Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018
OLLU Policy for the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018
This policy complies with Title 38 United States Code Section 3679(e) School Compliance Form. This policy pertains to a Covered Individual which is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or chapter 33, Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits.
OLLU will permit any Covered Individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility (COE) for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 (a certificate of eligibility can also include a Statement of Benefits obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website, e-Benefits, or VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
- The date on which payment from VA is made to the institution.
- 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.
OLLU will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under chapter 31 or 33. The COE or VAF 28-1905 must be presented to the institution no later than the first day of class.
OLLU will not drop any Covered Individual after the business office receives a copy of the VAF-28-1905 or receives a chapter 33 Post 911 Eligibility form from the certifying official who do not have additional charges such as housing, meal plans, or anything above the Tuition and Fees. The Covered Individual still must sign the payment plan, but will not be dropped if VA covers 100%. If extra charges such as housing or meal plans do not have a payment plan, that student may be dropped for lack of a payment.
OLLU will not hold a loan or Pell Grant as collateral to any Covered Individual which meets the criteria above, while the institution is awaiting payment by VA. OLLU will disperse loans and Pell Grants with the same schedule as the student population. If the student has additional charges above Tuition and Fees, such as housing, meal plans, or anything above the Tuition and Fees, OLLU business office will hold Pell Grants and loans until the entire extra charges are paid (at the discretion of the business office). If VA does not pay the institution, the student is responsible for ALL debts resulting from reductions or terminations of the student’s enrollment, even if the payment was submitted directly to the school on the student’s behalf.
OLLU certifying official will certify time periods in accordance with VA Auditors and existing VA policies. An undergraduate must take 12 hours during the same time-period to be considered full time for purposes of housing allowance. A graduate must take 6 hours during the same time-period to be considered full time for purposes of housing allowance. If a student is taking multiple time periods in a semester, each time-period must fulfill the required hours as above. Anything less than 12 hours for undergraduates and 6 hours for graduates during the same time-period, will be adjusted appropriately.
OLLU reserves the right to require an additional payment or impose a fee for the amount that is the difference between the amount of the student’s financial obligation and the amount of the VA education benefit disbursement.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/index.asp .