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Education and Training

August Education Office Hours FY 2022 Presentation

SCO Training Logo                          National Training Team logo

August Office Hours Agenda

  • Retroactive Inductions
  • Enhanced VA Form 22-1990
  • DGIB Updates:
  • Section 1009:
  • VRRAP Updates:
  • Clarification of Chapter 35 Applicability to 38 U.S.C. §3679(e):
  • SCO Annual Training Requirements

Retroactive Inductions

  • Effective April 1, 2021, Education Service (EDU) stopped counting entitlement used in Chapter 31 VR&E toward the possible 48 months of entitlement available under two or more VA education programs.  VR&E continues to count entitlement used in other VA education programs towards the possible 48-months of entitlement under Chapter 31.
  • For claimants who used VA education benefits first and who meet specific criteria as outlined in 38 CFR 21.282(c), a retroactive induction into VR&E may be provided.
  • A retroactive induction is defined as a period previously completed under another VA education program that the claimant requests to have classified under Chapter 31.    

Review of Retroactive Inductions Involving Chapter 33

The School Certifying Official can expect:

  1. An authorization in Tungsten only if the facility is approved for the Yellow Ribbon program:
  • The facility will only be reimbursed for the portion of the Yellow Ribbon program that the facility contributed and must bill VR&E for those respective enrollment periods.
  • The facility will be responsible for reimbursing the claimant for any tuition/fees he or she contributed over the Yellow Ribbon cap once payment is received from VR&E.
  • The facility must not terminate any past Chapter 33 enrollment certifications.
  1. A request for assistance to obtain past tuition/fees bills and receipts for books/supplies, if applicable.

Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship

  1. Once a retroactive induction is processed for a period previously completed under Chapter 33, EDU will create an overpayment for any STEM funds paid to the claimant and/or facility, if applicable.
  2. If VR&E can include the enrollment periods previously completed under STEM in the retroactive induction, the School Certifying Officials can expect:
  • Authorizations in Tungsten for all enrollment periods.
  • The facility must bill VR&E for all required tuition/fees and must reimburse the claimant for any overages, if applicable.
  • The facility must not terminate any enrollment certifications for STEM in VA-Once.

Retroactive Inductions Involving Chapters 30, 35, and 1606

School Certifying Officials can expect an authorization in Tungsten for all enrollment periods associated with the retroactive induction

  • The facility must bill VR&E for all required tuition/fees.
  • The facility will be responsible for reimbursing the claimant for any tuition/fees   already paid through other means once payment is received by VR&E.
  • The facility must not terminate any enrollment certifications for Chapters 30, 35, or 1606 in VA-ONCE.

Retroactive Inductions Involving Previous Periods Where the Claimant is Self-Paid

Retroactive Inductions involving previous enrollment periods where the claimant self-paid and did not use another VA Education benefit will require:

  • The School Certifying Official to enter the enrollment certifications in VA-Once under Chapter 31.
  • The facility to bill VR&E for all required tuition/fees once an authorization(s) is received in Tungsten for the retroactive period.
  • The facility must reimburse the claimant for any overages, if applicable.

Resources

Enhanced VA Form 22-1990 Update

Applying for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® just got easier! New features of the Post-9/11 GI Bill application (Form 22-1990) are now available for Veterans and service members applying for self-entitled Post-9/11 GI Bill original claims. The new features include the following:

  • Pre-filled service history
  • Quicker eligibility determinations
  • Quicker access to digital copies of decision letters (Quick determinations depend on accuracy of documents and information)
  • A claimant can receive a decision upon pressing the submission button after completion of the form; they can then download that decision.

School Certifying Official(s) Impact:

  • The Department of Veterans Affairs encourages you to share this good news with Veterans and service members applying for education benefits and assist with any questions related to their application.
  • A streamlined application process allows more time for you to focus on supporting Veterans and service members.
  • Applicants can sign into the enhanced 22-1990 application via id.me

Digital GI Bill Updates

Digital GI Bill Milestones showcase the timeline of anticipated or completed goals. Changes within the Digital GI Bill Milestone will occur over time; the following are future releases:

  • Benefits Manager; Workload Manager; Integration Hub; Approval Manager. Release dates to be determined.
  • Enrollment Manger (EM): Replacement of VA-ONCE with EM to provide SCOs with an improved user interface to streamline claims processing functionality. Prospective release is Spring of 2023.

