Frequency Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below you will find answers to some frequently asked questions about using VA Education Benefits at Hudson Valley Community College.

VA Benefit Certification

When does Hudson Valley Community College certify students under VA Benefits?

Students are certified under Chapter 30, 33, 35, and 1606 benefits once the college has been provided with a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), Statement of Benefits, or having a confirmation screen showing that the proper application has been submitted to the VA to determine eligibility and the student has completed a Veteran Tuition Deferral with the Registrar’s Office. Students are encouraged to monitor their HVCC e-mail accounts for any confirmation e-mails as your VA Tuition Deferral is processed by the Registrar’s Office and Cashier’s Office.

When should HVCC students complete a Veteran Tuition Deferral?

Students should complete a Veteran Tuition Deferral immediately after completing course registration. Students are required to complete a Veteran Tuition Deferral every semester (Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter) if they wish to utilize VA Benefits at HVCC. If a student doesn’t complete a Veteran Tuition Deferral, they will not be certified with the VA.

What happens when a student makes a course schedule change?

If a student makes a change to their course schedule, it must be reported to the VA by a School Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office. After this change is reported to the VA, there could a debt that is owed to the VA.

What happens when a student changes their major?

When a student changes their major, this needs to be communicated to a School Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office.

Can a student use two different benefits directly received from the VA?

Unfortunately, a student is only able to utilize one benefit at a time through the VA.

What classes can a student be certified for?

Students are able to be certified for courses that are needed for the completion of an approved program of study at HVCC. Exceptions are possible when a student is in their last semester of a program or considered a non-matriculated student. To see if you are eligible for an exception, please reach out to a School Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office.

Can a student retake a course and be certified with the VA?

If a student takes a course and completes the course toward a program requirement, the course cannot be certified again with the VA. If the student fails a course or needs a higher grade for a remaining program requirement and retakes the course, the course can be re-certified with the VA. Please note if this second attempt is failed, the student could be responsible for the associated repayment of tuition, fees and stipend funds.

I failed a course; what happens?

If this was your first attempt and you passed your other courses, this will not create a debt with the VA. If this is not your first attempt, please reach out to a School Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office.

My address has changed, should I let HVCC or the VA know?

If your address changes, you should notify the VA and HVCC as soon as possible to prevent missing any relevant information. To notify HVCC, please login to your WIReD account to change your address.

What happens to my VA Benefits when I am not a full-time student?

VA Benefits are based on the number of credits that are certifiable with the VA. If you are not considered a full-time student, your payment rate could be impacted. Current payment rates are available directly from the VA. Please see current VA education benefit rates.

I am currently using Chapter 30 or Chapter 1606 Benefits, and still haven’t received a monthly stipend from the VA?

If you still haven’t verified your monthly attendance with the VA, this will impact you receiving a monthly stipend from the VA. Please see the VA verify your school enrollment webpage.

If all documentation is submitted, when does the college certify students with the VA?

We try to certify all VA benefits around 30 days before enrollment begins.  For students receiving Chapter 33 benefits, to be compliant with VA regulation for "zero tuition and fees” certification, your first certification will include hours certified and tuition and fees reported as $0.00.  A second certification will be submitted to the VA after the add/drop period for the enrollment period, which will include associated tuition and fees. 

Are there any important deadlines when using VA Benefits directly through the VA?

There are no important deadlines that are related to certification of your VA benefits with the VA. However, there are registration and billing deadlines that you need to be aware of that could have an impact on your attendance at HVCC.

Is my program of study approved with the VA?

Programs of study that have been approved with the VA will appear on WEAMS. Once on WEAMS, you can click on the “Programs” tab, and then view degree and certificate programs that have been approved with the VA.

Monthly Enrollment Verification

How do I meet the Monthly Enrollment Verification requirement with the VA?

Please remember that monthly enrollment verification, through text message, email or online through VA.gov, is required by the VA depending on your VA benefit. For Post 9/11 recipients scheduled to receive MHA and students scheduled to receive kicker payments, failure to comply with Monthly Enrollment Verification after two consecutive months will result in the MHA/Kicker payments being suspended until enrollment is verified. To find out more about this requirement, please review the GI Bill enrollment verification FAQs on the VA website.

Chapter 33 Benefits

Does the VA pay my Vehicle Registration Fee at the college?

Unfortunately, no. The vehicle registration fee is not a mandatory fee for all HVCC students, and we are not able to certify this fee with the VA.

How long does it take for a student to receive their book and supplies stipend?

Timing for students to receive their book and supplies stipend is based on various factors, including when a student submits a Veteran Tuition Deferral, when a School Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office submits the certification to the VA, and the processing time of the VA. VA processing time can vary, and generally takes approximately two to six weeks. Any stipend payment that a student is eligible for is normally sent directly to the student when any eligible payment for tuition and fees is sent to HVCC.

What is the timing of a student receiving a housing stipend?

