Education and Training

Question 1: Have the SCOs training modules been updated for new SCO training in the portal to include EM training and not VA-ONCE?

Answer: SCOs will have access to the updated modules as they are released in the first few weeks of the fiscal year (FY) 2024 training cycle.

Question 2: I cannot access EM anymore! I have been working in it and all of a sudden, I cannot work in EM can someone help me?

Answer: Please reach out to the School Certifying Officials Hotline. SCO may contact their Education Liaison Representative (ELR), if they do not have the SCO Hotline phone number.

Question 3: While on Compliance Survey visits: Should we see any issues with second certifications during the time of migration or if the SCO completed the second cert it should show?

Answer: There shouldn’t be any issues. However, please verify information shown in EM with the information shown in The Imaging Management Systems (TIMS) for terms migrated from Veteran Affairs Online Certification of Enrollment (VA-ONCE).

Question 4: Is there an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) for extending the reports date from 7 days to 3-year timeframe in the report search tool? The new date range filter can be utilized to search for enrollments for a 3-year period.

Answer: We currently do not have an ETA on the implementation of reports beyond 7 days.

Question 5: How does an SCO certify dual objectives in enrollment manager?

Answer: Dual Degree / Dual Objectives Enrollments cannot be certified currently in EM. To document a student’s Dual Degree or Dual Objective enrollment in EM, select one program from the available “Program” dropdown options and “Add a Custom Remark”.

Question 6: Can Social Security Numbers be added to EM to search for a student?

Answer: Unfortunately, no, Social Security Numbers can’t be added to EM, this is due to a legislative requirement.

Question 7: I have issues with EM selecting objective type of Non-College Degree (NCD). All my objective type NCD’s are withdrawn! Instead, my NCD’s are under objective type Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). I called the EM assistance (when this was available) and I was transferred to the SCO Hotline. They guided me to my ELR. My ELR guided me to ASK VA, and now ASK VA is guiding me to the SCO Hotline.

Answer:  This does not sound like an EM issue. The objective type and program information in EM comes from the Web Enabled Approvals Management System (WEAMS). If the objective type for a program is not correct it must be corrected in WEAMS by the ELR. SCOs should contact their ELR to ask why the programs have changed from Non-College Degree to Institutions of Higher Learning.

NOTE: If the question is regarding graduate certificate programs, there is an upcoming policy advisory that will clarify the correct objective type that ELRs should enter in WEAMS.

Question 8: Has the Time-out issue been extended?

Answer: No, the timing-out issue has not been extended this is due to a security issue.

Question 9: SCO personal email still being displayed in the 22-1999 (VA Enrollment Certification) printout. Is there a solution?

Answer: Personal emails are entered in the system when requested even though Enrollment Manager instructs to use work and school email addresses. Those experiencing this issue must contact the SCO Hotline to request that a Call Center Representative create a Detailed Issue Form (DIF) indicating the exact nature of the error. Provide the representative the facility code, incorrect email address and correct email address. Take this action only if the incorrect email is printing on enrollment certifications.

Question 10: Who do I contact if an enrollment is still under review, it was not listed in the table just now?

Answer: Because certain systems aren’t currently syncing with each other, this status will remain in EM even after the certification is processed, until future system upgrades are in place.

Question 11: If you certified a Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) recipient with tuition and fees included and a comment indicating HPSP recipient and tuition, and fees will be paid should I recert? 

Answer: If the amount of Tuition and Fees (T&F) certified included the amount paid by the Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) then you must amend the certification and certify the amount of T&F remaining after the HPSP is deducted. If the HPSP covered all of the student’s T&F you will amend the certification and enter zero for T&F. 

Question 12: Do I need to do anything with the 22-6553d (Monthly Certification of On-The-Job and Apprenticeship Training) forms after submitting on EM?

Answer: EM submits an electronic VA Form 22-6553d (Monthly Certification of On-The-Job and Apprenticeship Training) to VA. The Certifying Official can house the information in EM or can print them for the student/trainee’s file if you prefer keeping hardcopy files. Regardless of method chosen, the SCO must make the information available for compliance surveys.

Question 13: Is a student eligible to re-enroll in a program that they previously failed and receive Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits again? If “Yes”, how can we re-enroll the same program on EM?

With the new update, the notes section is no longer editable. Was this intentional or will we be able to update/edit notes in EM?

