Veterans Certification Office

The Veterans Certification Office is a service provided to veterans in the Office of the Registrar by the College, but is not a part of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. There is no official VA representative on the campus at Macon State College.

The MSC VA Certification Office is located in the Registrar's Office, Student Life Building.  Questions may be directed to Maria Dorothy, Coordinator  (478) 757-2681, FAX (478) 757-2621, or by e-mail (click on link)  

 The Veterans Certification Office can assist students with the processing of VA forms required for educational benefits, but is primarily concerned with the certification of student enrollment to the VA so that students can receive their benefits.  After admission to the college, students should contact the VA certification coordinator to make an appointment to begin the process of applying for their benefits.  The following documents should be available when making application:

• DD Form 214
• Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE) (Required for those who are in the National Guard or Reserves)
• Kicker/Buy up documentation (If eligible)
• College Fund documentation (If eligible)

Certification

Students  who need the College to certify their enrollment to the VA in order to receive benefits must notify the VA Certification Office each semester after registering for classes. This may be done either by calling Ms. Dorothy at (478) 757-2681, by leaving a copy of  their registration schedule at the office, or by sending an e-mail to the Office of the Registrar.

How does certification work

Students are certified according to VA rules for each term or mini-term enrolled. For example, a student registered for a 1st session and a full or regular session during a semester would be certified separately for each term.  The length of the terms is also defined by the VA as begining with the first day of class and ending with the last day of exams as published in the school calendar. The length of the term translates to a number of weeks which is used in conjunction with the number of hours enrolled  which equates to the student's Training Time status (Full time, 3/4 time etc.).  For example, the Full Fall 2006 semester at Macon State College is calculated per VA requirements at 117 days or rounded to 17 weeks.  For full-time training status the student must take 12 or more hours. Shorter terms require less hours. For example,  a Summer Maymester lasting 2 weeks would only require one 3 hour course for a student to be full time for that mini-term.  Students should always consult with the VA Certification Office if they are uncertain about the training status. 

College Billing

Students receiving VA benefits are responsible for paying all College bills.  Since the VA is required by law to pay students benefits directly, students should plan accordingly to fulfill their financial obligations to the College in a timely manner.  The Atlanta processing center normally takes 8-10 weeks to process new education claims.  The College does participate in the VA Advance Pay, but such application is required to be submitted to the VA at least 45 days prior to the beginning of the semester.

Veterans Benefit Information

Important News: Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.

• Information on the one-time Advance Payment process may be found here: http://www.gibill.va.gov/advpayqa.htm
• Students are encouraged to find information concerning their benefits the Web at the VA Web site (click here). before meeting with the VA certification coordinator. The site contains information on the various educational benefit programs available, payment rates, forms and includes a comprehensive FAQ covering any questions veterans may have.
• The University System of Georgia Veterans Web Site is another site with useful information for veterans.

Change of Program

The VA requires prompt notification whenever a student changes his or her program.  Students  who change their majors must immediately visit the VA Certification Office to complete a Form 22-1995 (Request for Change of Program or Place of Training) or Form 22-5495 (Chapter 35) to apply for a change of program.  The Certification Office continally audits students' majors in the Banner Student Information System to ascertain the major program reported to the VA is correct.  Students are notified when they are not in compliance and are requested to complete the required forms for VA approval.