Veterans Financial Services

New Student –

• To apply for benefits, veterans must first be fully accepted to the college and into a program of study by the Admissions Office.
• Veterans also must furnish official transcripts from all colleges attended. These should be forwarded to the Admissions Office. An evaluation of all college transcripts must be completed by the Transcript Evaluation Office by the end of the first semester in a new program of study. Benefits cannot be extended beyond the first semester until this is accomplished. It is the responsibility of the veteran to make sure the evaluation has been completed.
• If this is your first time using your benefits, go to http://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/ to apply for educational benefits. If you do not have access to apply online, call the VA Regional Office at 1-888-442-4551 and ask for an application to be mailed to you.
• Once you are approved by the VA and you have received your Certificate of Eligibility (COE), submit a copy to the Veterans Financial Services Office via email at veteransfs@vbj4.com or in person by visiting the Veterans Financial Services Office in the Dreisbach/Anderson Student Success Center in Building 102 on the Barton Campus.
• Once you are registered for classes that are required for your program of study and your schedule is set, please complete the Benefits Request form for the semester you wish to receive benefits.
  • 2024 Fall Benefits Request form
  • 2025 Spring Benefits Request form
• You are required to alert the Veterans Financial Services Office if there are any changes to your schedule.
• We encourage all students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This can be completed at studentaid.gov. 

Current or Returning Student –

• Submit a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) if you have not already done so.
• Once you are registered for classes that are required for your program of study and your schedule is set, please complete the Benefits Request form for the semester you wish to receive benefits.
  • 2024 Fall Benefits Request form
  • 2025 Spring Benefits Request form
• You are required to alert the Veterans Financial Services Office if there are any changes to your schedule.
• We encourage all students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  This can be completed at www.studentaid.gov.  

Visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs online for current and complete information on all benefits.

• Education Programs
  http://www.va.gov/education/ 
• Apply for Benefits/Application Process
  http://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/ 
• Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program
  http://www.va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation/ 
• GI Bill Comparison Tool
  http://www.va.gov/gi-bill-comparison-tool 

Federal Veterans Affairs programs and policies, as well as college services and procedures, change frequently. Students should maintain contact with the Veterans Financial Services Office at Greenville Technical College.

• Monthly Allowance Payments
  Veterans Affairs Educational Benefits are paid on a monthly basis. The first benefit payment will be received approximately six to eight weeks after the first day of class.
• Notification of Changes
  If a student withdraws from the college, drops a course that changes the training time, or changes a major or home address, he or she should contact the Veterans Financial Services Office at Greenville Technical College about the necessary forms to complete.
• Changes in Credit Load
  Dropping the enrolled credit load below the minimums shown below may result in a retroactive reduction in benefits and a debt to the VA. Several different methods are used to collect over-payments.
  

  Training Time (Fall, Spring, Summer)

  Hours by Semester	Fall or Spring	Regular Summer
  Full Time	12+ hours	9+ hours
  3/4 Time	9-11 hours	7+ hours
  1/2 Time	6-8 hours	5+ hours
  Less than 1/2 Time	4-5 hours	1-4 hours
  1/4 Time	1-3 hours

• Auditing courses
  Benefits will not be paid for audited courses or courses that do not count toward graduation. Benefits will be discontinued if you do not maintain satisfactory progress.

Greenville Technical College is responsible for certifying a student's academic status to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The certification includes the following items:

• Dates of enrollment
• Total number of credit hours enrolled
• Academic progress
• Attendance Report
• Changes of program/school

As part of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, section 3679(e) of Title 38, United States Code was amended. Educational Institutions are required to sign this compliance form to confirm your compliance with the requirements as outlined.

Effective August 1, 2019 the State Approving Agency, or the Secretary when acting in the role of the State Approving Agency, shall disapprove a course of education provided by an educational institution that has in effect a policy that is inconsistent with the areas below:

NOTE: A Covered Individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.

• Your policy must permit any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31 or 33 (a “certificate of eligibility” can also include a “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) website – eBenefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for Chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
  1. The date on which payment from VA is made to the institution.
  2. 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.
• Your policy must ensure that your educational institution will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under chapter 31 or 33.

Your signature on this document attests that your facility will comply with the requirements of 38 USC 3679(e) by the effective date of August 1, 2019, and that policies in the next publication of your catalog, bulletin, or addendum align with all of the above requirements.

In addition, statute allows your policy to require the covered individual to take the following additional actions:

1. Submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance no later than the first day of a course of education.
2. Submit a written request to use such entitlement.
3. Provide additional information necessary to the proper certification of enrollment by the educational institution.
4. Your policy may also require additional payment or impose a fee for the amount that is the difference between the amount of the student’s financial obligation and the amount of the VA education benefit disbursement.

If your educational institution will be requiring any of these actions by students, please submit your policy update to the SAA with published catalog. You should also ensure that these policies are part of the next publication of your catalog, bulletin, or addendum.

Waivers of this requirement may be granted by VA. If you have a waiver, please send that documentation to the SAA so we may correctly document your compliance. VA will send communication about obtaining waivers at a later date.