How to update/change SCO address in certification print out?

Answer: The address that prints on the certification is coming directly from Web Enabled Approvals Management System (WEAMS) Report and is the physical address the State Approving Agency (SAA) has approved for the SCO’s school. It is not necessarily the physical address where the SCO is located. If the address is incorrect for your school, please contact the SAA.

Question 14: Do we still require a 10-minute delay between 1st & 2nd certifications?

Answer: For Submitting Multiple Actions for Chapter 33, If the SCO submitted original enrollments at multiple facility codes for the same student, please wait 10 minutes before amending any of these enrollments.

For example, an SCO can submit enrollments for their primary facility and an extension campus, then wait at least 10 minutes to correct either enrollment. 

Question 15: Why can't graduate certificates be coded as graduate level programs in EM? They are listed as NCD programs which automatically codes them as undergraduate level programs?

Answer: Programs in EM are listed as they are approved in WEAMS. There is an upcoming policy advisory that will clarify the correct objective type that Education Liaison Representatives (ELRs) should enter in WEAMS for graduate level certificate programs. If the school’s graduate certificates are accredited and approved in credit hours, insert a custom remark that provides the number of credits required for full time for the graduate certificate. If they are not accredited and/or are approved in clock hours, NCD would be the correct objective type.

Question 16: Do we need to deactivate a student who cancels their acceptance to our school, if we have already entered them into EM?

Answer: If you have certified a student who does not attend, or who withdraws from training after starting, you must amend the certification to terminate the student’s enrollment. If you added a student but did not certify their enrollment to Veterans Affairs (VA), you cannot deactivate/inactivate their record at this time. A future EM release will allow deactivation/inactivation of student records.

Question 17: Several still pending in EM, I've submitted enrollment and hours for this, is there anything that can be done?

Answer: Because certain systems aren’t currently syncing with each other, this status will remain in EM, even after the certification is processed, until future system upgrades are in place.

Question 18: We have a Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Counselor that cannot see our certification from our school. They just see "Under Review". Is there something we are missing in the certification to them?

Answer: Under the benefits tab, ensure the counselor’s email is listed as well.

Question 19: We had a student dropped after the add/drop period. When I terminated in Enrollment Manager, the tuition and fees were automatically set to zero dollars. Does this mean that VA is processing a refund? 

Answer: When you terminate an enrollment, EM automatically zeros out the field. VA will determine if there is any overpayment and notify the school and student.

Question 20: If a student is in multiple programs, how do we toggle between them for different enrollments or courses?

Answer: VA students cannot be paid for multiple programs at the same time unless they are pursuing an allowable dual major or dual objective. Please see the SCO Handbook for additional information on what is allowable.  Until system enhancements are put in place you should certify a student in an allowable dual major or dual objective under one program and add a custom remark providing the name of the other program.

Question 21: I have a student whose social security number was put in wrong. How can that be updated?

Answer: If the information is incorrect, you must reach out to the Education Call Center (ECC) or Ask VA (AVA).

Question 22: Why does the VA Hotline provide answers to students that differs to the SCO's? For example, our ELR stated our program being 640 hours requires will take 12 months for the 4 months the student is enrolled, and when the student called, they said that was untrue.

Answer: If you are referring to the number of months of entitlement a Chapter 33 student will use at an Non-College Degree (NCD) school, it is based on the yearly academic cap and amount of Tuition and Fees certified. The answer from the ELR and GI Bill® Helpline should be the same. If the individual answering the call is not made aware of the type of school, it is possible to get a different answer since Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) programs charge entitlement differently.

Question 23: If I need to change a student's program, do I need to terminate and then create a new enrollment or am I able to edit the original enrollment? I have been trying and am unable to change the program on the original enrollment?

Answer: Currently, there is no functionality to update a major in Enrollment Manager on a certification that has already been submitted to VA. For now, please identify their updated major and add a note, should it be questioned on compliance. Update the student’s program before submitting any subsequent enrollment certifications. SCOs can update by objective type if a student’s academic information is not associated to an enrollment yet. 

Question 24: Do we still require a 24-hour delay between certifications for our satellite campuses?

Answer: No, The Digital GI (DGI) System will no longer overwrite enrollment periods when the same preset enrollment is used to enroll a student at both a main and an extension/branch campus.

Question 25: Are we able to delete previous students from enrollment manager?

Answer: No, you cannot delete students from Enrollment Manager. Currently, SCOs are also unable to inactive students in EM. The ability to inactivate students is functionality will be available in a future update.

Question 26: Once students graduate or leave our institution, is there way to mark them inactive or hide them from active student list?   I would really like to view just my active students without having to wade through old students that no longer need to be certified.

Answer: SCOs will be able to mark a student inactive in a future update.

Question 27: Why do my terminated students still show on my list? Just wondering if I did the termination correctly.

Answer: The record of a terminated student is not automatically inactivated in EM. Currently, you are also unable to manually inactive students in EM. SCOs will be able to mark a student inactive in a future update.

Question 28: I have been having trouble logging into EM for a couple of weeks and get the error message "We're sorry, we are unable to retrieve the data. Try again in a few minutes or contact help". I tried from 2 different browsers. Why does this happen so often. I am having to wait days to sign in. Is this happening with other people?

Answer: Please reach out to the SCO Hotline for assistance.

Question 29: I see that the date range filter has been added to the students tab. Thank you! But, when I use our Fall term dates it only returns 21 students, and I know there are a lot more than that. Am I missing something?

We teach in a prison; can the prisoners use paper enrollments?

Answer: Students do not submit enrollments, the SCO does. Prisons are not exempted from using EM. If an SCO is having difficulties signing into ID.me due to working in a prison, there are set-up options when establishing the ID.me account (or can be managed later by the account holder) that permits the user to receive a list of 10 pre-generated codes in advance via an ID.me app. Those codes can be used without cell phone access when logging into EM. The codes are received in advance and the SCO can email the list to themselves, allowing access to EM at work. When the 10^th pre-generated code is used, the system automatically sends another list of 10 codes.

Question 30: I am still unable to change the school status to inactive after I graduate or terminate a student. Is there a way that I can make these updates?

Answer: Currently, SCOs are unable to manually inactive students in EM.  SCOs will be able to mark a student inactive in a future update.

Question 31: Do students get an email confirmation that their classes have been certified with the VA?

Answer: Students receive an automated email when a certification has been submitted.

Question 32: Is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) required to receive VA benefits? 

Answer: No, VA does not require FAFSA to receive VA benefits.

Question 33: When will EM allow Full-Time (FT) modifiers for the multiple enrollments? 

Answer: Enrollment Manager now displays the same fields on the multiple enrollments page as on single enrollments. So, the FT modifier field for graduate level students is displayed.

Question 34: Why are schools getting additional payments for students who reduced credits within add/drop refund window, when no additional tuition and fees were charged? This is creating a credit on the student’s account because VA is sending payment for the time between term start and student drop. We have been directed to refund this to the student. That doesn’t make any sense. There is no balance due because it was within the refund window. Why bother with submitting $0 tuition and fees?

Answer: If a student drops/withdraws during the drop/add period, the law provides that they are entitled to payment through their last date of attendance. If this creates a credit on the student’s account, the overage should be refunded to the student. Submitting the initial enrollment with zero Tuition and Fees (T&F) is at the school’s option. It allows a school to certify before they may know the correct amount of T&F for the term, allowing the student to get their books and supplies stipend and housing payments in a timely manner. SCOs can certify the full T&F (if known), on the initial certification.

Question 35: Hello. I could not locate in the Enrollment Manager User Guide. I have also emailed Ask VA and our ELR regarding dual enrollment with no success. How are dual enrollment students certified in EM?

Answer: The EM User Guide is located on the Resources For Schools page Resources For Schools | Veterans Affairs (va.gov). If a student is enrolled in an allowable dual degree or objective, SCOs should certify under one of the programs and add a custom remark providing the name of the other program.

Question 36: Why am I still getting an error when logging into EM "login failure"? This has been an issue since it launched.

Answer: Please, contact the SCO Hotline.

Question 37: Can we update addresses and student information now on EM?

Answer: No, if a student’s address or other contact or biographical information is incorrect the student should call the GI Bill® Helpline at 1-888-442-4551 to update their information. If an SCO changes their student’s information in EM, it changes it all in VA systems.

Question 38: Do Foreign Schools need to confirm local currency in the comment codes of certification?

Answer: Enrollment Manager now auto populates the currency and custom remark when reporting Tuition & Fees for foreign schools. The auto-populated custom remark ensures that all foreign enrollment claims are off-ramped and properly processed.

Question 39: At end of participation in the On-the-Job Training (OJT) Program, do you "Amend" to end?

Answer: No, end of participation should be reported on the final monthly certification, by answering “no” to the question “Was the Trainee Enrolled in and Pursuing Approved Program for the Month?”. If “No” is selected, a dynamic Termination Information section is enabled where the SCO enters the date terminated and select a termination reason.

Question 40: Do we need to do a new enrollment certification for an add/drop if it doesn't change a student's fulltime status or tuition?

Answer: For a Chapter 33 student the SCO must amend the enrollment certification and report all changes, even if rate of pursuit and/or T&F are not affected.

For non-Chapter 33 students the SCO do not have to amend the certification in the student remains full-time after the reduction. If the student has a subsequent reduction, causing them to fall below full-time, both changes will have to be reported in sequence, however.

Question 41: Will SCOs be able to see a history of amendments made instead of just the last one?

Answer: If the SCO is on a student’s Enrollments Tab, they can select the carrot on the right-hand side of an enrollment card to expand and see each amendment that has been submitted. If the SCO wishes to see additional details of the amended certification, select the “view details” link. 

Additionally, if the SCO goes to the student’s History Tab, they can filter by user (school) and action (amendment) to see all the amendments submitted for the student in date order. Each amendment submitted in EM will list the type of amendment submitted for example an Increase, Reduction after drop/add-nonpunitive grades, etc.

Question 42: Can we have a solution to EM not timing you out so quickly. Being bumped out as certifications are being processed is very time consuming.   

Answer: No, currently the timing out setting is in place due to security issues.

Question 43: How do we update hourly rate “upon re-rates” for apprenticeship programs? How can we change the status once an apprentice has graduated?

Answer: Any changes to the SCOs program should be submitted to the State Approving Agency (SAA), who will provide an updated approval package to VA.

Question 44: I have been told to add a remark to certifications identifying them as dual objectives because EM doesn't have the capability to certify them. Why are we not just adding the dual objectives to WEAMS and certifying under the joint program title like we used to?

Answer: Some dual programs/objectives are offered by a school in their catalog and approved as such by the SAA. Those programs are listed in the Web Enabled Approvals Management System (WEAMS) and available in EM. If a student pursues an allowable dual program that is not specifically offered in a school’s catalog as a set dual program, the VA will not have that information to add to WEAMS. There would simply be too many combinations. Schools were adding those dual programs to VA-ONCE, but EM does not allow a SCO to add programs.

Question 45: To be clear, we can now amend a certification, if wrong hours were submitted? Or do we still have to terminate and resubmit?

Answer: If the question is referring to a monthly certification of hours for an On-the-Job Training/Apprenticeship (OJT/APP) Program, the SCO cannot currently replace a monthly certification if incorrect information was submitted. The SCO should add a custom remark to a subsequent monthly certification providing the correct information such as “June hours reported as 100. June hours are 120.” A future release of Enrollment Manager will allow a monthly certifications to be ‘replaced’ if incorrect information has been certified.

Question 46: I have noticed a lot of people still asking through ListServ about how to change a birthdate from 01/01/1900, is there a solution?

Answer: If the date of birth (DOB) is incorrect on a student profile, please encourage your student to contact the Education Call Center directly at 888-GIBILL-1 (888-442-4551) to update their profile information.

Question 47: Who can an SCO talk to on the Enrollment Manager? I am doing the submissions but need help with guidance on the apprentice for new enrollments. Are they able to enroll themselves like they would under VA Forms 22-1990 (Application for VA Education Benefits) or 22-1995 (Request for Change of Program or Place of Training)? 

Answer: A 22-1990 is used by a trainee to apply to use VA benefits. It does not certify their training. If the SCO is unable to find a VA trainee in Enrollment Manager, they will need to create their student’s record before they can certify them. Please see the EM User Guide for instructions Resources For Schools | Veterans Affairs (va.gov)

Question 48: If a student changed their major after the original certification, how long do we have to wait for the “Pending” to change so we can certify them for the new major?  

Answer: Enrollment Manager can now process more than one amendment on a single certification in a 15-minute timeframe for Chapter 33 students. For non-Chapter 33 students, continue submitting successive amendments on separate days.

