
NC SAA
Important Special Interest Items
High School Transcripts: Are they required?
Depends on your school and on your Approval…
If HS transcripts document “part” of admission process, YES!
Schools that teach degree / IHL programs generally require HS transcripts for new (freshmen) admissions
Private and Proprietary schools are “generally” required to meet State standards
NCD / Diploma / Certificate programs generally require “proof of high school completion” OR “ability to benefit”

19. Important Special Interest Items
NC SAA
Important Special Interest Items
VA Form “Designation of Certifying Officials”
When there are changes, submit a new form to DVA and a copy of same to NC SAA.
Be sure to include full contact information for each certifying official
Name, phone and fax number and address for each certifying official in the appropriate box.
The Approving Official must sign box 7.

20. Important Special Interest Items
Continuing Education Courses
Generally these courses are not approved.
All courses must lead to a vocational objective, i.e. a job.
Few exceptions: state licensed, state mandates, etc.
Contract courses:
Both the contractor and host institution must be approved.
Questions of academic quality control, awarding of credit, certification and records management.

21. NC SAA Remedial Training
Computer based remedial content may be certified if it meets the following conditions:
It is delivered in a classroom on campus (set time and place).
Attendance is taken.
An instructor is present at all times to facilitate and answer questions.
Coursework is organized in such a fashion that students are working on the same material during the class period.
Remember: Remedial courses may not be certified if they are offered as independent study, distance learning, or hybrid course delivery.

22. Re-Application Process
NC SAA
Re-Application Process
The Approval Process is extremely important! The success of that process rests on your application!
Three important points:
AO must sign the application, certification (CA) & addendum
Everything must be in one complete package, in hard copy, via US Post.
With the exception of the catalogs, all materials MUST be single-sided

23. Re-Application Process
NC SAA
Re-Application Process
The application itself – 1 page (10 pages – NCD application)
Required attachments/enclosures
Two copies of the catalog/handbook/bulletin
Two catalog certification addenda
Latest accreditation letter
(When applicable) Licensure letter
Mark-up of last Approval (write in the updated info)
Calendar and Tuition & Fees (if not in catalog)
NC SAA Application Checklist (completed by the SCO)

24. Re-Application Process
NC SAA
Re-Application Process

25. Re-Application Process
NC SAA
Re-Application Process

26. Re-Application Process
NC SAA
Re-Application Process

27. Re-Application Process
NC SAA
Re-Application Process

28. Compliance Survey Process
NC SAA
Compliance Survey Process
NC SAA assists DVA with this responsibility
NC SAA schedules visits with the institution
NC SAA Program Specialist conducts on-site visit reviewing:
Process Management (prior credit evaluation, timeliness/accuracy of certifications, attendance, etc.)
Records Management (required documentation is present)
Visit reports maintained at NC SAA with copy sent to DVA
Inspection discrepancies (if any) require resolution with documentation of corrective action to NC SAA (approval issues) or referral to DVA (payment issues).
Expanded audits:
≥ 30% Financial discrepancies
≥ 50% Discrepancies of any type

29. Record Keeping Requirements ADMISSIONS/REGISTRATION
DOCUMENTATION A.
Copy of student’s Application for Admission B.
Copy of high school transcript for Entering Freshman and Transfer Students C.
Copies of transcripts for all post secondary education with chosen Curriculum “Transfer Credit” clearly documented. D.
Copy of student’s current Curriculum with: (1) All to-date credits and transfer credits clearly identified and, (2) If applicable, a prior credit re-assessment if student changes programs with new Curriculum record annotated accordingly. E.
Copy of Remedial/Deficiency test scores (if applicable) F.
Copies of Student Schedules with “non-Curriculum” course selections, i.e. not VA benefit eligible, clearly identified. G.
Copies of completed Drop/Withdrawal forms H.
Copies of Plan of Study course substitution approvals (if applicable) I.
Copy of current academic transcript J.
Copy of student ‘Attendance Records’ for clock-hour programs (if applicable)
VA DOCUMENTATION a)
(Optional) Copy of Application for VA Education Benefits (VA Form 1990) if available b)
Copies of all Enrollment Certifications (VA Form ) to include Remedial/Deficiency CH (if applicable) identified separate from Curriculum CH c)
Copies of all Changes in Student Status (VA Form 1999b); Amend, Adjust, Terminate d)
Copies of Request for Change of Place of Training (VA Form 1995/5495) e)
(Optional) Copies of DD-214s, Certificate of Eligibility and NOBEs as available f)
Reporting fees usage