For every month that a student is certified and attendance verified by the student with the VA, a student will receive their housing stipend at the beginning of the next month. For example, November’s payment is received at the beginning of December. Note: Enrollments that are not full monthly enrollments to be verified with the VA will be pro-rated.

How is entitlement transferred for Chapter 33 Benefits?

The military member needs to notify the VA through the completion of a transfer of entitlement request. Please see additional guidance from the VA Transfer your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits webpage.

Does HVCC participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program?

No. HVCC doesn’t participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program because students are not being assessed tuition and fees above in-state tuition rates.

Financial Aid

Can I receive Chapter 33 Benefits with Financial Aid?

Your entitlement under Chapter 33 Benefits will impact your ability to receive Federal and State Financial Aid. Students who are entitled to 100 percent Chapter 33 benefits are not eligible for State Financial Aid, but could be eligible for Federal Financial Aid. Federal Aid is need-based and includes: Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, TEACH Grant, Pell Grant, FSEOG Grant, and Federal Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS Loans). State Aid is need-based and based on Chapter 33 entitlement and includes: NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Veteran Tuition Award (VTA), and Excelsior Scholarship.

Can I Receive Chapter 30, 1606, and 35 Benefits with Financial Aid?

Yes. Federal Aid is need-based and includes: Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, TEACH Grant, Pell Grant, FSEOG Grant, and Federal Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS Loans). State Aid is need based includes: NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Veteran Tuition Award (VTA), and Excelsior Scholarship.

Can I Receive Chapter 31 Benefits with Financial Aid?

Yes. Federal Aid is need-based and includes: Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, TEACH Grant, Pell Grant, FSEOG Grant, and Federal Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS Loans). You would not be eligible for NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Veteran Tuition Award (VTA), and Excelsior Scholarship, which are considered duplicate benefits with Chapter 31 benefits.

Payment

If I am receiving VA Benefits, when will my benefit be reflected on my bill?

When a student is certified under Chapter 33 or Chapter 31 benefits, these payments are sent to HVCC directly from the VA. Once payment is received from the VA, it will be reflected on the student’s semester bill. While the college waits for payment, a student’s Veteran Tuition Deferral creates a memo on the semester bill for all VA Benefits, except Chapter 31. Chapter 31 students receive a memo on the semester bill once a purchase order is received from a vocational rehabilitation counselor. All other Chapters will receive a memo once a student’s Veteran Tuition Deferral is processed, but payment is submitted to the Cashier’s Office directly from the student.

Book stipends, housing stipends and monthly stipends (benefits other than Chapter 31 and 33) for eligible students will be sent to the student directly from the VA. These stipends are not indicated by a memo on a student’s semester bill.

What about holds that impact registration?

If a student fails to pay the full semester balance with the Cashier’s Office after the semester Veteran Tuition Deferral date, a hold will be placed on the student’s record that will prevent registration for a future semester. A student can contact our Cashier’s Office for the actual date this will happen based on their situation.

Do I need a Certificate of Residence?

The Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA) mandates that public colleges and universities charge qualifying veterans and their dependents in-state tuition rates. This means that you may not be obligated to submit a Certificate of Residence (COR). However, we would like to kindly request that you do so. When a COR is submitted, HVCC receives funding from the student's county and this funding directly contributes to the resources and services we are able to provide to all of our students.

• Please note that this is a request and not a requirement. Your decision to submit a COR will not impact your tuition status or your educational experience at our institution.
• If you have any questions or need assistance with the COR, please contact a SCO in the Registrar's Office or the Veterans Resource & Outreach Center (VETROC) to discuss.

What happens if my VA Benefits are not fully covering the cost of attendance at HVCC?

If your VA Benefits don’t cover the full cost of attendance, you may need to seek other funding sources (Financial Aid, Third-Party Payment, Payment Plans, Out-of-Pocket, etc.).

Joint Services Transcript (JST)

Can I receive credit for my military training?

In order to receive credit for military service, a student must be matriculated at the college and the transferred credit must apply toward a requirement in the student’s program. A student seeking credit for military training should contact their academic department to discuss the process with an academic advisor. A student seeking credit must provide an official Joint Services transcript.

Transfer credit will appear on the Hudson Valley Community College transcript with a “T” entered in the grade column and the credit will not be factored into the student’s GPA calculation. Refer to the Residency Policy to determine how many credits can be transferred toward program requirements. Courses from institutions within the SUNY system designated as General Education courses or identified as Transfer Path courses will transfer in accordance with the SUNY Seamless Transfer Policy provided the transfer credit applies toward a requirement of the student’s program.

CHAMPVA Health Insurance Benefit

What is the process to receive Proof of Enrollment for CHAMPVA Health Insurance Benefits?

Please download and print the CHAMPVA School Enrollment Certification Letter (PDF) and bring it to a School Certifying Official (SCO) in the Registrar’s Office to complete. We will provide you with a copy of the completed form and fax the completed form to the VA for processing.