In 1976, the Congress amended the “GI Bill®” in such a way as to encourage veterans to move toward the attainment of educational career goals. The law now provides that no payment will be made to an eligible veteran for auditing a course or for taking a course in which the grade assigned is not used in computing graduation requirements. Included in this rule are courses from which veterans withdraw.

To comply with this federal law, the following rules apply to veterans or other individuals who receive veterans benefits:

• The “I” grade is a non-punitive grade as defined by the Veterans Administration. This grade is not a permanent grade and carries only a message of temporary condition that will be changed to a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F.
• Students who receive an “I” as a grade must make up the work at least one week prior to final exams of the following semester. Work not made up will result in the grade of “F.”
• In the event that a student receives an “I” at the end of a semester, further work in the course must be accomplished by the student at his or her own expense without government reimbursement.
• In all cases, an “F” grade is defined as a punitive grade for purposes of computing eligibility for and receipt of veterans’ benefits.
• Veterans cannot be paid for an “AU,” “NC” or a “CF” grade.
• Veterans cannot be paid for any course not listed in the curriculum. If there are any electives listed as part of the curriculum, veterans must not exceed the total number of elective hours designated by the program. Veterans must take only electives that are listed as approved electives or electives that have been approved in writing by the department head.
• Veterans cannot be paid for upgrading or prerequisite courses not counting toward graduation without written verification of test results indicating a need for such course. Remedial/deficiency training is limited to the equivalent of two semesters.
• D grades are not transferable and the VA will not reimburse for repeating courses to remove or supplant Ds.
• Students may repeat for VA benefits a course in which a grade of W, I, NC or F has been received only if he or she has obtained an Authorization to Retake course(s) (VA Form 191) and the course is required for the training objective.
• Academic progress will be determined by the transcript evaluation at the end of each semester. Failure to maintain a 2.0 GPA during any semester will result in the student being placed on Veterans Affairs (VA) Warning for the following semester.
• Failure to achieve a GPA of 2.0 during the VA Warning semester will result in the student being placed on VA Probation and may have educational benefits suspended at the end of the probationary period until the student has been counseled in the Greenville Technical College Veterans Affairs Office. The results of this counseling session will determine if benefits are reinstated for the student’s present program, or if he/she will have to change programs.
• Failure to achieve a GPA of 2.0 during the VA Probation semester will result in the student being placed on VA Suspension. VA Educational Benefits will be suspended until the student has completed a semester with a GPA of 2.0 or better.

Greenville Technical College is pleased to hold a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Defense (DOD), which allows our institution the opportunity to further our commitment to excellence in educating military students. 

By following the guidance of the DOD MOU, we are able to ensure that all military members have access to what they need to make informed decisions about where to attend school and about how their Tuition Assistance (TA) benefits will interact with their chosen educational programs. 

Tuition Assistance

Students who are interested in using Tuition Assistance (TA) need to proceed to the appropriate website below to begin: 

• Army – ArmyIgnitED
• Navy - Navy College Program
• Marine Corps - How Do I Apply for Tuition Assistance? - Marine Corps Community (usmc-mccs.org)
• Air Force - Education Options - U.S. Air Force
• Coast Guard - Tuition Assistance (uscg.mil)

Marketing, Recruiting & Advertising

Greenville Technical College maintains policies that reflect program integrity requirements consistent with regulations issued by the Department of Education (34 C.F.R 668.71-668.75 and 668.14) related to restrictions on misrepresentation, recruitment, and payment of incentive compensation. This applies to Greenville Technical College itself and its agents, including third-party lead generators, marketing firms, or companies that own or operate the educational institution. As part of efforts to eliminate unfair, deceptive, and abusive marketing aimed at Service members, Greenville Technical College will: 

1. Ban inducements, including any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, transportation, lodging, meals, or other item having a monetary value of more than a de minimis [defined as "an insignificant amount"] to any individual or entity, or its agents including third-party lead generators or marketing firms other than salaries paid to employees or fees paid to contractors in conformity with all applicable laws to secure enrollments of Service members or obtain access to Tuition Assistance (TA) funds. Educational institution-sponsored scholarships or grants and tuition reductions available to military students are permissible;
2. Refrain from providing any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on securing enrollments or federal financial aid (including TA funds) to any persons or entities engaged in any student recruiting, admission activities, or making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance;
3. Refrain from high-pressure recruitment tactics such as making multiple unsolicited contacts (3 or more), including phone, email, or in-person communications, and engaging in same-day recruitment and registration to secure Service member enrollments. 

Additionally, eligible Service members are directed to speak with their Educational Services Officer (E.S.O.) or counselor within their Military Service before enrolling at Greenville Technical College. This ensures that Service members understand their eligibility for Tuition Assistance and their potential financial responsibility toward the school. Suppose an eligible Service member decides to use TA. In that case, educational institutions will enroll them only after the individual's Service approves the TA. Service members will be solely responsible for all tuition costs without this prior approval. This requirement does not prohibit Greenville Technical College from pre-registering a Service member in a course to secure a slot in the course. If a school enrolls the Service member before the appropriate Service approves Military TA, the Service member could be responsible for the tuition. All Military TA must be requested and approved before the course's start date. The Military TA is supported on a course-by-course basis and only for the specific course(s) and class dates that a Service member requests. Suppose a military student "self-identifies" their eligibility and the Service has not approved the funding. In that case, the Service member will be solely responsible for all tuition costs, not the Service. 

