Veterans Services

Contact Information

Bill Harrington, Veterans Affairs Coordinator
Email: bharrington@tacomacc.edu
Telephone: 253.566.5081
FAX: 253.566.5195
Location: Building 18, Adjacent to the Financial Aid Office
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, closed holidays and weekends

IMPORTANT NOTICES

-Office hours have changed - beginning week of June 27 the Veterans Services office will be closed every Wednesday and Friday. Office hours will be 7:30 am. to 4:00 p.m., Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. This schedule will continue until the end week before the start of fall quarter (Sept. 28).

-I would encourage all prospective students to apply and begin the admissions/registration process AS SOON AS POSSIBLE in advance of fall quarter. Compared to last year we are experiencing a significant increase in the number of students applying to the college. I would encourage you to contact the Admissions office at (253) 566-5001, tell them you would like to start the admissions/assessment/orientating/advising and registration process as soon as possible. Don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions.

Bill Harrington, Veterans Affairs Coordinator, tel: (253) 566-5033

General Information

Tacoma Community College is approved by the U.S. Veterans Administration for attendance by students approved for these VA educational programs:

• Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill)
• Chapter 31 (VA Vocational Rehabilitation)
• Chapter 32 (VEAP-Post Vietnam Era GI Bill)
• Chapter 33 PENDING This is the new Post 9-11 GI Bill which was recently passed into law. Details are still emerging about this benefit. The full Ch 33 benefit does not take effect until August 2009. Eligibiligy for this benefit is based on the numbers of months you served on active duty since 9-11.
• Chapter 35 (Dependents Education Assistance)
• Chapter 1606 (Montgomery GI Bill-Select Reserves)
• Chapter 1607, REAP (Reserve Education Assistance Program)
• Section 901 of Title 10 & Title 31, U.S.C.

We ask that all new students inprocess with the Veterans Services office in Bldg 18 before being certified for attendance at the college. Inprocessing involves completing the necessary applications materials as well as a short briefing on VA policies in regards to attendance, grades, pay issues, satisfactory academic progress, etc. You will also be asked to declare a program of study/major at the time you apply. While attending you may change your major but you must do so in writing so that we may notify the Veterans Administration of your change of intent.

You shoul d be prepared to meet the cost of tuition, fees and other expenses while the application is being processed. In some cases it may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks for your benefits claim to be processed and verified by the regional VA office. The Registrar cannot hold your courses pending approval of VA benefits. Payment of benefits by the VA is made directly to the student veteran or dependent once the claim is approved by the VA.

Advance payments of up to two months of benefits may be requested upon initial applications or renewal of benefits (Chapter 1607 beneficiaries are not eligible for advance pay). Advance pay requests may be submitted 120 days prior but not less than 30 days prior to the first day of the quarter in which you intend to enroll. Advance payment checks are sent to the college and will be released to you by the Cashier (located in the TCC Bookstore, Bldg 11).

Other than the advance pay, all other future payments by the VA are paid direc tly to the student. Payments are normally made at the end of each month of school attendance. Direct deposit to a checking accout is available to students receiving either Chapter 30 or Chapter 1606 benefits. Direct deposit is not available for those receiving Chapter 35.

Please contact us at the earliest opportunity for any question about VA benefits or the college's application and admissions process!

We hope you have a very pleasant and successful academic experience at Tacoma Community College!

NEW!! - Military Spouse Tuition Assistance

Beginning Mid-May 2009 the Department of Defense (DoD) has expanded the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts--MyCAA--for the military spouses of all active duty and activated Guard and Reserve service members. You can find info at this website:https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/default.aspx NOTE: If you receive a security warning when you attempot to link to the above cite you are probably O.K. to override the security warning and proceed to the website. It is a ligitimate Department of Defense website - my IT department has explained the warning is because the U.S. government has the audacity to issue their own security certificates rather than some commercial entity!

