Veteran Education Benefits
The Veteran Services Center assists student veterans with certification needs for veteran educational benefits. The office is located at the Ft. McIntosh Campus in the Lerma Pena Building # 250.
Academic Progress
All students must meet satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or certificate in accordance with the institution’s policy regarding eligibility for financial aid. Veterans and/or dependents will be expected to maintain academic standards as outlined in this Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy for the purposes of receiving Veterans Educational Benefits. Veterans and Dependents must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 or better and successfully complete at least 67% of the coursework attempted each term to be considered in good standing.
Effective for Fall 2014, the Texas Legislature approved Senate Bill 1210 which states that recipients of Texas state exemptions and/or waivers must meet Financial Aid satisfactory academic progress (SAP) requirements of a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 for undergraduate students at all times and recipients must not be in excess hours status.
It is the student’s responsibility to inform the Student Financial Aid & Veteran Affairs Services Center of any changes in enrollment status.
Veterans with previous college or university training are required to have transcripts from other schools on file with the Student Financial Aid & Veteran Affairs Services Center before being considered for certification under the Veterans Administration. In addition, it is the responsibility of each student to request the required transcripts.
Military Credit
Students receiving VA education benefits are required to have all prior credit reviewed by the school, with credit awarded where applicable. This review includes all credits from military service as well as all post-secondary institutions previously attended.
Students are required to submit copies of all post-secondary and military transcripts for consideration to receive VA education benefits. Laredo College is responsible for reviewing copies of all post-secondary and military transcripts received from all veteran students. This requirement applies to all approved programs of study offered by Laredo College.
Students are required to submit the following military records:
- Joint Service Transcript, or
- Community College of the Air Force transcripts.
Experiences or credits earned in the Armed Services are evaluated as per the recommendations of the ACE (American Council on Education) Military Guide (Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services). To receive credit, the student must make a petition to the department chair/instructor. The department chair of the specific area must determine if the student meets the requirements for such credit prior to granting it.
Academic Probation
Schools that have an academic progress policy allowing for a period of academic probation prior to termination for Unsatisfactory Progress (Academic Suspension) should notify VA promptly when a student receiving VA education benefits is placed on academic probation.
Unsatisfactory Progress, Conduct and Attendance
The law requires that educational assistance benefits to Veterans and other eligible persons be discontinued when the student ceases to make satisfactory progress toward completion of his or her training objective.
Both accredited and non-accredited schools are required by law to have and to enforce standards of progress and conduct in order for their programs to be approved for VA benefits. Only non-accredited schools are required by federal law to have attendance standards. These standards should be stated plainly in the school's catalog or bulletin. A school's policy and regulations for standards of progress, conduct and attendance must define:
-
Conditions for interruption of training due to unsatisfactory grades or progress
-
A description of any probationary period
-
Conditions for a student's re-entrance or readmission following dismissal or suspension for unsatisfactory progress
-
Conditions for dismissal due to unsatisfactory conduct
-
The school's attendance policy
When a student has failed to maintain prescribed standards of progress, VA must be informed promptly so that benefit payments can be discontinued in accordance with the law. The termination date assigned by the school will be the last day of the term or other evaluation period in which the student’s progress became unsatisfactory. Schools that provide a period of academic probation may not continue to certify a Veteran or eligible person (who remains in a probationary status) for an indefinite period of time. It is reasonable to expect that an institution will report a termination due to unsatisfactory progress if a student remains on academic probation beyond 2 terms, quarters, or semesters.
Fees not covered by VA or Hazlewood
Penalty fees (late registration, repeated course fees, add or drop course fees and student service fees and activity fees (Hazlewood students).
For more detailed information on all VA Benefits please visit www.gibill.va.gov and Texas Veterans Commission on all information related to Hazlewood benefits www.tvc.texas.gov.
More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill