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Education and Training

May Education Office Hours Questions and Answers FY2023

May Office Hours Agenda

  • Paper-Based Enrollment Phase-Out June 6th Reminder
  • Enrollment Manager Updates
  • Facility Code Guidance
  • Updated Program and Benefit Guidance
  • Section 1010 Second Certification (Verification)
  • Enrollment Manager Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
  • Enrollment Manager Resources

Office Hours Presentation: School Certifying Officials (SCOs) can view this entire Office Hours presentation at the following YouTube link: May Office Hours


Enrollment Manager Updates – Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Inquiries

 The following are questions and answers from May Office Hours

Question: Do Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Counselors have access to Enrollment Manager?

Answer: No

 

Question: Some Chapter 31 VR&E students benefit information is showing as Chapter 33. When trying to edit benefit information, Chapter 31 is not available. It’s as if the benefit is correct in the background, but not showing correctly in Enrollment Manager. When Chapter 31 Benefit tab is not showing the VR&E Counselor’s email there is no way to update to add the email address or change it, if the counselor has changed.

Answer: We are working on updates to the chapter to make it clearer, as well as the ability to update the counselor’s email.

 

Question: Chapter 31 students aren't denoted in the gray benefits box on the student profile page. It shows Chapter 33 as the benefit type. I understand that Chapter 33 is the BENEFIT, but in the gray box on the profile page. Can Chapter 31 be listed somehow? Knowing benefits remaining is important for Chapter 33 students, but I want to see Chapter 31 denoted, when I go into a profile for a Chapter 31 student.

Answer: We are working on updates to the Chapter to make it clearer.

Question: Will the elimination of paper-based certifications also be applied to Chapter 31/VR&E? In case a VR&E continues to ask for a paper-based certification?

 

 

Answer: VR&E is a separate business line. This question will need to go to VR&E. It is impossible at this time to certify Chapter 31 On-the-Job Training (OJT)/Apprenticeships (APP) in Enrollment Manager, so they will still need to accept paper in those cases until their new system is in place. Again, a VR&E decision on whether they will accept paper for other types of training.

Question: Do we enter VR&E students in Enrollment Manager?

Answer: Yes, VR&E students can be entered into Enrollment Manager.

 

Question: How does the VR&E Counselor know that the student is enrolled at our school?

Answer: An email will be sent to the counselor after the next release. This will work like VA-ONCE, when a certification is submitted, the counselor will receive an email.

Question: Multiple VR&E Counselors and Veterans Claims Examiners (VCEs) are having difficulty locating submitted certifications for students who are eligible for multiple benefits. It is like the Certifications are not populating on their end. Is there any updates?

Answer: Veterans Affairs (VA) is still working on multiple issues in this area.

Question: VR&E Counselors can approve a veteran using Chapter 31 VR&E to take a certificate program with an Non-College Degree (NCD) facility for programs that may not be on the Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS) Report; What is the process for School Certifying Officials (SCOs) to follow to add the student in Enrollment Manager when the program is not listed as an "approved program" by the State Approving Agency (SAA) and is therefore not on the WEAMS Report?

Answer: However, we know that some VR&E students were approved by their counselors for a custom training program which is not one of the approved WEAMS programs. This is a known VR&E issue. We’re working with VR&E for a suitable solution and will share as soon as determined.

Question: Please confirm if we need to include remarks for VR&E certifications to itemize the courses the student is taking? We were previously informed this wasn't needed (and is not mentioned in the VR&E Handbook), but this was presented as required in March Office Hours. This was questioned during the Q&A, but wasn't answered, and the Q&As haven't been posted yet. Just to clarify, for ANY Chapter 31 certification submission, do we need to include the course numbers and names in that comment box?

Answer: That is up to the VR&E counselor your students are assigned to, please direct your question to VR&E.

 

Question: For Chapter 31 students, VR&E department only saw one facility code on Enrollment Manager while two or more facility codes submitted for the same term. How would the issue be resolved?

Answer: This issue has been addressed and should be corrected.

Question: How do you edit VR&E email addresses? With the Waco VA Regional center severely short staffed with VR&E Counselors, many Veterans using Chapter 31 are being switched to new VR&E Counselors. How do we update the contact information for the Veterans new VR&E Counselors?

Answer: Veterans Affairs (VA) is working on being able to edit the VR&E Counselor email address and would like to eventually connect with a VR&E system so that the School Certifying Officials do not have to maintain the counselor email address.

Question: Since, Enrollment Manager only includes Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS) approved programs for certification of benefits to Veterans Affairs, it's also the case the certifying students for VR&E benefits must also only be submitted for WEAMS approved programs, correct?

Answer: Yes. However, the Veterans Affairs (VA) knows that some VR&E students were approved by their counselors for a custom training program, which is not one of the approved WEAMS programs. This is a known VR&E issue. VA is working with VR&E for a suitable solution and will share as soon as determined.

Question: If we didn't get to add Chapter 31, VR&E email addresses on Enrollment Manager, should we submit an amendment to include them? Did you say we need to put in VR&E Counselor's email on every enrollment?

 

 

Answer: No, you should not Amend just to add the counselor’s email. You can just email the counselor to let them know of the submission.

Enrollment Manager Resources Overview

Visit the Resources for Schools page for more details. The following materials can be referenced for more information:

ID.Me and Login.gov Resources

Certifying Official Resource Guide

School Certifying Officials, please contact the designated party if you are having issues on the following topics:

Contacting the Education Liaison Representative (ELR):

Contact your Education Liaison Representative (ELR)

  • Updating Certifying Officials; VA Form 22-8794 (Designation of Certifying Official(s)).
  • Questions about reporting enrollments and related changes
  • 85/15 reporting matters
  • Clarification on WEAMS (Web Enabled Approval Management System), which is also known as the VA Form 22-1998 reports.
  • Contact your ELR for the School Certifying Official's Hotline phone number

Contact the School Certifying Official (SCO) Hotline:

  • Status of Tuition & Fee or Yellow Ribbon payments
  • Explanation of school debt creation
  • Individual student benefit information and hardship cases

Contacting the State Approving Agency (SAA):

Contact your State Approving Agency (SAA)

  • Program revisions; new/suspended/cancelled programs 
  • Updated catalogs and related publications 
  • School address updates – including branch/extension 
  • Changes in accreditation status 
  • Change of ownership and change of address

Certifying Official Resource Links

Certifying Official Annual Training Resources

National Training Mailbox: edutraining.vbaco@va.gov

  • Certifying Official training portal access and use
  • Certifying Official approved training credit and progress tracking
  • Adobe Connect registration and access

Office Hours Question and Answer: VBA Education Office Hours - Q&A Webpage​

  • Review previous Office Hours' questions and answers
  • Respond to questions posed during monthly Office Hours sessions
  • Link to Annual Training requirements and step-by-step directions self -certifying training

SCO Portal Technical Support: support@VBATraining.org

  • Certifying Official training portal technical assistance
  • Report Training Portal issues and outages

Note: All webinars and training sessions are announced via the GovDelivery; SCOs be sure to register and update your information as needed, please use the following link: GovDelivery.

Additional Resources

Stay up to date on the Veterans Benefits Administrations (VBA) social platforms:

SCO Annual Training Requirements

For questions about the SCO Annual Training requirements, please review these resources:

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