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Education and Training

October Education Office Hours FY 2023 Presentation

SCO Training Logo                          National Training Team logo

October Office Hours Agenda

  • DGIB Updates
  • VRRAP Updates
  • Note About Dual Certification Schools
  • SCO Annual Training Requirements
  • School Certifying Official(s) can view this entire Office Hours presentation at the following YouTube link: October Office Hours


Digital GI Bill® Updates – Enrollment Manager (EM)

Preview-Multifactor Authentication: The new Enrollment Manager makes supporting your GI Bill® students easier than ever! Before receiving access to student data and to take advantage of the enhanced VA experience, you’ll need to create a VA.gov account using ID.me or Login.gov.

VA strongly encourages you to complete this step as soon as possible to gain access to your Enrollment Manager account.

After verifying your identity, your account is ready to use for access to VA platforms! Have question? Watch the Multi-Factor Authentication Video for School Certifying Officials.

Preview-VA Education Platform Portal: With the launch of Enrollment Manager will come new processes for logging in, requesting access, and managing access requests. We have combined four mini-videos into one October Office Hours YouTube video. The information below is an overview of the different processes and a list of the upcoming demonstrations within the Enrollment Manager.

How to Access Enrollment Manager:

  • All Users prior to accessing Enrollment Manager will first have to create an ID.me or Login.gov account.
  • Then, SCOs who already have access to VA-ONCE will log into Enrollment Manager using their VA-ONCE credentials.
  • New SCOs will request access to Enrollment Manager using VA’s new VA Education Platform Portal. You will receive an approval or denial email. After access is authorized. SCOs can navigate straight to Enrollment Manager or open it from the VA Education Platform Portal.
  • Denied access? Contact the Education Liaison Representative (ELR) specified in your denial email to resolve the reason for denial.
  • Accessing Enrollment Manager with Legacy VA-ONCE User Access.
  • Requesting Enrollment Manager Access as a New SCO.

Preview-Find and Add A Student: Our next demo will showcase the process a SCO will take when looking to find a student and add them to their respective school or institution.

  • To add a student to their school, SCOs will first search for that student in EDU’s database.
  • SCOs can update a student’s contact information when adding them to their institution.
  • Example: Student, Martha Washington, currently exists in a VA System. SCOs can select “Add Student” to associate them to their institution.
  • How to add a student.

Preview-Add Enrollment

  • The Add Enrollment page provides the expected fields to enter a student’s enrollment to streamline the process for SCOs.
  • Additional standard remarks have been added to assist SCOs.
  • VA also has provided a Notes field for optional remarks and notes regarding a particular enrollment.
  • Notes are not submitted for processing.
  • How to add an Enrollment.

Enrollment Manager September Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Will we need student's full SSN in the new enrollment system to connect or create their profile? Answer: Enrollment Manager will allow users to search for students using First Name, Last Name, and Date of Birth. Social Security Number will no longer be used as a search
  • If we created an ID.me account, do we need to create a Login.gov account? Answer: No, you can use either ID.me OR Login.gov to access Enrollment Manager, you do not need both.
  • What is the url for the VA Education Landing Page to access Enrollment Manager? Answer: The URL for the VA Education Landing Portal is not available yet but stay tuned as information becomes available, it will be shared during Office Hours, over email, and through other resources shared on VA.gov.
  • What resource is available is assistance is needed with ID.me? Answer: You can visit VA & ID.me Help Center if assistance is needed (VA & ID.me – ID.me Help Center).
  • Will we be able to see the amount of eligibility a student has left in Enrollment Manager? Answer: Yes, this information can be found on the student profile page.
  • When will we be officially rolling over to Enrollment Manager? Answer: Enrollment Manager is targeted to go-live as early as the end of January 2023. Testing is still underway.

VA ONCE to Enrollment Manager Transition: Leading up to the launch of Enrollment Manager, there will be a Transition Week to migrate the data, during which access to VA-ONCE will not be available. The following is a preview of some of the Transition Week activities as we prepare to go-live.

Enrollment Manager Transition:

  • VA-ONCE Sunset​: Please submit all enrollments in VA-ONCE as usual until you hear otherwise!
  • Tip of the Week Kickoff: The Tip of the Week campaign will give Enrollment Manager users insight on helpful actions they can take to efficiently navigate the system.
  • Office Hours: Office Hour sessions will be held giving detailed live instructions on how to use specific Enrollment Manager features.
  • Enrollment Manager Goes Live: Once Enrollment Manager is live, you will resume submitting enrollments using the new and improved system.

SCO Enrollment Manager Workshop: This is an opportunity to learn about and interact with Enrollment Manager, a key system in the Digital GI Bill effort. This event will provide you the opportunity to navigate the system before it goes live, with knowledge about the new system features and how EDU will support you through the transition from VA-ONCE to Enrollment Manager.