30. NC SAA Responsibilities include: Our Service to You:
335 separate institutions of learning, plus 41 branch locations  
Our Service to You:
Conducted 76 Compliance Survey visits and 40 inspection & technical assistance visits
Processed 38 requests for new approvals, resulting in 5 new institutions
Reviewed and completed 451 applications for program re-approval (catalogs and branch campuses)
Evaluated and approved over 6,000 individual programs
Hundreds of technical assistance phone calls and s
*As of September 1, 2016

31. NC SAA
A New Mission
Apprenticeship and On The Job Training Program Approval & Compliance
122 training establishments
*As of September 1, 2016

32. Evolution of the New GI Bill
A New GI Bill
Evolution of the New GI Bill
The Post 9/11 GI Bill
Public Law
Public Law
Principles of Excellence (Executive Order 13607)
Public Law
Public Law

33. A New GI Bill
The Post 9/11 GI Bill became effective August 1, It mandated that:
Tuition and Fees paid directly to institutions and basic allowance housing paid to students. It also provided for a book allowance of $1000.

34. Public Law 111-377 Public Law 111-377 became effective October 1, 2011
Provided for more programs and more potential beneficiaries
Equally important, it changed State/Federal approval authorities and SAAs acquired new role of assisting VA with Compliance Surveys

35. Public Law
Accredited, public & non-profit degree programs “deemed” approved without continuing State review
States no longer process approvals for public and non- profit private institutions
Approval AND disapproval authority given to U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs

36. A New GI Bill
Public Law Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans
Signed on January 10, 2013, mandates, among other things...
A centralized mechanism for tracking/publishing feedback from students and SAA regarding quality of instruction, recruiting practices, and post-graduation employment placement of institutions of higher education.
SAA’s will share with accrediting agencies or associations information regarding the SAA’s evaluation of an IHL.

37. A New GI Bill VA & NASAA Initiatives
National VA Online Feedback (Complaint) System
A centralized online reporting system; launched in Jan 2014
Report violations of the Principles of Excellence (E.O )
Report negative experiences with educational institutions
Identify and address unfair, deceptive, misleading practices
An attempt to ensure high quality academic and student support services

38. A New GI Bill VA & NASAA Initiatives VA Online Comparison Tool
Launched in February 2014
Easier to calculate Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and learn more about VA’s approved colleges, universities and other education and training programs across the country.
Compliance Survey Redesign Workgroup (CSRWG)
Led to existing NASAA/VA Joint Advisory Committee

39. H.R. 3230 – Veterans Access, Choice, & Accountability Act of 2014
A New GI Bill
H.R – Veterans Access, Choice, & Accountability Act of 2014
Signed into law August 8, 2014, as Public Law
Primarily addressed veterans’ health matters
Expanded Fry Scholarship eligibility to spouses

40. Veterans Access, Choice, & Accountability Act of 2014
Public Law
Veterans Access, Choice, & Accountability Act of 2014
Public IHLs and In-State Tuition
Beginning July 1, 2015: SAAs will not approve programs for which “covered” students, regardless of residency, are charged T&F that are higher than the in-state rate
“Covered individuals” are
Ch 30 and Ch 33 vets discharged or released from active duty (≥ 90 days) less than 3 years before enrollment in the program, and
Ch 33 Fry Scholarship beneficiaries and TOE recipients
But: IHL may require covered individual to demonstrate intent to become resident
Can require any type of proof of intent except “physical presence”
NOTE: NC is compliant with the law

41. Public Law
Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016
Section 401 would amend section 701(d) of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law ) to treat deaths of service members that occurred between September 11, 2001, and December 31, 2005, as if they had occurred on January 1, 2006, for purposes of that section. This change would effectively extend for five years a surviving spouse’s eligibility for the Fry Scholarship if his or her spouse died between September 11, 2001 and December 31, The changes made by section 401 would apply to terms of study beginning on or after January 1, 2015.
Section 406 would provide an additional period of five years, from June 30, 2017, to June 30, 2022, during which a student may receive a work-study allowance for performing outreach services for a state approving agency, providing hospital and domiciliary care and medical treatment to veterans in a State home, or performing an activity relating to the administration of a national cemetery or a State veterans’ cemetery.
Section 407 would modify section 3684 of title 38 so that an “educational institution” for purposes of reporting to VA enrollments in education programs would include a group, district, or consortium of separately accredited educational institutions located in the same state that are organized in a manner that facilitates the centralized reporting of enrollments in the group, district, or consortium of institutions.

