Veterans and Others Applying for Veterans Administration Educational Assistance

Daytona State College is an approved institution for veterans training. Veterans eligible for Veterans Administration (VA) benefits must be certified through the College's Veterans' Services office to receive educational benefits. Eligible veterans must also meet Daytona State admission requirements. Application for VA benefits should be started as soon as possible as approval of benefits can take as long as 90 days. Course approval and certification is required each semester through the Daytona State Veterans' Services office. Veterans eligible for benefits must also adhere to the following standards:

Program Length and Course Approval

All degree programs are approved for a specific number of credit hours. Eligible veterans will not be certified by the VA or paid by the VA for courses past the approved length. The VA will pay only for required courses in an approved program. This also applies to vocational certificate programs which are measured in either semester hours or vocational/clock hours.

Satisfactory Progress - Standards of Progress

Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress and conduct to continue to receive VA educational benefits. Educational benefits will be suspended for unsatisfactory progress for the following: Any semester that an eligible veteran receives all grades of "I," "F" or a combination. Any two (2) consecutive semesters that an eligible veteran's GPA falls below 2.0. VA educational benefits will be suspended until: documentation of extenuating circumstances is provided; the veteran attends a minimum of one (1) semester at their expense and attains a minimum of a 2.0 GPA; or the veterans' services officer determines the cause has been eliminated, and the educational program being pursued is suited to the person's aptitudes, interests and abilities.

Academic Standards - Grade Notification

An eligible veteran who receives a grade, or grades, of "X," "S" or "W" will have their credit hours adjusted accordingly for benefit purposes. The veteran would be responsible for reimbursement of any overpayment of benefits from the first day of the term to the effective date the grade was issued.

Attendance Standards

Vocational Certificate/Short-Term Programs - VA regulations require attendance records be kept on all eligible persons enrolled in programs not leading to a standard college degree. Eligible persons will have their VA benefits suspended from vocational certificate programs if they accumulate three or more unexcused absences during any calendar month. Three tardy days count as one absence; two partial days count as one absence. An eligible person whose benefits are suspended for excessive absences may be reinstated once during a semester upon written permission of the program chairperson or instructor. Additional instances are considered unsatisfactory progress. Students enrolled in short-term programs must also adhere to current Veteran Administration regulations and standards of progress that apply. Students who fail to maintain satisfactory progress are not permitted to continue enrollment in their program and will not be certified to receive benefits. Eligible veterans will have their certifications terminated if they are absent 10 percent or more of the total hours in a given enrollment period (or cumulative absences exceed 10 percent of the total number of hours in the program).

VA Contacts

The Office of Veterans' Services is located on the Daytona Campus, Bldg. 100, Rm. 208X. Office hours are: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9 am to 6 pm; Wednesday, 9 am to 7 pm; Friday. 9 am to 5 pm. To contact Daytona State 's Veterans' Service Coordinator, call (386) 506-3065, or e-mail shotwer@DaytonaState.edu.

For additional information or questions, contact the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office at 1-888-442-4551 or e-mail http://www.gibill.va.gov/.