NOTE: If the new major should have been reflected on the initial certification, the SCO will need to amend the initial certification and add a custom remark providing the corrected program name, as updating the Program Card will not change the program on certifications that have already been submitted.

Question 49: Is there a plan to add Associate of Applied Science (AAS), and what should we do in the meantime?

Answer: Currently, WEAMS provides the objective type in the program name so on the certification the objective type will properly show for your AAS degrees. When adding an AAS student an SCO can either use AS or Associate Degree Not Elsewhere Classified.

Question 50: I apologize if this question has been asked and addressed previously, but can we "deactivate" students who no longer attend our institution?

Answer: The ability to deactivate students or make student records inactive will be in a future release.

Question 51: Why can't an SCO change the VA File Number on EM when a student using Chapter 35 is switching between veterans?

Answer: If the file number or date of birth (DOB) is incorrect on a student profile, please encourage your student to contact the Education Call Center directly at 888-GIBILL-1 (888-442-4551) to update their profile information.

Question 52: Does the status for VA Review change when it has been processed?

Answer: Because certain systems aren’t currently syncing with each other, this status will remain in EM until future system upgrades are in place. Certifications that show “processed” were automated and processed by the system.

Question 53: Does Veterans Readiness & Employment students need a 2nd Certification?

Answer: No, Public Law (P.L.) 116-315, section 1010 requires schools to submit an initial enrollment certification for each Chapter 33 student, and a subsequent enrollment certification (verification) after the last day a student can withdraw from the course or program of education without penalty, known as the drop-add period. VA is defining “without penalty” as either an academic penalty or a financial penalty, whichever occurs first at the educational institution.

The second 1010 submission must be received no later than 30 days after the school’s drop-add period or 60 days from the first day of the enrollment period, whichever occurs first. For schools without a drop-add period, the second 1010 submission must be received no sooner than 30 days and no more than 60 days from the first day of the enrollment period.

NOTE:  This requirement is only for schools approved as Institutions of Higher Learning or Non-College Degree facilities.  There are no changes to the current process for submitting enrollment certifications for On-the-job Training, Apprenticeship, Flight, and Correspondence Training establishments.

Question 54: When the banner goes red and says “under review” is that typical for it to take over 30 days? And do we get notified after a review of a certification is completed?

Answer: Because certain systems aren’t currently syncing with each other, this status will remain in EM until future system upgrades are in place. You will not be notified once the certification is processed. Certifications that show “processed” were automated and processed by the system.

Question 55: If a student has attended another school and when adding to our school, can you put an Identification (ID) number?

Answer: As of the June 17, 2023, update users can now update and save their students' unique student IDs when associating them to different schools.

Question 56: I have searched for a new CH31 student in Enrollment Manager and cannot find them. I attempted to set up a student profile, but received an error stating the SSN was already in use with first name NFN and last name NLN, with no way to search through the hundreds there. What can I do next?

Answer: Please call the SCO hotline and report the error message.

Question 57: How do I report students on academic probation?

Answer: SCOs do not report when students are placed on academic probation. If a student is suspended for unsatisfactory progress, conduct or attendance you are required to report that as a termination. However, please see the SCO Handbook for additional details.

Question 58: How to certify dual majors in EM? Should we certify units separately under each program? Example: Psychology/Sociology (PSYC/SOC) dual major. Taking 6 units under PSYC and 6 units under SOC. Should those units correlate with the major?

Answer: Certify under one major and add a custom remark stating the student is enrolled in a dual major and provide the name of the second major.

Question 59: Are we able to certify 2 different facility codes on the same day or are we still having to certify 1 facility code daily?

Answer: As of the August update, the DGI System no longer overwrites enrollment periods when the same preset enrollment is used to enroll a student at both a main and extension/branch campus. Therefore, SCOs no longer need to wait until the next day to certify.

Question 60: I am backup SCO for five facilities. I have just been approved as primary SCO for a new facility. How do I get the new facility code added to my Enrollment Manager profile?

Answer: SCOs should contact their ELR of jurisdiction to assist.

Note: Not all regions are allowing their ELRs to add SCOs and/or facility codes in EM at this time.

Question 61: What is the process to submit new programs to WEAMS? And how long does it take to update?

Answer: For more information about adding new programs to the Web Enabled Approvals Management System (WEAMS), please visit the following link: School Program Approval - Education and Training.

