Office of Academic Advising

If a military-affiliated student completes the term and attends until the end, the Veteran's Administration (VA) will pay for the course, even if the student earns a grade of F. However, grades of F* (assigned when a student stops attending) create a debt for the student because the VA will amend payment to the last day the student attended. Advisors should be aware of this issue when discussing the advantages/disadvantages of a student ceasing to attend a class that the student is failing.

If a military-affiliated student is going to withdraw from a course, (resulting in a W on their transcript), the withdrawal should be done as early in the semester as possible. This is because the VA does not pay for W's and can ask for reimbursement of funds sent in the form of tuition and fees. The VA may also ask students to return any housing allowances. Advisors must keep this in mind because reimbursement rules for military-affiliated students are different (and stricter) than they are for other students, who are covered under Title IV laws that allow them to keep all awarded financial aid once they pass a "point of lability." 

When it comes to military-affiliated students electing Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading, they should be advised that the VA does not pay for U* grades because they do not count toward progression in the degree. While it may seem the best to advise a student to elect S*/U*, it is not always the best choice unless the student is going to receive an S* grade. That said, because students can switch an S*/U* grade back to a regular letter grade after semester is over, military-affiliated students do have options. However, advisors need to make sure these students understand that if they maintain the U*, the VA can reassess their benefits and make them pay back tuition and fees for the course, as well as prorate housing allows or stipend payments for the entire semester. This can be a costly choice. 

The VA will cover course substitutions, but it has to show up on the progress report while the class in in progress so that the Office of Veterans and Military Services (OVMS) is able to report it to the VA. Advisors or departments need to put workflows in when a military-affiliated student takes a course so that that the progress report reflects what course is being substituted.