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2019-2020 Catalog

Veterans, Veteran Dependents and Service Personnel

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Veterans Upward Bound Program

The Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) program helps eligible U.S. military veterans fully develop their personal potential and achieve their academic goals. The college’s VUB staff and instructors assist eligible veterans by developing, improving and extending educational access and opportunities through academic needs assessment, instruction, enrichment and other academic support activities. The VUB program is designed to help veterans refresh their academic skills so they can prepare for and successfully complete the postsecondary education program of their choice (university, technical/community college or vocational/technical program). VUB program funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education and serves eligible veterans across the nation. 

Enrollment Opportunities for Veterans, Veteran Dependents and Service Personnel

TTC is a fully accredited institution of higher learning certified to process claims for veterans and spouses and children of deceased or 100 percent disabled veteran, with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the state of South Carolina. TTC is committed to assisting veterans, eligible spouses and dependent children, and active-duty personnel to meet their educational needs.

Veterans Assistance is available on Main, Berkeley and Palmer campuses. The TTC VA office and VET Center are staffed with TTC employees and provide information, referrals and assistance to veteran students, reservists, active-duty personnel and eligible dependents of veterans with admission, educational and vocational counseling, financial aid and other needs that affect educational progress. The telephone number at Thornley Campus is 843.574.6882.

If you feel that you may be eligible for the VA GI Bill or South Carolina state benefits, contact the VET Center located on Thornley Campus in Bldg. 740, room 201. It could take between three to six months to apply, get approval and receive funds from the VA. You should be prepared to pay your tuition, fees, expenses and instructional fees for this period. You assume full responsibility for all fees at the time of registration. You are responsible for informing the TTC Veterans Assistance office of changes in enrollment status or changes in dependency or marital status. You are responsible for keeping your address and phone numbers current with the Admissions office and Veterans Assistance office. Your benefits may be suspended or terminated if problems arise with your certification and we cannot contact you.

Educational Programs for Veterans/ Dependents and Active and Reserve Personnel

Qualified veteran students may be considered forvarious financial aid or scholarship programs. All students are encouraged to apply for all available programs. Additional information is available at the Veterans Assistance office, the Financial Aid office or by visiting TTC’s website.

Montgomery G.I. Bill (Chapter 30): This program provides 36 months of full-time benefits to veterans or military personnel in return for service to their country; a $1,200 contribution with completion of their first tour of duty under honorable conditions. These students also may qualify for VA work-study positions when available.

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Chapter 31): This program pays tuition, fees, textbooks, supplies and equipment, plus a monthly subsistence allowance to veterans with a compensable service-connected disability resulting in employment disability as determined by the VA. You must apply within 12 years of VA notification of disability compensation. Generally, benefits are payable up to 48 months for undergraduate training. Free tutorial assistance is available but must be requested as early in the semester as possible. Eligible students may qualify for VA work-study positions when available.

Dependents Educational Assistance (Chapter 35): This program provides benefits for spouses and children of veterans who, resulting from active duty, died of service-related causes or have been awarded 100 percent total permanent disability. There are many different eligibility requirements for this program. Please visit the Veterans Assistance office for help in completing your application. These students may qualify for VA work-study positions when available.

S.C. State Free Tuition Program: Children of veterans, who were either residents of South Carolina at the time of entry into service or who have resided in South Carolina for at least one year, may be eligible for the S.C. State Free Tuition Program. The program requires that the veteran served honorably in the armed forces of the United States during a period of war and either died while in service or as a direct result of service; or was a POW or MIA; or is totally or permanently disabled as determined by the Veterans Administration; or has been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The veteran, if disabled, must still reside in South Carolina. These students are not eligible for VA work-study positions unless they also receive Chapter 35 benefits.

Payment of Benefits - Chapter 35 Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (DEA): Eligible students receive benefits based on their particular VA benefit program and training time while at TTC. The Veterans Administration processes benefit payments at the end of the month for that month’s enrollment. Advance payment of the first partial month’s benefit and second full month’s benefit is available if you are entering college for the first time or you were previously enrolled but have a break of 30 days or more between sessions. The VA must receive advance pay request at least 60 days before and not more than 120 days before the beginning of each semester. Advance payment is not applicable to Chapter 33 students.

Choice Act-Section 702-Veterans, spouses, and dependents may be eligible for in-state tuition charges based on the following: the veteran lives in-state, enrolls within three years of military discharge period and has served active duty service of 90 or more days. A DD214-4 copy is required for proof of discharge. Transfer entitlement students must reside in-state and have a local address on file.

Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008: This educational program (Chapter 33 of Title 38 U.S. Code) provides benefits for individuals who served on active-duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, for at least 30 continuous days and were honorably discharged due to a service-connected disability, or served for an aggregate period ranging from 90 days to 36 months. Additional information is available at www.gibill.va.gov.

The Department of Veterans Affairs determines the payment of benefits for Summer Semester or any accelerated terms by calculating the number of whole weeks in the semester and the number of credit hours of enrollment for that semester/term. Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs if you have questions concerning your benefit calculation for accelerated terms.

Please visit the TTC Veterans Assistance office for more information regarding benefits during the Summer Semester.

Active-Duty Tuition Assistance: This program pays all or part of tuition costs for college courses taken while on active-duty. Each branch of the military administers it. Check with your Military Education office for program requirements. Tuition assistance forms should be processed through your Military Education Center and submitted to the TTC Business office well in advance of the start of the semester.

Other Resources for Dependents: Educational loans may be available through Army Relief, Navy Relief and Air Force Aid societies for qualified children or spouses of active-duty servicepersons, servicepersons who died while on active-duty or retired status, or veterans on retired status.

General Information: The federal, state or private agency administering these educational assistance programs has sole responsibility for determining eligibility and awarding benefits. Most federal VA educational benefits are payable for 10 years from the date of discharge or the date of eligibility. Generally, veterans with dishonorable discharge are not eligible. Federal or state legislation reserves the right to change, without notice, any programs and guidelines for eligibility.

Tutorial Assistance

You may receive monetary assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay a tutor, if one is required. All chapters except Chapter 31 must pay the tutor directly and then submit a claim for reimbursement for tutorial assistance to the VA. Those students who receive benefits under the S.C. State Free Tuition program only are not eligible for tutorial reimbursement. Additional information is available at TTC’s Veterans Assistance office.

Veterans Work-Study Program

There are a limited number of VA work-study positions for veterans attending college in the Charleston area. The Department of Veterans Affairs pays minimum wage for this work. These wages are tax-free.

Receiving Benefits

As a student receiving VA educational benefits, you may receive benefits only for those courses that are required for graduation in your major. In addition, the VA will not pay for audited courses or courses for which you have already received transfer credit or received a passing grade. The VA pays benefits for courses that are repeated if the courses are within the program outline and were previously failed. Note: The Department of VA will not pay benefits for online developmental or bridge courses.

Transfer Credit

Students receiving VA benefits must submit their military and/or college transcripts to the TTC Admissions office no later than the end of the second semester of enrollment at TTC. TTC’s VA office will process enrollment certifications for only two semesters pending prior credit evaluations.

Repeat Course Policy

VA students receiving educational benefits payments will not be certified for a remedial course on a third attempt when the grade of “U” has been earned. Students receiving the S.C. State Free Tuition program will not have tuition waived for a remedial course on a third attempt when the grade of “U” has been earned.

Veterans Tuition Payments

All veteran students, with the exception of Chapter 33/100% entitlements, Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment and South Carolina State Free Tuition recipients, are required to pay their tuition and fees by the deadline date published in TTC’s On Course. These payments are due without regard to your educational benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Contact the Veterans Assistance office on Thornley Campus in Building 410 or call 843.574.6105 for additional information.

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), this school adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA.  This school will not:

  • Prevent the student’s enrollment;
  • Assess a late penalty fee to;
  • Require student secure alternative or additional funding;
  • Deny their access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to provide Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility (or its equivalent) or for Chapter 31, VA VR&E’s contract with the school on VA Form 28-1905 by the first day of class. 

Additional information is available at www.va.gov and https://www.tridenttech.edu/student/help/military/st_milfinaid.htm

 

VA Certification for Online Courses

In order to meet VA certification requirements for off-campus courses such as practica, internships/ externships and residencies, as well as courses offered via the Internet or other modes of distance learning, TTC acknowledges that these courses are part of the college’s approved curriculum, are directly supervised by the college, are measured in the same unit as other courses, are required for graduation, and are part of a program of study approved by the State Approving Agency. Students should contact a school certifying official regarding hybrid classes and VA guidelines. The college requires that the faculty teaching these courses use a grading system similar to the grading system used in resident courses and include statements in the course syllabus that indicate that appropriate assignments are needed for the completion of the course and that the student is expected to demonstrate, at least once a week, that he/she is actively involved in the class. Examples of activities that can be used to demonstrate this involvement include, but are not limited to, the following: posting/receiving emails, participating in online class discussions and class chat rooms, and completing and submitting course assignments. Further, TTC requires that these courses have schedules of time for training and instruction which demonstrate that students shall spend at least as much time in preparation, instruction and training as is normally required by the college for its resident courses.