42. Public Law
Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016
Section 408 amends section 3672 of title 38 so that an education program would be deemed approved for purposes of VA education benefits only if a state approving agency determines that the program meets the deemed-approved criteria. It would also modify section 3675 of title 38 so that a program that is not subject to approval under section 3672 of title 38 may be approved by a state approving agency or VA acting in the role of a state approving agency when the criteria for approval of accredited programs at for-profit institutions are met.
Section 409 amends chapter 36 of title 38 to require both accredited and non-accredited programs that are designed to prepare an individual for licensure or certification in a state to meet any instructional curriculum licensure or certification requirements of the state in order to be approved for purposes of VA education benefits.
Section 410 modifies section 3676 so that additional criteria may be required only if the Secretary, in consultation with the state approving agency and pursuant to regulations prescribed to carry out this requirement, determines that the additional criteria are necessary and treat public, private, and proprietary for-profit educational institutions equitably.

43. Public Law
Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016
Section 411 amends section 3693 of title 38 to provide that VA generally must conduct an annual compliance survey of educational institutions and training establishments offering approved courses if at least 20 veterans or other VA beneficiaries are enrolled in its courses. VA must, in consultation with state approving agencies, annually determine the parameters of the surveys and not later than September 1 of each year make available to the state approving agencies a list of educational institutions and training establishments that will be surveyed during the next fiscal year.
Section 412 would change the rates of the reporting fees that are paid to educational institutions for each educational assistance beneficiary for that calendar year. The rates would change from $9 and $13 per student to $6 and $12 per student until September 25, From September 26, 2017, to September 25, 2026, the rates would be $7 and $12 per student.

44. Public Law
Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016
Section 415 would require VA counselors providing services pursuant to section 3697A of title 38 to provide information about articulation agreements related to educational institutions in which the counseled individual is interested in attending. This section would also require VA to include information on such counseling services and the availability of information on articulation agreements in any certification of eligibility for educational assistance that it provides to an eligible individual.
Section 417 would amend section 3679(c)(2)(B) of title 38 to specify that a covered individual includes someone using education benefits transferred to them under section 3319 of title 38 when the person who transferred benefits is a veteran within three years of separation from active duty or a member of the uniformed services described in section 3319(b). Under this section, VA would be required to disapprove courses in which these covered individuals are charged more than the in-state tuition rate charged to residents of the State for the same program. This change would apply to courses and terms beginning after July 1, 2017.

45. 2017 1st Quarter Conferences & Roundtables
Future of the GI Bill
2017 1st Quarter Conferences & Roundtables
February 7th – House Veterans Affair Committee (HVAC) Roundtable on the National Veteran Education Success Tracker (NVEST) report
February 9th -11th – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) Conference
February 11th -14th – National Association of State Approving Agencies (NASAA)
February 22nd – Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Symposium on the Integrity of the GI Bill
February 23rd – American Legion 57th Washington Conference: The State of Credentialing of Service Members and Veterans
March 9th – House Veterans Affair Committee (HVAC) Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Roundtable on Modern Learning Methodologies and the GI Bill
March 26-29th – North Carolina Association of Coordinators of Veterans Affairs (NCACVA)

46. February 7th, 2017 HVAC Roundtable
Future of the GI Bill
February 7th, HVAC Roundtable
Two primary questions provide the focus of the first of three NVEST reports which will be published this year. 1. What are the post-secondary academic outcomes of student veterans who used the Post-9/11 GI Bill between August 9, 2009 through December 31, 2013? 2. In its first six years, what has the Post-9/11 GI Bill produced in terms of degrees and graduates?

47. Post-secondary Student Veteran Outcomes
Future of the GI Bill
Post-secondary Student Veteran Outcomes
COMPLETED 54%
PERSISTING
18%
ATTRITION
28%
SUCCESS RATE
72%

48. Future of the GI Bill

49. The Future of the GI Bill: Opportunities and Challenges
One GI Bill
Enhanced VA Automation
New Trends In Education & Training
On line/Distance Education
Competency Based Education
Accelerated Training Modules & New Methodologies

50. Thank you! Any questions?