  •  School Certifying Officials: Join us at the Enrollment Manager Workshop for a preview of new features, questions and answers (Q&A) with VA, and interactive demo stations.
  • When: Tuesday, November 15, 2022, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
  • Where: 1201 New York Avenue, Washington DC, 20005
  • RSVP by using the following link: https://scoenrollmentmanagerworkshop.splashthat.com

 
Training Overview: To inform and prepare you for using Enrollment Manager, the team is taking a comprehensive training approach. Here are a few upcoming trainings and resources to expect over the next two months leading up to Enrollment Manager go-live.

  •  Enrollment Manager Captivate Module Series: EM 100, 101, and 102 required trainings and post-training assessment will be available on the training portal December 8 and due January 16.
  • FAQs: Searchable document that will house answers to frequently asked questions about Enrollment Manager. Available on Resources for Schools Page on December 8.
  • Job Aids: Quick references for VA Education Platform Portal. Available on Resources for Schools Page on December 8.
  • SCO Office Hours: Sessions to present updates about Enrollment Manager, new resources and trainings.
  • Workshops: Provide in-person and virtual opportunities to learn and engage with Enrollment Manager.
  • Enrollment Manager (EM) Roadmap: Your resource guide for all things Enrollment Manager. Will be distributed to SCOs via email on November 16.
  • Resources for Schools Webpage: Reflect the latest updates on Enrollment Manager and store key resources.


Enrollment Manager Terminology Updates: In Enrollment Manager, some of the terminology used in VA-ONCE has been updated. Some examples of the updates made to terminology are shown below: 

Previous Labels

New Labels

New Label Definitions

Adjustment, Amendment, Termination

Amendment

Any change made to an enrollment after it is submitted.

Break Period

Vacation Period

The dates of official school vacation periods which are 7 or more consecutive days. Used when certifying non-standard enrollment periods for all benefits.

Distance credits

Online Credits

Type of learning that does not occur in residence.

Standard Terms

Preset Enrollments

Term dates on approved school calendar that can be prepopulated

Veteran, Claimant, Beneficiary, Dependent

Student, Trainee

Individual using their GI Bill benefits to pursue educational programs, training, certifications, etc.

Facility, Training Program, Campus, Organization

School, Institution

Includes all institutions of higher learning as well as nontraditional courses/programs where education is pursued​

Major, Degree program, Course

Program

Student’s chosen path of study that is pursued at a school. ​

​Stay in the Know: Subscribe to the SCO in the Know Newsletter and follow us on social media:

  • Facebook@GIBillEducation
  • Twitter@VAVetBenefits
  • Instagram@VABenefits

 
Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP Updates)

 Important Information about VRRAP:

  • VRRAP will expire on December 10, 2022 (this date is on a Saturday).​
  •  Students seeking to participate in VRRAP must be actively enrolled in an approved program prior to December 10, 2022; beyond this date is too late! ​
  •  Students that are enrolled in VRRAP prior to December 10, 2022, will be paid through the entirety of the program, if it expands beyond the VRRAP expiration date. ​
  •  The Department of Labor has released an updated high-demand occupation list as of September 09, 2022; 12 new occupations have been added to the list. Please go to the following link to review the updated high-demand occupation list: https://benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/docs/vrrap-high-demand-occupation-list.pdf
  •  VA has received a couple reports that some schools may have deviated or changed their programs' coursework or length, in order to certify a student because the student may have not had enough entitlement remaining for the full program; reminder, all program changes must be approved via the State Approving Agency.

Note: Reminder for Certifying Officials, schools are required to report VRRAP graduation or program completion information to VA.


The Dual Certification Process:

(Dual Certification is only applicable to Chapter 33 Beneficiaries at IHL and NCD facilities)

  • Dual Certifications: This is also known as ‘Zero T&Fs’, an optional reporting method that allows SCOs to initially submit term dates with the credit load but without T&Fs.  This is followed by an amended cert that includes the T&Fs once the student’s financial aid is finalized and drop/add has ended. 
  • 1010 2nd Certification: This is required within 30 days of the last day the school allows a student to drop without financial or academic penalty.  If the second dual certification (aka Zero T&Fs) is submitted within those 30 days, it can satisfy the 1010 requirement.
  • Note: Any pending change (including SCO submissions) in place when the student’s monthly verification is received at the end of the month pauses release of the housing. In addition, Processing attempts to clear these as soon as possible to minimize​ the housing delay.

Accepted Methods for Dual Certification:

(WHEN THE ‘TWO-STEP PROCESS’ OR ‘ZERO T&F’ ISN’T USED, *EXCEPT #1)

There are five accepted methods to submitting dual certifications:

  • Dual Certifications: Submitting tuition as $0.00 until after add/drop​
  • Enrollment Changes:​ Changes to enrollment within 1st 30 days of term​
  • Unchanged Certifications:​ Amending the term, making no changes, then submitting​
  • Retroactive Certifications:​ Terms are already completed, but student was just approved​
  • Paper Certifications:​ Sending in the same information as above on paper VA Forms 22-1999/1999b​

VA Communication: Currently, if no tuition and fees payment is being sent for an IHL enrollment, the paragraph looks like this:​

Example: COLLEGE OF XXXXXX reported that you were not charged tuition and fees for the certified enrollment period beginning August 1, 2022 and ending December 1, 2022; therefore, VA did not pay towards your tuition and fees.

