Eligible Program of Study
Students may only receive VA Educational Benefits if they are pursuing a program approved by the Oregon Department of Education, the State Approving Agency (SAA) for the VA. Almost all of the one and two-year programs listed in the Chemeketa Community College catalog are approved for veteran educational benefits.
In accordance with VA and Oregon Department of Education regulations, Chemeketa Veterans’ Services may only certify a student for GI Bill benefits if the student is in pursuit of an approved diploma, certificate, or degree at Chemeketa as outlined in the current college catalog. If prerequisite or refresher courses are required for entry into the program or need is verified by placement test scores, the VA will also pay benefits for those courses.
Chemeketa Veterans' Services will monitor courses and notify the student and VA of courses that do not apply to the stated program. Students receiving VA benefits are responsible for confirming their classes with the Chemeketa Veterans' Services Office at the beginning of each term to ensure the courses they have registered for meet the requirements of their declared degree or program. Students are also required to immediately notify Veterans’ Services of any changes to their class schedule, including adding or dropping classes. Failure to confirm classes each term or notify Veterans’ Services of schedule changes once the term has began could result in an overpayment obligation to the VA.
In accordance with guidelines mandated by the Oregon Department of Education, students enrolled in the Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer Degree (AAOT) program or the Associate of Science/Oregon Transfer Degree in Business (ASOT) may take classes that will transfer to a 4-year college or university, but to continue to be certified for benefits at Chemeketa, this must be simultaneous with the student completing requirements for the AAOT or ASOT at Chemeketa and would require confirmation that the course applies to the 4-year colleges degree. Each student is responsible for ensuring Chemeketa Veterans’ Services has a current advising sheet on file if they wish to take classes other than those required for the AAOT/ASOT.
Additionally, once a student who is pursuing an AAOT or an ASOT Degree has accumulated a total of 124 credits, Chemeketa Veterans’ Services will no longer be able to certify the student for benefits unless they enroll at a 4-year college and take classes at Chemeketa as a “guest student”.
The VA does allow students to change their declared degree or program. The new program must be approved for veterans' benefits and the student must complete VA Form 22-1995 "Request for Change of Program or Place of Training" and submit it to Chemeketa Veterans' Services. A program change will require that any credit earned in the previous program and from prior institutions be re-evaluated against the requirements of the new program and reported to the VA each time the student changes their program.
Classes That Do Not Meet the Entire Length of the Term
While most classes at Chemeketa begin the first week of the term and end the last week of the term, some classes do not. These shorter classes have the potential to reduce the amount of benefits you receive. If one or more of your classes meet less than the full length of the term, VA regulations require that the actual beginning and ending dates of the class must be reported when your benefits are certified each term. As an example, during a winter term that begins January 9th and ends March 24th, if a student takes a 4 credit science class, a 4 credit math course, a 3 credit writing class that all begin the first week of term and a 1 credit keyboarding class that begins January 24th and ends February 11th, the student will be certified at the 3/4 time rate (9-11 credits) from January 3rd to January 23rd, certified at the full-time rate from January 24th through February 11th and then at the 3/4 time rate from February 12th until the end of the term on March 19th. If they are receiving benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the student will have a rate of pursuit of 90% from January 9th - January 22nd, 100% from January 23rd - February 11th, and 90% for the remainder of the term.
If you have questions regarding classes that meet part of the term, please contact Chemeketa Veterans' Services.
High School Completion and GED
High School Completion and Adult Basic Education programs are not approved for veteran educational benefits.
GED (General Educational Development) can be approved for Chapter 35 students one term at a time for a maximum two terms. The VA pays educational benefits for GED based the number of hours scheduled in class each week including lecture and labs. To receive full-time benefits, students must be scheduled for and attend a minimum 18 clock hours per week. It is necessary for GED students to schedule the times with the GED Office and present a schedule before certification for benefits can be processed to the VA. It is the student's responsibility to obtain weekly reports certifying attendance from the GED Office. These forms must be turned into the Chemeketa Veterans' Services Office at the end of each month. The GED Office may email the progress and attendance information to Chemeketa Veterans' Services, but it is the student's responsibility to make sure the GED Office knows the information is needed. VA will be notified to adjust benefits if students do not attend the minimum hours required each week. In some instances it is possible for students to make up missed time in another week. This must be arranged with the GED Department and noted on the attendance report.
Contact
If you would like additional information, please contact us at 503.399.5004 or via e-mail. You may also fax us at 503.399.3908