0. NCACVA Spring Conference VA ONCE
March 17 ,2014

1. VA ONCE TOPICS
To access VA Once go to:
VA Once Quick Reference User Guide
Browser Compatibility
Common Error Messages
Margin and Help tabs
Undelete & Activate
Screen: Bio, Certs, VA Data, Log, history
Status Codes
Correcting a Social Security Number
Account deletions
Misc Hints, Tips, Reminders

3. Browser Compatibility
You must be using Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0) browser
All browsers are allowed to access VA-ONCE but other browsers and the most recent versions of IE are causing errors with terminations, remarks etc.
You must make sure your Pop Up Blockers are turned off
Some SCOs have had success using the Compatibility Button
BROWER COMPATIBILITY ISSUES:
“Preregistered but reduced prior to first day of term“, “Preregistered but never attended” and
“Withdrew before beginning of the term”
SCO will get an error message “Effective date must be between begin & end dates”
VA Once will not allow the LDA/EFF date populated by VA Once to be changed
VA Once will not allow you to add remarks

4. ERRORS & ISSUES OTHER COMMON ERRORS/ISSUES:
When you try to click the certs tab to leave the BIO screen you get the message “Please complete all necessary info before creating certs”
Change anything on the BIO screen and save
Change the information back and save
When you try do a new cert you get a message “If training time is less than ½ , T&F are required” and it will not let you do anything further
Use the “New Multiple” cert function
When you try to do a new cert an active duty student you get a message “T&F are required for CH30 students on active duty” and the student is not CH30 A/D
Use the “New Multiple” cert function

5. NEXT: Help, Margin, & Task Tabs

7. REMEMBER
to change the
“status and” box back to “all active” or you wont be able to find any of your active students!

8. The Margin tab will bring up helpful info & tips for whatever screen you are on.

9. Check the VA Once Quick User Reference Guide for info on Reports
Where you search & select students
Where you add programs, terms, users & change passwords
Check the VA Once Quick User Reference Guide for info on Reports

10. NEXT: BIO Screen

11. You can add any notes you want here. Only SCOs and ELRs can see them
If you enter the student’s it will notify them when you certify
If you have a Guest student check the box and fill out Primary School info
You can add any notes you want here. Only SCOs and ELRs can see them

12. VA FILE NUMBERS CH 35 ~ SURVIVORS & DEPENDENTS
ALWAYS input a full VA file number
NEVER use format from a VA letter,
the school’s student ID or school facility code for a VA File Number
CH 35 ~ SURVIVORS & DEPENDENTS
NON CH35 INCLUDING TOE & FRY
All CH35 dependents are certified under the vets “VA File Number”
Can be vets SSN OR
Can be an 8 digit VA assigned number
All CH35 dependents have a Payee Number
Used to differentiate dependents
Spouse is always W/10
Children start at A/41 & progress
If can’t find payee use “XX” on initial cert
Important to have both VA File number and Payee number correct or cert may not go into the correct file or wrong child gets paid
NON CH35 students are certified under their own SSN
VA File number = Student SSN
SSN field = Student SSN
CH33 TOE and FRY dependents are certified under their own SSN
They do not have a payee number
Payee should be set to 00

13. NEXT: Certs Screen & Status Codes

14. The highlighted cert line is the “virtual record
The highlighted cert line is the “virtual record.” You cannot do anything to the Virtual record
The info under “View Current Status” reflects the highlighted cert’s info

15. By clicking the purple arrow you can see all of the “subordinate” rows
By clicking the purple arrow you can see all of the “subordinate” rows. These reflect any amend/adjust or terminate actions that have been done.
Any action that needs to be taken can only be taken on a subordinate row.

16. VA Once Status Codes ~ Remember to click submit!
Click on this box and it brings up a flow chart of all status codes

17. VA Once Status Codes ~ Remember to click submit!
Nothing submitted to VA

19. NEXT: Remarks

20. REMARKS Top No-No’s
Please refrain from using remarks in VA ONCE whenever possible as
they knock the claim out of automatic processing
“VBA Standard” Remarks will not knock the claim out of automatic processing
Here are a few examples of remarks that should not be used:
 “T&F will be submitted as soon as possible after drop/add.” If the T&F are zero we know they are none or it or it will be submitted later.
 “Correcting attendance level with student dropped below full time.” VA Once can “read” the adjustment to determine that from the reduction in hours – a remark is not needed.
 “Reporting a decrease to tuition amount only. Tuition partially covered by Fed Tuition Assistance” OR “correcting tuition and fees only.”  We do not need to know why T&F changed. If an amended certification is done, the automated process can tell that the tuition has changed. It does not care why.