The following is a downloadable teaser video about Enrollment Manager: https://app.frame.io/reviews/a68c3166-9d24-41b3-99d3-e66dfc1d33dc/e5998bb2-ab26-493f-b727-54f9aaf92b1c

Key features of Enrollment Manager are Access Quick Links on the SCO Dashboard; Experience less clicking and improved navigation with quick links located on the SCO Dashboard; Enrollment Manager Chatbot (named Billie); Access Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on-demand with the use of Enrollment Manager Chatbot.

Preview:  Logging in and SCO Dashboard

SCOs will request access to Enrollment Manager using VA’s new Digital GI Bill landing page, User Access Manager (UAM). After their access is authorized through ID.me or Login.gov, SCOs can navigate straight to Enrollment Manager or open it from the DGIB landing page. If you already have an ID.me account, you will be able to use the same account.

Users with existing VA-ONCE credentials can log in for the first time by selecting the legacy VAONCE users link.

SCOs can access quick links on the SCO Dashboard, improving navigation and allowing for less clicking when using the improved interface.

Preview:  Find and Add a Student

For SCOs to add a student to their school, they will search for that student in EDU’s database first. Students are searchable by First Name, Last Name, and Date of birth. Student statuses will provide more information on if a student is already associated to your school.

Preview:  Continued - Find and Add a Student

SCOs can update a student’s contact information when adding them to their institution. The student can be added to all associated schools by clicking "Add another school". The SCO does not have to go to each facility code to add the student.

SCOs can only select Training Types and Objective Types relevant to their school.

Preview:  Add Enrollment

The Add Enrollment page provides the expected fields to enter a student’s enrollment to streamline the process for the Certifying Official. SCOs can add remarks, if needed. 

We have also provided a Notes field for comments regarding a particular enrollment. Notes are not submitted for processing.

Preview:  Amendment Information

The ability to amend and terminate enrollments will be clearer and simplified, allowing the SCO to easily review enrollment information and add a reason for the change. Amendments, adjustments, and terminations will all be completed through the Amend Enrollment page.

Preview:  How to Get Help

Getting answers to frequently asked questions will now be easier. Billie will provide a self-service experience that allows users with information that is clear, direct, and easily digestible. 

The following are Chatbot Objectives:

  • Enhance SCOs’ end-to-end user experiences in Enrollment Manager
  • Offer SCOs a new channel for a self-service experience, providing users with information that is clear, direct, and easy-to-understand
  • Improve operational efficiency for VBA Education Service
  • Incremental improvements to meet additional or future needs

Enrollment Manager FAQS and Resources

The following are frequently asked questions:

  • Will Enrollment Manager have the historical data from VA-ONCE transferred over? Answer: Yes, the data from VA-ONCE going back a set number of years will be migrated to Enrollment Manager prior to release.
  • Is Enrollment Manager going to work with OJT/APP?

Answer: SCOs will be able to certify almost all enrollments for OJT/APP programs except for Chapter 31 enrollments. 

  • Will SCOs receive comprehensive training on Enrollment Manager prior to go-live?

Answer: Yes! SCOs will receive hands-on training through software simulations provided via eLearning and more.

Stay in the loop by following the Department of Veterans Affairs on social platforms to stay updated on the latest Enrollment Manager (EM) news:

   @GIBillEducation

   @VAVetBenefits

   SCO in the Know Newsletter

Be on the lookout for more training opportunities to come this Fall!

Legislation and Policy Update:  Section 1009 and Change of Program

ISAKSON & ROE SECTION 1009: On August 1, 2022, Section 1009 of the Isakson and Roe Act went into effect impacting GI Bill students enrolled in school while on active duty for at least 30 continuous days.

Section 1009 states “GI Bill students impacted will now receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from the Department of Defense (DoD) instead of Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) from the Department of Veterans Affairs”. 