SCOs should contact their State Approving Agency (SAA), which can be found at the following link: NASAA State Contacts – NASAA (nasaa-vetseducation.com).

Note: The ELRs updates WEAMS after receiving and accepting SAA approval information and WEAMS populates the programs in EM automatically within 24 hours.  

Question 62: If a class is being offered both as an online and a developmental/remedial/companion course, do we certify it as online hours or remedial hours?

Answer: Remedial and deficiency courses offered online cannot be approved by the SAA and cannot be certified to VA. 

Question 63: Will the next EM update fix the issue of the benefits regressing back to the previous benefit? This tends to happen when the Veteran either changes from Chapter 33 to Chapter 31 or vice versa, and when the dependent switches from the transfer to Chapter 35. 

Answer: Benefits may be updated under the "Benefits" tab.

Question 1: For a Non-College Degree police academy, do we need to make a second certification as an unchanged Certification?

Answer: Public Law (P.L.) 116-315, Section 1010, is applicable to Chapter 33 at Institutions of Higher Learning and Non-College Degree facilities. If your school has no changes to make to the enrollment or tuition and fees for a term after the initial certification, meaning it’s an unchanged certification, then yes, a second enrollment certification is still mandated.

Question 2: For truck driving programs that are only three to four weeks long, an SCO would do an initial certification, second certification, and at the end of term, submit another certification?

Answer: If a program is less than 30 days, and the student graduates or completes the program, the reporting of “Graduation” or “End of Term” can serve as a second certification. 

Question 3: The instructions say that schools without a drop-add period, the second certification must be received no sooner than 30 days and no more than 60 days from the first day of the enrollment. What if a school has a short two-week term and doesn't have a drop add period, does the SCO have to wait 30 days?

Answer: If a program/enrollment period is less than 30 days, and the student graduates or completes the program, the report of “Graduation” or “End of Term” can serve as a second certification.

Question 4: Is the two-step certification only applicable to Chapter 33 benefits? Are we required to do the two-step certification for non-Chapter 33 benefits such as Chapter 30, Chapter 35, Chapter 31, and Chapter 1606?

Answer: Public Law (P.L.) 116-315, Section 1010, is applicable only to Chapter 33 at Institutions of Higher Learning and Non-College Degree facilities. This includes the Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship recipients.

Question 5: It was stated that Dual Certifications need to be submitted next day, I thought in Enrollment Manager we could submit certifications after 10 minutes. Can someone, please clarify. 

Answer: The SCO Handbook outlines, submitting the second certification next day, applies specifically to Retroactive Certifications.

Question 6: What is first day of enrollment? When the certification is complete or when the first day school starts?

Answer: The first day of enrollment will be the start date to any enrollment period being certified depending on what the SCOs school offers. For example, if the SCO’s school offers a regular 16-week semester, but also offers multiple mini terms within that semester, they may all have a different date begin date per enrollment period.  

Question 7: If we submit an enrollment, then immediately save the tuition and fees as a draft on the same day, and then submit the draft the next day, does that meet the next day requirement?

Answer: Public Law (P.L.) 116-315, section 1010 requires schools to submit an initial enrollment certification for each chapter 33 student, and a subsequent enrollment certification (verification) after the last day a student can withdraw from the course or program of education without penalty, known as the drop-add period. VA is defining “without penalty” as either an academic penalty or a financial penalty, whichever occurs first at the educational institution. 

The second submission must be received no later than 30 days after the school’s drop-add period or 60 days from the first day of the enrollment period, whichever occurs first. For schools without a drop-add period, the second submission must be received no sooner than 30 days and no more than 60 days from the first day of the enrollment period.

Question 8: How do I know if Public Law (P.L.) Section 1010 applies to my enrollees?

Answer: Public Law (P.L.) 116-315 Section 1010 is applicable only to Chapter 33 at Institutions of Higher Learning and Non-College Degree facilities. This includes the Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship recipients.

Question 9: Is a school able to retroactively turn in a second certification if they started the term late?

Answer: Yes, retroactive certifications still require a second verification certification to satisfy the Section 1010 requirement. The SCO Handbook outlines, the SCO should submit the second certification the next day for retroactive certifications. 

Question 10: How does VA calculate tuition and fees paid during the drop-add period? Does the school get prorated payments?