21. Here are a few examples of remarks that should be used:
REMARKS Top Yes-Yes’s
Here are a few examples of remarks that should be used:
Leave of Absence for a CH33 student  
Don’t terminate, do an amendment & insert a remark providing the dates of the LOA
Terminating the cert causes payment errors.
Active duty CH30 who is receiving Tuition Assistance for some classes & not others
Add remark telling us the names/course numbers of the courses you are certifying
Completing a change in VA Once due to a compliance Survey
Add: COMPLIANCE SURVEY REFERRAL – PLEASE NOTIFY JOHN DOE AT  WHEN CORRECTION HAS BEEN MADE. 
PLEASE INCLUDE AMOUNT OF OVER or UNDER PAYMENT.’
Breaks ~ Only need to be reported if 7 consecutive days or more & only if less than Full Time
Graduations ~ must be reported on a termination using “graduation” from the drop down menu

22. Click Modify Remarks
You will get this pop up
Click the purple arrow
Scroll down and click “other”

23. School Standard Remarks will come up Click the purple arrow
Scroll down & click “other”
Now you can type in your remark
Click “done”

24. NEXT: VA Data, Log & History Screens

25. For SOME NonCh33 students you can see entitlement and delimiting date info here
For SOME NonCh33 students you can see entitlement enrollment & delimiting date info here

26. You can enter any info you would like on the log
You can enter any info you would like on the log. Only you and the ELR can see it. It does not print anywhere.

27. Here you can see each action that has been taken, who took the action & when it was done.
It also explains what action was taken (ie cert entered, completed, submitted etc)

28. NEXT: How to Correct an SSN

29. If you need to correct a SSN you do it from the Select Student Screen, not from the BIO Screen
You will get a pop up
That lets you enter
The correct SSN
If you get this message the student already has a file under that SSN. You cannot merge the two files.
If they have a deleted/inactive your school undelete/activate it.

30. Enter the student’s info & click ok.
If the file is at another school you have to “ADD” to bring the file to your school.
You will get this pop up.
Enter the student’s info & click ok.
I suggest that you add a note to the student’s BIO screen under the correct SSN giving the bad file number.
You should then “Deactivate” the file under the bad SSN so it doesn’t show up in our list of active files but you will have access to it later if you need.

31. IMPORTANT!! If you get the pop up below and
the file with your student’s correct SSN is attached
to a different student’s name STOP.
Do NOT change anything or bring the other file
into your school.
Contact me.

32. NEXT: Account Deletions & MISC

33. ACCOUNT DELETIONS On Sunday, March 2nd, VA-ONCE was updated.
Designated Certifying Officials who had not taken a recordable action within the last 180 days were deleted
A Designated Certifying Official is listed on the 8794 & needs “submit” capability
This was a one-time action
Contact me if you need your account reestablished
Important: “View Only” users must log in by April 4th or their account will be deleted
(those I have added & those added by the school under their admin section)
Everyone will have to change their password the first time they log in after 3/2
Everyone will now have to change their password every 90 days after the initial change
Important: Anyone who does not log in once every 180 days will be deleted

34. MISC Certification Reminders ~ VA Once
Certifications are now required to be done in VA Once. You MUST get on VA Once ASAP!
Please pay attention to s entitled “VA Once Access” as I often am contacted stating I didn’t send log in info but have
If you have new programs or programs that need to be deleted in VA Once, you must update VA Once under your “admin Section”
If you have a student on active duty or a NON CH33 training at less than ½ time remember to certify T&F
Terminate VS Deactivate & Delete
If you need to stop a student’s award you use terminate in VA Once
Delete & Deactivate do not send anything to VA – they simply move students from of your list of active students on the student select page to a list of deactivated or deleted students

35. MISC, Hints, Tips, Reminders
YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING WITH A CERT ONCE ITS TERMINATED
Make sure the Cert you are trying to amend/adjust/terminate is from your school
Terminating for Unsatisfactory Progress:
Terminate the last term/session for which the student is due payment
EX: FL 2012 & SP 2013 were certified and Student is unsat at the end of FL
- Terminate the fall cert
- LDA/EFF should prepopulate with last day of FL term – double check!
You cannot change File number and/or chapter info and amend or adjust
If you have multiple reductions with differing LDAs & a termination:
You must do an “adjust” for each reduction with its individual LDA separately
Remember to reduce the T&F to reflect the reduced number of credit hours
You will then do a final “terminate” action to fully withdraw the student
You can do all of these actions on the same day