Receiving Your Veteran's Benefits

The following is important information in order to receive your GI Bill® benefits and stay on track as much as possible. It is important for you to be in contact with the Veterans Programs Office each quarter that you wish to receive benefits.

Course Approval

All students are required to submit a Student Responsibility Form. This form only needs to be submitted one time, UNLESS there are changes to your VA Benefit Chapter or your degree plan. Any changes to your chapter or your degree plan necessitate a new form.  

All students are also required to submit an Academic Plan. This form only needs to be submitted one time UNLESS there are changes to your degree plan. A change to your degree plan necessitates a new plan.

Prior to the beginning of each quarter, you will need to submit a copy of your class schedule so that the School Certifying Official can verify that the classes you registered for are on your Academic Plan. We can only certify, and the VA will only pay, for classes that are on your official planning sheet.   

Verify Your Enrollment

Chapter 30, 1606, 1607 and VRAP recipients are required to contact the VA on the last day of each month to verify their enrollment  If you forget to call, your payment will be held until you contact the VA. When you are verifying your enrollment, if the number of credits or enrollment status is incorrect, contact the Veterans Programs Office with the correct information. Do not try to correct it through the VA website. 

  • To verify by pone: 1-877-823-2378
  • To verify online: WAVE system

The monthly verification of enrollment is not required for Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33 or Chapter 35.

Full-Time vs. Part-Time

The number of credits and types of classes you are taking can impact the benefits you receive. 

Fall, Winter, Spring Quarters Summer Quarter
Full time = 12 credits Full time = 8 credits
¾ time = 9-11 credits ¾ time = 7 credits
½ time = 6-8 credits ½ time = 5-6 credits
*Less than 7 credits = tuition only *Less than 5 credits = tuition only

Shoreline offers 3 types of classes:

  1. On-campus, referred to as in-residence by the VA
  2. Online, referred to as distance learning by the VA
  3. Hybrid, a combination of online and on-campus

Benefits can be used for all 3 types of classes. However, for students using the Post-9/11 GI Bill and enrolled solely in online classes, the effective BAH is ½ the national average BAH rate. 

Changes to Your Enrollment Status

You must contact the Veterans Programs Office if you make changes to your class schedule. We can help you determine if and how the change will impact your benefits for the quarter:

Adding or Dropping a Class

If you add or drop a class, submit a revised class schedule to the Veterans Programs Office. Failure to do this may result in you not receiving the maximum benefit to which you are entitled or having your benefits reduced retroactively.

Withdrawing from Classes

If you need to withdraw from school after the drop period, contact the Veterans Programs Office as soon as possible. The VA may reduce your benefits retroactively to the beginning of the quarter unless there are mitigating circumstances. The VA will automatically grant a 6-Credit Hour Exclusion the first time mitigating circumstances are involved. This one-time exclusion cannot be granted if you complete the quarter and receive a non-punitive grade.

Mitigating circumstances are circumstances beyond your control that prevent you from continuing in school or that cause you to reduce the number of credits for which you are enrolled. Examples of mitigating circumstances include:

  • An illness or injury afflicting you during the enrollment period
  • An illness or death in your immediate family
  • An unavoidable change in your conditions of employment
  • Unanticipated active duty military service, including training
  • Immediate family or financial obligations beyond your control that require you to suspend pursuit of your education to gain employment

Military Withdrawal

If you need to with withdraw because you are called to active duty, please refer to Shoreline Deployment Information and Procedures and come see us in the Veterans Programs Office.

Failing a Course

Please come see us in the Veterans Programs Office. The VA will not pay for V or Z grades.

Repeating a Course

Please come see us in the Veterans Programs Office. 

Change of Program

Please come see us in the Veterans Programs Office. 

Having difficulty in your courses?

Please come see us in the Veterans Programs Office! There are many services available to help you including free tutoring, a peer mentor program, Math labs, Writing & Learning labs and Student Accessibility Services.

Satisfactory Progress

You are expected to make satisfactory progress toward attaining your degree or certificate. In general, this means maintaining a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0. In addition, you are expected to enter a major and graduate after completion of a reasonable number of credits.

A student who earns a quarterly grade-point average of less that 1.75 is placed on academic warning. A student whose quarterly grade-point average is less than 1.75 for a second consecutive quarter receives an academic probation notice. A student who earns a quarterly grade-point average of less than 1.75 for the third consecutive quarter receives academic suspension. Students who have been academically suspended by the college may petition for reinstatement via the Registrar’s Office. 

Please Note: Financial Aid requires that you maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA. 

Taking Classes at Another School

Please come see us in the Veterans Programs Office.

 

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.