This may be due to the fact that your school submitted your enrollment early in order for your books and supplies stipend and your monthly housing allowance benefits to be paid promptly. If this is the case, your award will be recalculated once your school submits the actual charges.

Suggestions That May Help Reduce Confusion: Website? Newsletter? If your school uses the two-step/zero tuition & fee process to certify, consider letting your students know that is the process used and they may see the verbiage in the VA Communication about tuition and fees.

SCO Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Training Requirements

October 1, 2022: Annual Training Window Opens. Updated training requirements for all new SCOs and continuing education requirements for existing SCOs are effective.

June 1, 2023: 90-Day Training Alert: 90 Day Notifications and reminders for the approaching August 31st continuing education deadline will be posted on the GI Bill® Website and sent to SCOs via GOV Delivery Notice.

July 1, 2023: 60-Day Training Alert: 60 Day Notifications and reminders for the approaching August 31st continuing education deadline will be posted on the GI Bill® Website and sent to SCOs via Gov Delivery Notice.

August 1, 2023: 30-Day Training Alert: 30 Day Notifications and reminders for the approaching August 31st continuing education deadline will be posted on the GI Bill® Website and sent to SCOs via Gov Delivery Notice.

August 15, 2023: 15-Day Training Alert: 15 Day Notifications and reminders for the approaching August 31st continuing education deadline will be posted on the GI Bill® Website and sent to SCOs via Gov Delivery Notice.

August 31, 2023: Annual Training Window Closes! Continuing education requirements for existing SCOs completed.

September 1st-30th, 2023: Existing SCOs - No Training in Progress; new SCOs – Training is continuous throughout the year.


SCO Portal Completion Status

Certifying Officials can keep pace of their annual training requirements by viewing the Training Requirement Countdown, checking Annual Training Schedule, required modules, and annual training completion status. Visit our School Certifying Official (SCO) Training webpage for this and more information.

*The SCO Online Training Portal has been updated to show training modules requirements based on an SCOs facility type and their experience as an existing SCO or new SCO. Fiscal Year 2023, SCO Annual Training requirements will be calculated by modules and completion; SCO Annual Training requirements are no longer calculated by hours.

 
Certifying Official Resource Guide

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

Contact your ELR

  • Updating Certifying Officials; VA Form 22-8794 
  • Technical assistance with reporting enrollments
  • Access to VA-ONCE and related technical guidance
  • 85/15 reporting matters
  • Clarification on WEAMS 1998 reports 

Contact the Certifying Official Hotline

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

Contact your 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

Contacting the Education Liaison Representative (ELR):

Contacting the State Approving Agency (SAA):

 
Please contact your ELR for the Certifying Official Hotline phone number.

 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


 SCO Portal Technical Support:  support@VBATraining.org

  • Certifying Official training portal technical assistance

 

All webinars and training sessions are announced via the GovDelivery, please click the following link: GovDelivery 

Be sure to register and update your information as needed; GovDelivery Support can be found by clicking here


Certifying Official Training Resources Self-Certification Step-By-Step Procedure 

  1. Click on the URL or Copy and Paste in your web browser https://vba-tpss.vbatraining.org/assess/trkSignIn?refid=XSCO
  2. Enter your email address and eight (8) digit facility code, then click Next
  3. Scroll down and click the Office Hours or Conference Sessions tab
  4. Select the applicable training session from the list of topics that appears on the right side of the screen by clicking Begin
  5. To enter Conference/Workshop/Virtual Training Title, click the dropdown arrow, select SCO Virtual Training Session and click Submit
  6. Enter the start date and the end date
  7. Enter your Facility Name, City and State (Main Campus) and click Submit
  8. Certify your attendance by clicking Agree and then submit
  9. Print your training certificate and keep for your records


Debt Management Center

Ask VA (AVA) School Inquiries:

  • All school inquiries and disputes should be submitted using AVA 
  • Select “Veterans Affairs- Debt” as the category and “A School Official” as the topic.
  • Selecting these options is critical to ensure routing to DMC
  • Under “My inquiry is” select “On behalf of a Veteran”- this enables you to select School Certifying Official or Other (Business) under “relationship to Veteran”.
  • Selecting on behalf of a Veteran and then a business relationship will ensure the inquiries show up in a business dashboard.
  • You must log in to receive a response that receives specific debt information.

Tips for Submissions via Ask VA (AVA)

When submitting disputes and inquiries via AVA:

  • One inquiry per student
  • Identifying information for the student (not in the subject line)
  • School name and facility code
  • Debt amount
  • Supporting details (front and back of cashed check, when was updated certification sent, etc.)

 

 

 

 

 

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