Contact Information
Bill Harrington, Veterans Affairs Coordinator
Email: bharrington@tacomacc.eduTelephone: 253.566.5081
FAX: 253.566.5195
Location: Building 18, Adjacent to the Financial Aid Office
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, closed holidays and weekends
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR NEW VETERANS
I am encouraging all veterans to start the enrollment process as soon as possible. The college is experiencing an extremely high demand for seats in all of our courses. The last two terms we basically ran out of slots for new applicants and some of our veterans were unable to register and qualify for their veterans benefits. Start the enrollment process by going to our Enrollment Services office, Bldg 7. They will assign a student ID number and outline the steps to be completed for registration (assessment, orientation, advising and registration).
In conjunction with the enrollment process, veterans must inprocess with the Veterans Services office in Bldg 18 before being certified for their benefits from the VA. During the veterans inprocessing we will brief you on VA policies in regards to attendance, grades, pay issues, satisfactory academic progress, etc. We will also explain our policies as the apply to your benefit (Montgomery GI Bill, Post 9-11 GI Bill, VA Vocational Rehabilitation, etc.)
You can also contact the Outreach & Recruitment office at (253) 566-6042, or outreachservices@tacomacc.edu. Tell them you would like to start the admissions/assessment/orientation/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 (Post 9-11 GI Bill)
- 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.
Please contact us at the earliest opportunity with any questions 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 - (My Career Advancement Account/MyCAA)
Spouses of active duty military members are now eligible to apply to the Department of Defense for a one time $6,000 scholarship for a program of study that leads of a "portable", employable job skill. Information about the MyCAA: https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/default.aspx PLEASE NOTE: If you receive a security warning when you attempt to access the MyCAA webiste via the above link you can override the security warning and proceed to the website. It is a legitimate Department of Defense website - it is in fact a secure website.
Once 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 program 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 receiving Chapter 30, 34, 1606 or 1607 benefits.*
* Please note that the new Post 9-11 GI Bill does include payment of some or all of the tuition based on the number of months served on active duty after September 11, 2001.
The college IS currently awarding tuition waivers to Chapter 35 beneficiaries (dependents, spouses and surviving dependents and spouses of disabled or deceased veterans). The specific guidelines recently enacted into law by the State of Washington authorize the tuition waivers for these categories of survivors 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 has 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 program 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 questions about this waiver program and or the procedures for applying for the waiver.
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 discretion 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 you have any questions 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) The VA website contains detailed information regarding the various benefits administered - it also has a search capability under the Questions and Answers page where you can get the answers to the most frequently encountered benefit questions.
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 connected" disabled or deceased veteran.
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