Veterans

Veterans and Active Duty Educational Benefits

Veterans Services

The Veterans Services team is here to help veterans, active duty personnel, and dependents of veterans who use their military educational benefits at BRCC.

Which Programs & Classes Qualify for Veterans Benefits?

Most credit programs at the College are approved by the State Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Services for the payment of veteran educational benefits.

All classes that apply to your program are eligible for benefits. The number of credits needed to receive full housing allowance varies based on term, program, and credit load. Please contact the VA directly for specific questions about housing allowance amounts and book stipends.

New Veteran Students

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1. Meet with the Veterans Advisor to discuss benefit and program options.
2. Apply for your Veterans Benefits at VA.gov if you are using your benefits for the first time. If you’ve already used your benefits elsewhere, fill out the VA’s Request for Change of Program or Place of Training – Form 22-1995 instead.
3. Go to Credits2Careers and upload your military transcript to see if any of your military experience and training will count as credits towards your BRCC program. To receive an official evaluation, please submit Joint Service Transcripts directly to BRCC (see Veterans Resources for links).
4. After you’ve registered for classes, submit the following documents to the Veterans Services team.  Documents can be submitted securely through DropSecure or dropped off in person at the Welcome Desk in Houff Student Center.
   • Submit the Military Benefit Certify Eform, located in SIS.
   • Copy of your “Certificate of Eligibility” from the VA.
   • Other documents upon request

Returning Veteran Students

1. Register for classes
2. Submit a Veteran Certification Request Form for your new classes:
   • Submit the Military Benefit Certify Eform, located in SIS.

Registration and Payment Notes

• Be prepared to pay for classes if you don’t receive your Certificate of Eligibility before the tuition payment deadline. Call the VA at 1-888-442-4551 to check on your application.
• If you drop/add any classes after you have been certified, you’ll need to resubmit your certification request (we’ll contact you). The fewer changes you make, the less likely your payments will be delayed.
• Some classes utilize Follett ACCESS, in which all student tuition and fees are included in the cost of required course materials.  Students will be billed for both tuition and required electronic course materials.  Follett Access fees are not covered directly by VA benefits, they are to be paid directly by the student using VA issued book-stipend funds–book stipend funds are paid directly to the student.

VA Delayed Payment

In compliance with the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) ensures the following provisions for veteran students who may be defined as a Covered Individual.

For the purpose of this procedure, BRCC adheres to the Veterans Administration (VA) definition of a Covered Individual as any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or Chapter 33, Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. A veteran is entitled to educational assistance at the point where he/she provides proof of eligibility for benefits (Certificate of Eligibility, Statement of Benefits, or Form VAF 28-1905).

BRCC permits any Covered Individual to attend and/or participate in a course of education beginning on the date the individual provides proof of eligibility and ending on or before the following instances occur:

•  The date on which payment from the VA is made to the institution;
• 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following receipt of the Certificate of Eligibility.

BRCC will not impose any penalties on a Covered Individual, including but not limited to: late fees, denial of access to classes, libraries, institutional facilities or resources. BRCC will not require that a Covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of funding from the VA under either Chapter 31 or Chapter 33.

*Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) will not engage in high-pressure recruiting tactics when recruiting Service members. BRCC will recruit Service members through standard Outreach protocols: email, phone or text follow-up to a new application or inquiry by the Service member. BRCC will not engage in repeated attempts to recruit Service members who have indicated they are no longer interested in attending BRCC.*