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Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

No, the student must complete the VA Certification Request form or at either Anderson/Easley/Oconee front desk or at TC Central located in Ruby Hicks Hall.

The VA Certification Request form must be completed each semester the student wishes to be certified with VA.

Each semester, the student will need to go through the same processes.

Once your classes are certified to VA, you will receive an email and is also available on your student portal in MyTCTC.

No, Tri-County Technical College doesn’t approve for you to receive your educational benefits.  This is handled through VA.  Tri-County Technical College however, submits your enrollment information to VA only if you have completed the VA Certification Request form and submitted it to the Registrar’s Office/Student Data Center.

You will get a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), or award letter, in the mail if VA has approved the application.  The student is required to bring it to the College or email to veterans@tctc.edu.

If student is receiving the John David Fry Scholarship, we will need a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility form (COE) to review for in-county tuition rate. Additional information pertaining to Fry Scholarship refer to https://www.va.gov/education/survivor-dependent-benefits/fry-scholarship/.

Post 9/11 GI Bill – Chapter 33

Hours are certified approximately 30 days prior to the semester you plan to attend and tuition is certified approximately 2 weeks after the semester has started.

  • Note: Tuition is only reported for Chapter 33 veterans

You can receive up to 36 months of benefits, including:

  • Tuition and fees. If you qualify for the maximum benefit, we’ll cover the full cost of public, in-state tuition and fees.
  • Money for housing (if you’re in school more than half time). We’ll base your monthly housing allowance on the cost of living where your school is located.

Money for books and supplies. You can receive up to $1,000 per school year.

This depends on when you were discharged from active duty.

After we submit the tuition/fees, it takes VA approximately 2-3 weeks

Note:  Only Required for Chapter 30 or 33

Requested so that we can determine if the student meets requirements for Choice Act. 

  • The student is not required to pay the difference between the out of state charges and the out of county charges if qualify. The county of residence stays as out of state.

If the student doesn’t qualify or we do not have documentation, the student is responsible for the difference.  

Enrollment Verification – Student Monthly Verification to VA

Starting in the 2021-2022 school year, all Post-9/11 GI Bill® students who receive Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) and/or kicker payments are required to verify their enrollment to continue receiving their payments. Read below to learn more about what enrollment verification is and how to do it. Click this link for more details. 

Students that attend an Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) facility, with terms starting on or after December 17, 2021

You can verify enrollment using the following methods:

Via Text Message

  • Students with a U.S. mobile phone number can use text messages as a simple, quick option for verifying monthly enrollment. You will receive the following opt-in text: “POST-9/11 GI BILL HOUSING AND KICKER PAYMENTS NOW REQUIRE MONTHLY ENROLLMENT VERIFICATION. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUBMIT YOURS VIA TEXT? PLEASE REPLY YES OR NO.” Reply “YES” to opt in. The text message link will expire 14 days after receipt, so please respond within that time frame
  • After opting in, you can verify your enrollment simply by responding to the following text message from VA: “DID YOU REMAIN ENROLLED IN YOUR COURSES IN MON YYYY AS CERTIFIED? PLEASE REPLY YES OR NO. IF YOU HAVE DROPPED ALL YOUR COURSES, YOU MUST REPLY NO.” Reply “YES” to verify enrollment for the previous month.
  • Please be assured that enrollment verification via text message is safe and secure. VA will neverask for your personal information, such as social security number or bank account information, via text.
  • VA strongly recommends this methodfor verifying enrollment. It will be easier and faster than calling the ECC.
  • If you’re not sure if VA has your phone number on file, please contact the Education Call Center (ECC) at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) to ensure VA has your mobile phone number.

Via Education Call Center

  • Contact the ECC at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) and ask a representative to verify enrollment on your behalf. NOTE: ECC wait times may be high due to the number of students verifying enrollment each month.
  • If you opt out of text verification and later change your mind, or need to update your mobile number on file, you can opt into text message verification by calling the ECC at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551).
  • NOTE: Videos are available to provide guidance at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/isaksonroe/verification_of_enrollment.asp

If you fail to verify enrollment for two consecutive months, your MHA/kicker payments will be placed on hold. You must take steps to verify your enrollment to have the payments released.

By regularly verifying your enrollment, you protect your GI Bill entitlement by preventing charges for classes or training you did not attend and will help you better manage and access your earned benefits, as well as help prevent overpayments.

or if/when it applies to you, contact a VA education representative at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) domestically or 001-918-781-5678 overseas.

 

VA education benefits for dependents and survivors - Chapter 35

  • Education and training
  • Money for tuition
  • Money for housing
  • Money for books and supplies

VA pays the monthly amount directly to the student. No FUNDS for tuition/fees are issued to the school from VA.

May use benefits between ages 18 and 26 (there may be exceptions, contact the VA Office).

Montgomery GI Bill – Chapters 30 and 1606

You may be eligible for benefits through one of our 2 Montgomery GI Bill programs.

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) – Chapter 30

You can get benefits through MGIB-AD if you served at least 2 years on active duty and you meet all of the requirements listed below.

Learn more about MGIB-AD at https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/montgomery-active-duty/

Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) – Chapter 1606

You can get benefits through MGIB-SR if you’re a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard Reserves, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard, and you meet all of the requirements listed below.

Learn more about MGIB-SR at https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/montgomery-selected-reserve/

Veteran Readiness and Employment Services – Chapter 31

(formerly named Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment)

VA - Vocational Rehabilitation will pay for required books. Students should inform personnel in the Campus Store that they are VA - Vocational Rehabilitation. Students can also receive up to $50.00 from a pre-approved list of supplies. Please see the Cashier’s Office in Ruby Hicks Hall located on the Pendleton Campus before purchasing your supplies.