One you have established your MyCAA account you can use the AI portal to search for schools that have subscribed to the program and then proceed to build your program for the DoD online advisor. If you intend to pursue a degree or certificate program at TCC and you do not see your TCC program listed at the AI portal, please contact Bill Harrington in the Veterans Affairs office (253) 566-5033 and he can build that progarm into the portal. Final approval is based on your actual registration in the courses and they must have the exact dollar amount for your tuition. The TCC Cashiers office has set up the account for billing the DoD. The TCC Registrar may also require you to sign a release form allowing us to report the grades for the completed courses to the DoD.

Reduced Tuition/Tuition Waivers

Tacoma Community College is presently NOT offering tuition waivers to veterans receiveing Chapter 30, 34, 1606 or 1607 benefits.*

* It should be noted that the new Post 9-11 GI Bill which takes full effect in August 2009 includes the provision that the VA will reimburse the college for the tuition amount. So, whether or not you receive a waiver or not will not m a tter because the VA will pay the full tuition amount or a reduce amount if there is some sort of waiver.

However, the college IS currently awarding tuition waivers to Chapter 35 beneficiars (dependents, spouses and surviving dependents and spouses of disabled or deceased veterans). The specific guidelines recently enacted into law by the State of Washington authorizes the tuition waivers for these categories of survisors and dependents:

• The child or spouse of a veteran who served in active federal service and said veteran became totally disabled while engaged in active federal military or naval service, and have no earned income,
• OR who is determined by the federal government to be a prisoner of war or missing in action,
• OR who lost his or her life while engaged in active federal military or naval service;
• AND, if discharged, received an honorable discharge;
• AND is a Washington resident

This tuition waiver progam is NOT a federal benefit and is not administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. However, approval for the tuition waivers is usually contingent upon approval of the VA Chapter 35, Survivors Education Assistance benefit. The tuition waiver is normally given only after the student is in receipt of the Certificate of Eligibility from the VA for the Chapter 35 benefit. Please contact the Veterans Affairs Office in Building 18 if you have any questionsabout this waiver program and or the procedures for applying for the waiver.

Also, note that Tacoma Community College does not offer tuition waivers for veterans specifically. TCC does have a fee rate called "Non-Resident on Waiver" for students who may not qualify for the resident tuition rate.

Students in receipt of benefits under Chapters 30, 31, 1606 or 1607 wi l l normally pay the normal full resident tuition amount for their courses or, if a non-resident, the slightly higher Non-Resident on Waiver rate as published in our course schedule. Please check with the office of Admissions to see if your tuition will be at the resident rate or at the non-resident on waiver rate.

CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY

It is extremely important that any student who is an active member of the National Guard or Reserve is aware of the TCC policy on class attendance. Generally, it is at the absolute descretion of each instructor whether or not they will allow any excused absences from classroom instruction to facilitate your participation in National Guard or Reserve drills or periods of active duty for training (AT). Depending on the instructor or class content your drill or AT dates may or may not be excused. If any question you should always contact each instructor separately before the beginning of the term - do not wait until you have already started a course to find out that the instructor will not excuse your absences.

Important Links

Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs This is an excellent site for finding information on services in the State and local community. Those services include employment services, counseling, assistance to homeless veterans, free or reduced fees for special State programs, etc.

GI Bill Website (VA Education Information)

VA WAVE Website (Monthly Attendance Verification & pay data) For online monthly verification of attendance. You may also verify attendance by calling 1-877-823-2378. Students receiving Chapter 35 (Dependents Education Assistance) or Chapter 1607 (Reserve Education/REAP) DO NOT have to verify their monthly attendance.

Online Application for VA Benefits (VONAPP) Apply directly to the VA for your education benefits at this website. PLEASE NOTE that students who initiate their VA benefits at this website must still inprocess with the Tacoma Community College Veterans Services office in Bldg 18 before their attendance can be certified to the Veterans Administration. If you apply for your benefits via VONAPP you must also provide us with a copy of the VONAPP signature page. The VONAPP signature page appears at the end of the online VONAPP application and must be mailed or faxed to the VA before they will finalize your application for benefits at the regional office. WHO CAN USE VONAPP? You can use VONAPP if you are a U.S. military veteran, a service member with at least 2 years of active duty, a member of the Select Reserve, or a spouse/dependent of a 100% "service conneted" disabled or deceased veteran.

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