Educational Benefits

From Veterans Benefits

Information on Emergency Payments for Veterans Awaiting VA Educational Benefits

1) Veterans who are requesting a "special" advanced payment of educational benefits for this term (who have a claim pending with VA under Chapters 30, 32, 33, 1606 or 1607 but have not received a payment as of 10-1-09) should contact the VA Regional Office in their state on Friday, 10-2-09. This advance is not available to dependents. The amount of this advance will be held against benefits due to the veteran for monthly assistance under the above Chapters (and against the allowance for books and supplies under CH 33).

2) The Hartford VARO is located at 555 Willard Avenue in Newington CT 06111 with the Customer Service Center located on the 4th floor in Building 2E. It is projected to be open for advanced payment requests on Friday, 10-2-09, from no later than 8:30AM to 4PM and on Saturday, 10-3-09, from 8AM to noon.

3) The VA Regional Office in Vermont is located at 215 N. Main Street, White River Junction VT 05001 with telephone number (802) 296-5177. Veterans should call ahead to verify what arrangements have been made at that facility to handle advanced payment requests for educational assistance benefits for pending claims.

Additional information is available at http://www.va.gov/

Satisfactory Progress Policy

Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 21.4253 outlines requirements that must be met by educational institutions that desire approval of courses for VA educational assistance purposes. Part of that regulation requires that the educational institution outline conditions for suspension of educational benefits due to unsatisfactory progress and conditions that must be met before educational benefits can resume. Therefore, beginning the first semester of 1986-87, students receiving VA education benefits at the University of Connecticut are subject to the following policy:

• If a student receives less than a "C" average (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) in each of two successive semesters, he/she will be placed on a Veteran Benefit probationary status. This means that the school can certify one more semester of enrollment to the VA, however, the student must achieve at least a "C" average (2.0 on 4.0 scale) for that semester.

• If the student receives less than a "C" average in the probationary semester he/she will be considered in an unsatisfactory progress status. This means that the student will not be eligible for further educational benefits until satisfactory progress is re-established.

• To re-establish satisfactory progress, the student must accumulate a minimum of six (6) credits (or equivalent in programs measured in clock hours or high school units) with a "C" average. If the student achieves the "C" average the school can resume certifying benefits to the VA, beginning the next term of enrollment. If, however, the student fails to achieve the "C" average, benefits will be curtailed until satisfactory progress, as defined above, is achieved.

• ACES students are entitled to receive benefits for two semesters only. To continue receiving benefits, students are required to be accepted in any of the VA approved Programs.