Veterans Success Center

• Complete either VA Form 22-1990 or 22-5490 (applying for VA educational benefits for the first time) or VA Form 22-1995 or 22-5495 (if transferring from another school where you used VA educational benefits). These forms are available at www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/. 
• Complete and submit FLC forms VA Student Intake Form and Statement of Student Understanding Form at start of application process.
  Note: Effective Fall 2015, the State of California has made it easier to get an education at FLC by offering in-state tuition for active military members and their dependents, as well as veterans who have been honorably discharged. Any veteran or dependent who meets the criteria as outlined by Assembly Bill 13 is eligible for a non-resident tuition exemption. Please complete the VACA Non-Resident Fee Exemption Form.

Submitting Your Transcripts to Folsom Lake College
Official college transcripts must be submitted prior to meeting with a counselor and initiating a VA education plan. Transcripts can be sent to the following address:

Folsom Lake College
Attn. Evaluations
10 College Parkway
Folsom, CA 95630

Official transcripts can also be sent electronically to evaluations@flc.losrios.edu, but they must come directly from the college or university.

Create a Veterans Affairs (VA) Educational Plan
If you have prior college credit, schedule a one hour appointment with Counseling to complete your VA educational plan before you register in classes. The counselor will evaluate all prior coursework and assist you in mapping out a VA approved educational plan, which will clearly define what classes will be approved by the VA. The counselor will then submit a copy to the Veterans Success Center to be put in your file.

New, first time college students will need a VA Educational Plan prior to registering for their second semester at FLC.

Enrolling in Classes
Veterans qualify for Priority 0 registration. You will have a priority appointment date for the first date and time that you are eligible to register (and then any time after that) which can be found online at eServices. Make sure to follow your most current VA educational plan when selecting classes. If you change your major, you must meet with a counselor for a new VA educational plan.   

For additional help, refer to our Veterans/Dependents Enrollment Checklist.

Credit for military service is granted upon presentation of papers showing honorable discharge from and active duty of one (1) year or more in the United States armed forces. A veteran may receive three (3) units of living skills graduation requirements and one (1) unit of elective credit, if applicable, by submitting a copy of their DD214 separation papers. Credit granted for military service is based on “A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services,” published by the American Council on Education. Students in the six-month reserve training program are not eligible for military credit. This is in accordance with the recommendation of the American Council on Education.

Enrollment - Semester Certification
Enrollment certification for VA education benefits is not automatic. Students should submit an Enrollment Agreement with the Veterans Success Center every semester in order to initiate their educational benefits. We strongly recommend that students accomplish this as soon as they have secured classes in order to expedite the processing of educational benefits.

Concurrent Enrollment
While receiving VA Educational benefits, students may be concurrently enrolled at more than one school during the same semester. The parent school is whichever school the student is pursuing a degree or other program objective. Veteran students are responsible for informing the Supplemental School's Veterans' Office where their Parent School is located. Upon confirmation from the Parent School, the Supplemental School will complete the certification for the benefits form (VA form 22-1999) and send a copy to the Parent School.

Short-Term Classes
Veterans and dependents are cautioned when enrolling in short-term or Fast-Track classes (ex. 8 week terms). The VA will only consider your enrollment for the actual days in the short-term class, not for the entire semester.

What the VA Will and Will Not Pay For?

• Recommended Classes: The VA does NOT pay for recommended classes, only required classes.
• Challenged Classes: The VA will NOT pay for any class that is challenged. You must attend a class to receive payment for it.
• Required Prerequisites and Remedial Classes: The VA WILL pay for required prerequisites.

Attendance
If you don’t attend class, you are not entitled to benefits. If a student stops attending a class they must drop officially with the college and report the drop to the VA certifying official. This is a student responsibility – not ours. Federal law requires that students report any change in enrollment status, which might affect their VA education benefits to the school and the VA. Your signature on the Enrollment Agreement each semester shows acceptance of the responsibility to keep the VA certifying official informed of any change in student status.

When there is an overpayment, the VA will ask for repayment of the overpaid benefits. If you ignore the VA’s request, they can withhold future GI bill payments, disability payments, or depending upon the situation, they can take a student to court, charge interest, and they may take future tax return refunds, attach wages, put legal holds on property or deny home loans.

When adding or dropping classes, the student must report the drop or add immediately to the Veterans Success Center.

Post 9/11 GI Bill™ Tips and Reminders

• Remember that the Post 9/11 GI Bill™ housing and books and supplies stipends are paid "in arrears." This means that your housing stipend for August won't be received until September. Also, if you are starting school for the first time, your first payment may not be for a full month of housing because the VA pays from the actual day you start school. 
• Tuition and fee payments go directly to the school.
• Be sure to inform VA if you change your direct deposit information.

Declaring Round-Out
Round-Out is a program which allows students who have a limited number of courses remaining in their program to add non-required courses and be paid at a higher rate. Round-Out may only be used in the final semester of attendance. It may be used once at the 2-year college level and again for the 4-year level. Speak to the VA Certifying Official or VSC staff for more information about this option.

Establishes a program of educational benefits for eligible persons entering military service after June 30, 1985, who have had their basic military pay reduced for their first 12 months of service and received a discharge specified as "honorable". The maximum entitlement is 36 months of full-time benefits. Monthly benefit rates are determined by the VA. Benefits terminate 10 years after date of separation. 

Chapter 30 Kickers - Higher monthly benefits are paid to Chapter 30 participants with "kickers" and to Chapter 30 participants who made additional Chapter 30 payments.

The Vocational Rehabilitation and Education (VR&E) program is is administered by a different department of VA than regular education benefits. This program has two key goals:

1. To assist the service-disabled veteran to prepare for, obtain, and maintain suitable employment (including educational assistance).
2. For those persons who are severely disabled and that gainful employment is not an option, assistance may be provided to allow that person to live more independently in his or her community.