Policy Update

Change of Program: Students are no longer required to submit a VA Form 22-1995 for a Change in Program. This policy decision will help consolidate the forms needed and further streamline claims processing.

How this change impacts School Certifying Officials:

  • SCOs no longer need to collect VA Form 1995 from students.
  • VA encourages all facilities to continue due diligence in admitting and enrolling students

Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP Update)

SUNSETTING OF COVID-19 RESIDENCE COURSES TAKEN ONLINE:

On June 1, 2022, the authority provided VA under Public Laws (P.L.s) 116-128,116-159, 116-315 and 117-76 to pay onsite courses taken online due to COVID-19 has expired.

School Certifying Officials (SCO) have been informed to recertify any enrollment periods which spanned June 1, 2022 and contained the remark "COVID-19 Residence Courses Taken Online".  The recertification must contain a new COVID-19 certification remark with the correct hours (resident or distant) effective June 1, 2022.

The following is a list of the COVID-19 Certification List of Remarks:

  • “Converted courses spanning 6/1/22”
  • “Converted courses spanning 6/1/22. R/D credits are resident”
  • “Converted courses spanning 6/1/22. R/D credits are online”
  • “Converted courses spanning 6/1/22. Clock hours are resident”
  • “Converted courses spanning 6/1/22. Clock hours are online”
  • “Converted courses spanning 6/1/22. Student resumed resident training on or before 6/1/22”
  • “Converted courses spanning 6/1/22. Student did not resume resident training on or before 6/1/22”

Upon recertification of the affected enrollments, please note that certifications will not automate. The Regional Processing Office will require additional review prior to processing certification(s).

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.

Certifying Officials, please note: Schools are required to report VRRAP graduation or program completion information to VA.

Clarification of Chapter 35 Applicability to 38 U.S.C. §3679(e)

POLICY ADVISORY:  RECAP: Section 103 of the Veterans Benefit and Transition Act of 2018, PL 115-407: 

Effective August 1, 2019, schools are not allowed to penalize or prohibit a GI Bill student from attending or participating in courses while awaiting VA payment (for up to 90 days).  

  • Chapter 35 was not in the initial language but is in there now because of PL 117-68.

UPDATE: Chapter 35 benefits are paid to the student directly, not the school. Therefore, the changes made by PL 117-68 to 38 USC § 3679(e) have no impact, and schools need not change their current policies or procedures related to this statutory provision to address the addition of Chapter 35 to 38 USC §3679(e). Effective July 27, 2022.

Certifying Official Resources

Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Training Requirements: Please remember, if you don’t complete your annual training requirements, VA has the authority to remove your access from VA-ONCE and the State Approving Agency (SAA) has the authority to disapprove your school’s programs.

The following link contains the primary training resources for School Certifying Officials (SCOS) and school administrators assisting students using their VA benefits to pursue education and training programs.

School Certifying Officials can keep pace of their annual training requirements by viewing the Training Requirement Countdown; checking the Annual Training Schedule, required training modules, and annual training completion status:

SCO Annual Training Schedule:

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

June 2nd: 90-Day Training Alert!  Notifications and reminders of the approaching August 31st continuing education deadline will be posted on the GI Bill website and sent to SCOs via Gov Delivery notice.

July 2nd: 60-Day Training Alert!  Notifications and reminders of the approaching August 31st continuing education deadline will be posted on the GI Bill website and sent to SCOs via Gov Delivery notice.

August 1st: 30-Day Training Alert!  Notifications and reminders of the approaching August 31st continuing education deadline will be posted on the GI Bill website and sent to SCOs via Gov Delivery notice.

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

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

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 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

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

VBA Support:  support@VBATraining.org

  • Certifying Official training portal functionality

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
  1. Enter your email address and eight (8) digit facility code, then click Next
  2. Scroll down and click the Conference/Workshop/Virtual Training tab
  3. Select the applicable training session from the list of topics that appears on the right side of the screen by clicking Begin
  4. To enter Conference/Workshop/Virtual Training Title, click the dropdown arrow, select SCO Virtual Training Session and click Submit
  5. Enter the start date and the end date
  6. Enter your Facility Name, City and State (Main Campus) and click Submit

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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