Answer: Yes, if a student withdraws from a course during the drop-add period VA will prorate the tuition and fee payment and pay through the last date of attendance.

Question 11: For the second certification, we still don't need to use the new standard remark of "Second Certification for Enrollment Verification”. Is this correct?  We can just submit the second certification, even though the remark was added to keep from free forming custom remarks as an option.

Answer: Correct, SCOs do not need to enter a remark for second certifications.

Question 12: If student increases or decreases units after an initial certification with $0.00 in the tuition and fee field, but tuition remains the same, do we submit one or two amendments?

Answer: The SCO must submit two amendments as all changes in hours must be reported for Chapter 33 students. The first one will report the tuition and fees for the credits as initially certified. The second will report the new number of credits and the applicable tuition and fees for the new number of credits. 

NOTE: If a student reduces from full-time to less than full-time, you must report the amount of tuition and fees that would have been charged if the student had initially enrolled in the reduced number of credits. This remains true even if the school does not reduce the charges to the student.

Question 13: Do we amend the first certification, or do we do a whole new enrollment for the verification enrollment?

Answer: The SCO will amend the first certification. Per the SCO handbook, even when there are no changes to make to the certification (Unchanged Certifications). In Enrollment Manager this should be done by amending the enrollment, making no changes, and submitting the certification. 

Question 14: Our university requires the students to declare a major after the second year of attendance. When certifying students that have not declared a major that meets the school criteria. How do we submit the enrollment certification?

Answer: Per the SCO Handbook, students pursuing a bachelor’s degree may not have to declare a major before their junior year at some schools. If a freshman or sophomore hasn’t declared a major, report the student’s program as “Bachelor (undeclared)”. ‘Undeclared’ is program choice included in Enrollment Manager. 

NOTE: The student cannot be certified beyond his or her sophomore year unless a major is declared. Only “General Education” courses can be certified prior to the declaration of a major.

Question 15: Are Dual Certifications required at Non-College Degree schools for Chapter 35?

Answer: No. Public Law (P.L.) 116-315 Section 1010 is applicable only to Chapter 33 at Institutions of Higher Learning and Non-College Degree facilities. This includes the Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship recipients.

Question 16: If a Chapter 33 student makes changes to an enrollment before I can submit the second certifications, can I amend the hours even if I'm not ready to add tuition and fees?           

Answer: If the SCO has already submitted an initial certification and the student made changes to their hours, however, you are not prepared to submit the accurate tuition and fee amount at the time of change, it is best practice to wait until you know exactly what the tuition and fees will be for the second certification. The SCO must ensure they are still submitting the certifications within the appropriate timeframe to meet the requirements of Section 1010. 

Question 17: What do you do if a student changes their enrollment after the second certification? 

Answer You will amend or terminate the certification as appropriate for the change.

Question 18: Are there any benefits that do not need a second certification?

Answer: Public Law (P.L.) 116-315 Section 1010 is applicable only to Chapter 33 at Institutions of Higher Learning and Non-College Degree facilities. This includes the Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship recipients. It is not required for non-Chapter 33 benefits.

Question 19: How soon after the first certification can the second certification be submitted if there's no add-drop period for a non-College Degree school?

Answer: If your school has no drop-add period, the second certification must be submitted no sooner than 30 days and no more than 60 days after the term begins.

Question 20: Why do we have to wait no less than 30 days when certifying a term or sequence which does not have a drop-add date? We are required to submit all changes within 30 days of the event.

Answer: This is the time frame that has been determined by the Secretary, as outlined in Public Law (P.L.) 116-315.

Question 21: Why are schools getting additional payments for students who reduced credits within the drop-add refund period, when no additional tuition and fees were charged? This is creating a credit on the student’s account because VA is sending payment for the time between the term start date and student drop date. We have been directed to refund this to the student. That doesn’t make any sense. There is no balance due because it was within the refund period. Why bother with submitting zero tuition and fees?

Answer: If a student drops or withdraws during the drop-add period, the law provides that they are entitled to payment through their last date of attendance. If this creates a credit on the student’s account, the overage should be refunded to the student.  

Submitting the initial enrollment with zero tuition and fees is the school’s choice. It allows a school to certify before they may know the correct amount of tuition and fees for the term, allowing the student to get their books and supplies stipend and housing payments in a timely manner, SCOs can certify the full tuition and fees (if known), on the initial certification. 