More information about VR&E benefits.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill™ is for individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill™. This benefit provides up to 36 months of education benefits; generally benefits are payable for 15 years following your release from active duty. 
Learn more about the Transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill™ to Spouse and Dependents.

Sons, daughters and spouses of a veteran may be eligible for benefits if the veteran died while on active duty, died after discharge from active duty of a service-connected disability, is permanently and totally disabled as a result of a service-connected disability, or listed as missing in action for a total of more than 90 days. Eligible persons are entitled to a maximum of 45 months of full-time benefits. Generally, the eligibility period for sons and daughters is between the ages of 18 and 26. A spouse may use educational benefits during a 10 year period after eligibility is found.

To be eligible for educational assistance a person must have a 6-year obligation to serve in the selected reserve after June 30, 1985.  Maximum entitlement is 36 months of full-time benefits which terminate 10 years from the date of eligibility or the day following separation from a reserve component.

Chapter 1606 Kickers - An additional amount, called a kicker, may be added to the benefit of some Chapter 1606 students.
NOTE: Active duty personnel are reimbursed for tuition and fees only, but are accessed entitlement charges at the rate of attend.

The dependent child, spouse, or unmarried surviving spouses of a service connected-disabled or deceased veteran may be entitled to fee waiver benefits at all California community colleges, CSU system, and UC system universities. To obtain eligibility requirements and assistance in applying for this valuable benefit, please contact your local County Veteran Service office or the college Veteran Affairs office. You can also download an application from the website for the California Department of Veteran Affairs.

If you are receiving Chapter 35 benefits, you are not eligible to receive the College Fee Waiver for Veterans' Dependents under Plan A. See the instructions for details about Plan B and minimum eligibility requirements.

This benefit is applicable to one academic year only and must be renewed EVERY academic year. The academic year commences in the summer and ends with the end of the spring semester (i.e. one academic year = summer term/fall semester/spring semester).

After a student has applied for the Fee Waiver with their local County Veteran Service office and if approved, they will receive an approval letter in the mail. The student should bring this into the FLC Financial Aid office and attach to the California College Promise Grant application for processing. Admissions & Records does NOT process the Fee Waiver for Veterans' Dependents.

Did you know that the Department of Veterans Affairs pays for tutoring? If you feel you need help in your academic courses, please stop by and speak with the VA Certifying Official. The DVA will pay up to $600 in tutorial help for you if you are receiving VA educational benefits. The DVA pays for the tutor at a rate of no more than $100 per month, which is paid to you. You are responsible for paying the tutor.

To be eligible, you must submit a brief letter of recommendation from the instructor of the course stating that they recommend tutoring to resolve student deficiencies for the given subject and a brief letter of recommendation from your counselor stating they agree with the instructor's recommendation. The course must be on your VA educational plan.

The student, tutor and certifying official must complete VA form 22-1990t, Application and Enrollment Certification for Individualized Tutorial Assistance. The student may submit an application at the end of each month. However, the student may delay submitting the application and include several months. Tutoring must occur during the student's enrollment period, and must be given on an individual basis. The tutor may not be a close relative of the student (spouse, parent, child, sister, brother).

For all Chapters except 33 and 31, the answer is - yes. Students are responsible for their own fees, which are due generally upon enrollment. The GI Bill is a monthly allotment. You get paid via check or direct deposit. The VA educational benefit is to help offset the cost of tuition, fees, or books. For Chapter 33 and 31 students, the VA will pay your enrollment fees (after certification and Muskogee processing time). We will place a Do Not Drop indicator on your record so you are not dropped for non-payment in the meantime.

The first time you file your initial application for VA educational benefits, the processing by the VA can take up to 8 to 10 weeks. Once the VA processes the application and establishes a file for you, subsequent processing of paperwork usually takes approximately 6 weeks. Peak periods, such as the start of the semester, educational benefit paperwork may take longer for the school and VA to process.

Once the VA processes and approves your payment, you receive month payments based on your attendance in classes. The VA pays the monthly payments at the beginning of each month for the preceding month. If you are Chapter 30, 33 or 1606/07, you have the option on your application for benefits of requesting automatic deposit to your bank. Otherwise you will receive your benefit payments as hard copy checks.

All GI bills are paid in monthly payments based on the previous month's attendance unless you are receiving advance pay.

The VA requires you to declare an objective or goal. At Folsom Lake College, that could be an associate degree or certificate from our catalog; or a bachelor's degree program through the CSU system or UC system.

If the veteran is 100% permanently and totally disabled or deceased due to service connected injury or death, the spouse or child may be eligible for Chapter 35 (Dependent) benefits. Note: The spouse cannot have re-married and there is an age cut off for the children.

If you are not eligible for this program, you may be eligible for a fee waiver program - the CAL VET program. The veteran must have established a percentage of disability with the VA and the child must meet an income criteria. This program waives some (but not all) of the fees for college at the community college level and the CSU and UC systems.

Have you dropped classes? Are you in a short-term or Fast-Track class, which ended before the end of the rest of the semester? Could an instructor have dropped you for non-attendance of a class? These are a few reasons that could affect pay. You need to contact our office so we can pull your file and find out what happened.

While we will certify you for benefits without a DD214, we ask that you obtain one as soon as possible. We are required by State law to retain a copy in your file in our office. Also, there is always a possibility that not having a DD214 can hold the processing of your benefits by the VA.

No - you must be discharged from service to apply as a veteran. Otherwise, your paperwork will be treated as an active duty person.

No - all GI Bill ® benefits are tax free.