Accreditation Maintenance of Records Office Applying for Benefits Degree Program Fee Extensions Attendance Classes With Different Beginning/Ending Dates of the Standard Term VA Schedule Verification Form Required Standards of Progress Accreditation St. Petersburg College is approved for education and training by the State Approving Agency of Florida. Maintenance of Records Complete academic records are maintained on each veteran who is certified as eligible for benefits under the public laws. The records show continuous pursuit and the rate at which progress is being made. They include final grades in each subject for each term, record of withdrawal from any subject to include the last day of attendance for a course and record of enrollment in subjects from which there was a withdrawal. Complete academic records are maintained of previous college level academic training and these records clearly indicate the amount of credit accepted which proportionately shortens the training period; the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) are so notified. The record is a cumulative record in that it shows the result of each term of enrollment, subjects taken and grades earned. Office The Veterans Services Office (VSO) is located in the Financial Assistance Services office on the Clearwater campus. Inquiries concerning benefits, tutorial assistance or VA Work-Study Programs should be directed to this office. Veterans Services Office coordinators will facilitate securing veterans’ benefits. A Veteran Coordinator is at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs campus one day each week during the peak registration period each term. All campuses and sites have a red phone which has been designated as the Veteran Hot Line to the Veteran Services Office at the Clearwater campus. The direct phone number to the Veterans Services Office is (727) 302-6400. The direct fax line is (727) 791-2505. Applying for Benefits Veterans making a first-time application should complete VA form 22-1990. Reservists and National Guard applying under Chapter 1606 benefits must submit DD Form 2384 (Notice of Basic Eligibility) from their Reserve/National Guard Unit. Transfer students should complete VA form 22-1995 and eligible veteran's dependents complete VA form 22-5495. A widow, wife or dependent of a 100 percent, service connected, totally permanently disabled veterans should check with the VSO to see if they are eligible and should fill out VA form 5490. Disabled veterans wanting to use the veteran vocational rehabilitation must go through the local VA regional office to apply for this benefit. Allow six (6) to eight (8) weeks from the FTE date of the term before expecting to receive a check from the VA unless an advance payment has been requested at a minimum of 30 working days prior to the beginning of the term. A St. Petersburg College Admissions Application must be filed and the student must be registered for classes at a minimum of half-time training before an advance payment can be requested. Degree Program The VA will pay benefits only if the veteran is seeking a state approved degree (B.S., B.A.S., A.A., A.S. or A.A.S.) or an approved Certificate or an approved Applied Technology Diploma. The veteran, while in attendance, must follow the course of study as outlined in the catalog. For an A.A. Degree, the VA will only pay for courses which satisfy the basic A.A. Degree. The VA will not pay for courses which do not count toward fulfilling graduation requirements (this includes auditing a course and repeating any course in which a grade of “D” or above was received with the exception of Gordon Rule courses which require a grade of “C” or better.) Contact the VSO for details. In order to be classified as a degree-seeking and certificate-seeking student at SPC, a veteran must submit official transcripts to the Central Records office of the college at least 15 business days prior to the first day of classes. Failure to do so will result in termination of VA benefits. Fee Extensions Florida Statutes provide for the deferment of payment of matriculation and tuition fees for veterans and other eligible persons until 60 days after the beginning of the term. The extension can only be used once in an academic year and the student must complete the promissory note after registration and before the due date indicated on the fee schedule. If this procedure is not followed, the veteran’s registration will be canceled and re-registration will be necessary along with a late registration fee. A minimal fee per credit hour is charged to receive the extension. Note: It is the student's sole responsibility to pay tuition. If classes are not officially dropped during the drop/add period online, the student will continue to be responsible for the repayment of the deferred fees even if the student is not attending classes. The obligation can be canceled only through qualification for a refund, which may be used to offset the amount due. Attendance The veteran should be aware of each instructor’s policy concerning absences. If a student accumulates so many absences that, in the judgment of the instructor, further enrollment would be of little value, the instructor will assign a “W” grade along with the last day of attendance for that class. VA will require a refund of any monies received. Excused absences will be granted for extenuating circumstances only and must be documented. Classes With Different Beginning and Ending Dates of the Standard Terms SPC offers courses during the regular fall, spring and summer terms which are less than full term and have different beginning and ending dates. If your schedule includes these classes your enrollment status will be reported to include all of the different beginning and ending dates of your classes. The VA will calculate the rate of payment from the class start date. Contact the VSO for additional information. Express and module session courses take longer for approval, so funds may not be received until later in the term. VA Schedule Verification Form Required - For All Enrollment Including Changes to Original Schedule It is the veteran's responsibility to complete the VA schedule verification form. This form can be located through SPC's On-line Forms or the Veteran Services page of the Financial Assistance Services website. The veteran is also responsible to submit a new schedule verification form at any time a course is dropped, added or audited to notify the VSO of the change. This form is required each term in order to receive veterans' benefits. Any delay in doing so could mean a corresponding delay in receiving VA benefits. If a veteran decides not to attend classes before the term begins and he/she has a fee extension, all classes must be officially dropped or the veteran will be liable to the College for the tuition and fees. If the term has already begun, formal withdrawal must be made through the instructor and the VSO must be informed of these actions. Veterans who drop a course during the term may owe a repayment of their veterans' benefits. They must be sure to read all correspondence from the VA carefully so that financial liability can be avoided. Standards of Progress A veteran or other eligible person will be considered to have made unsatisfactory progress if unable to complete graduation requirements within the approved length of time. These graduation requirements are based on 120-credit hours for Bachelor Degree or 60-credit hours for the Associate in Arts degree; or the number of credit hours as shown in the required program when the degree is the Associate in Science, Associate in Applied Science, Certificate or Applied Technology Diploma in an occupational specialty. If after completing seven (7) credit hours, a student’s GPA is less than 2.0, he/she will be notified that his/her academic record is indicative of unsatisfactory progress and if his/her GPA within one term after being placed on academic warning is less than 2.0, certification for VA educational benefits will be denied by the College until such time as the student raises his/her cumulative GPA to a minimum of 2.0. Students enrolled in certificate programs of less than 25 credit hours in length have no probationary period and will not be certified for VA educational benefits whenever the GPA falls below 2.0. All other policies regarding academic probation and suspension are the same as indicated in other areas of the catalog. Certain Bachelor programs require a minimum GPA of 2.5; demonstrate the knowledge, skills and disposition of the profession while maintaining good moral character. Failure to maintain any or all of the program requirements will result in the student being placed on academic warning. Within one semester after being placed on academic warning and if the deficiency has not been corrected, certification for VA educational benefits will be denied by the College until such time as the student meets the program requirements.