Question 22: As a Non-College Degree school, we enroll a student and certify them in Enrollment Manager four weeks before classes begin; then wait until less than 30 days after class begins and before 60 days from the first day of the enrollment period to submit the second certification, correct? Not from the day we originally listed them in Enrollment Manager?

Answer: Yes, that is correct.

Question 23: If we have a change in number of credits when processing the second certification, do we have to process these separately or would Enrollment Manager process tuition and fees and change in credits in one submission?

Answer: If the SCO has submitted the initial certification with zero in the tuition and fee fields and you now have a change to the enrollment that is occurring within the timeframe outlined by section 1010, and you are also ready to submit tuition and fees, you must submit two separate amendments.  

The first one will report the tuition and fees for the credits as initially certified, as a prorated payment is due through last date of attendance for the dropped course(s).

The second will report the new number of credits and the applicable tuition and fees for the new number of credits. 

NOTE: If a student reduces from full-time to less than full-time, you must report the amount of tuition and fees that would have been charged if the student had initially enrolled in the reduced number of credits. This remains true even if the school does not reduce the charges to the student.

Question 24: How does the annual cap work? If a student starts on July 28, 2023, does that payment come from the 2022-2023 annual cap or is it prorated? Meaning a couple of days in July is based on the 2022-2023 cap, then the new cap starts for august dates.

Answer: If an enrollment period begins before August 1, 2023, then it is part of the annual cap for 2022-2023, not 2023-2024.

Question 25: Does the book stipend go out to the Chapter 33 Veterans after the first certification or when the second certification is submitted? 

Answer: The Books and Supplies Stipend is released based on the first certification, as early as 15 days prior to the start of the term.

Question 26: When submitting the second enrollment certification with no changes via amendment, do we leave the cost of the program in that certification?

Answer: Yes, if the SCO has already submitted the initial certification with tuition and fees and there have been no changes by the time you are ready to submit the second certification, then leave the tuition and fees alone. In Enrollment Manager, the SCO will do this by amending the enrollment, making no changes and submitting the certification. 

Question 27: If the student drops a class and we issue a “W” for withdrawn or “D” for dropped and submit this as non-punitive in Enrollment Manager, the VA considers this an audit, and requires the student repay the entire amount. We do not consider this an audit. Is this correct?

Answer: If a student receives a nonpunitive grade and acceptable mitigating circumstances are not received and/or the one-time six credit exclusion is not applicable, then a debt will be created from the first day of the term for the course. If acceptable, mitigating circumstances are received and/or the one-time six credit exclusion is applicable, then the debt will be prorated from the last date of attendance.  

Question 28: Should we be using the standard remark: “Second Certification for Enrollment Verification”, when submitting the second certification for the Section 1010 requirement when no changes are made? When I don’t add a comment to a second certification with no changes to complete the Dual Certification process, VA processor’s reach out and ask if there are any changes.

Answer: It is not necessary to add a remark in this situation. 

Question 29: For Chapter 33, our first certification is submitted after our drop-add period. When should the second certification be submitted?

Answer: The first/initial certification should be submitted after the beneficiary enrolls and up to 180 days before the start of the term. For schools with a drop-add period, the second certification should be submitted after the schools drop-add period, but no later than 30 days after the end of the schools drop-add period. 

Question 30: I thought that schools with a flat rate tuition and when the student is full time, a dual certification is not mandatory?

Answer: Per the SCO handbook, “Based on the provisions found in the REMOTE Act, VA will not grant any waivers of the second certification established under Section 1010 of Public Law (P.L.) 116-315 to educational institutions operating under a flat rate tuition and fee structure, because VA does not see any instances where a second verification would not be necessary".

Question 31: We have a drop-add period for courses and a later drop date for non-payment for courses where you could be dropped or reinstated if you made the proper payment. Am I able to use the 60-day period to report the second enrollment?

Answer: If the first drop-add period mentioned in this question incurs either a financial or academic penalty against the student, then it must be the drop-add period used to meet the requirement of Section 1010.

Question 32: If I certify two weeks into our academic term and our drop-add period without penalty ends prior to that, do I still submit a second certification up to one month after that initial certification?

Answer: Yes, if the SCO’s initial certification is submitted within the first two weeks of enrollment, and falls within the drop-add period, a second certification is still required to meet Section 1010.