Financial Aid & Loans

Financial Aid is made available from grants, scholarships, loans, South Carolina lottery tuition assistance and part-time employment from federal, state, institutional, and private sources. Awards from these programs may be combined in an "award package" to meet the cost of education. Financial need, available funds, student classification, academic performance, and sometimes the timeliness of the application determine the types and amounts of aid awarded.

Before offering, recommending, arranging, signing up, dispersing, or enrolling Service members for private student loans, Service members may work with an officer in the Office of Financial Aid at Greenville Technical College; this financial aid officer will be able to offer individual loan counseling, including, but not limited to:

1. Providing a clear and complete explanation of available financial aid, including Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
2. Describing the differences between private and federal student loans includes terms, conditions, repayment, and forgiveness options.
3. Disclosing the institution's student loan Cohort Default Rate (CDR), the percentage of its students who borrow, and how its CDR compares to the national average. If the educational institution's CDR is greater than the national average CDR, it must disclose that information and provide the student with loan repayment data. The student may review this information at College Navigator - Greenville Technical College (ed.gov), a government site where schools report student financial data. 
4. Explaining that students can refuse all or borrow less than the maximum student loan amount allowed.

Visit Financial Aid »

Military Service, Duty, Training, or Disaster Relief

Greenville Technical College realizes students who are members of a branch of the U.S. military may be called for active duty, specialized training, or disaster relief efforts with little notice. While the following policy does not pertain to initial active duty training (i.e., basic training), this policy is adopted to minimize disruptions or inconveniences for students fulfilling their unanticipated U.S. military responsibilities during an academic semester/term.

Student Options

A student who is called for active duty, specialized training, or disaster relief efforts with little notice may leave Greenville Technical College in good standing by choosing one of the following options:

• Withdraw from all courses.  Refunds are made according to the college's refund policy.
  Note: Students receiving financial aid will be subject to the refund policies provided by the agency or agencies sponsoring the aid. If financial aid funds have been disbursed to the student, the student must meet with a financial aid advisor.
• Receive a military incomplete ("MI") in the course(s) in which they are enrolled.
• Maintain their class schedule with prior notification and a copy of military orders before deployment. A Military Orders ("MO") attendance designation will be used for this student during their absence.

Either option may occur during the semester through the end of final examinations. If the student decides to withdraw and the withdrawal is processed after the add/drop period, a grade of "W" will be assigned. The request to withdraw needs to be made within one week of official notification by the military service. It may be made by either the student or another approved responsible party who has the student's military information.

Request for a Withdrawal

All military withdrawal requests will be processed in Student Records. A student who wishes to withdraw from courses due to being called for active duty, specialized training, or disaster relief efforts must provide a copy of their orders to the Student Records Office and an Add/Drop/Withdrawal form.

When a student receiving federal financial aid withdraws from all classes after the add/drop date, the college has to return a portion of the student's aid to the Department of Education (DOE), even if the money has already been disbursed to the student. Therefore, if a student receiving financial aid withdraws from the college, the student must pay that money back to the college. Due to federal regulations, there are no exceptions made for military deployment in the calculations determined by the Department of Education. Federal regulations dictate GTC's financial aid policy.

Request for an Incomplete

A student called for active duty, specialized training, or disaster relief efforts with little notice may request an incomplete from the instructor(s) of the course(s) in which the student is enrolled. A student who requests an incomplete for military purposes must complete all missed work based on the following guidelines:

• Between 2 and 30 missed days - The student will have 45 business days from the detachment date to complete all missed work. If the work is not completed by the end of this timeframe, the grade will revert to an "F."
• More than 30 Days – The student will have until the end of the following complete semester after the detachment date to complete all missed work. If the work is not completed by the end of this timeframe, the grade will revert to an "F."

All exceptions to this policy will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the registrar.

Center for Career and Professional Development

FIND YOUR CAREER FIT

The Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) has the resources to help you explore the opportunities that are ideal for your interests, talents, and goals. Learn about local jobs, salaries, and employers, and find out how to get the education to qualify.

Visit the Center for Career and Professional Development »

Counseling Services

Counselors are available to give you guidance with personal issues, help you work through academic concerns, and provide support as you work towards achieving your goals. Share your challenges with an experienced and qualified member of our counseling staff.

Visit counseling services »

Student Disability Resource Center

Our job is to see that everyone has an equal opportunity for a successful college experience. We work with you to deliver needed resources and support to help you meet your goals.

In accordance with section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, we work with students to develop an accommodation plan for physical, psychological, learning or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life function. Students are responsible for identifying themselves to the Student Disability Resource Center and providing documentation on needs and course requirements.

Visit the Student Disability Resource Center »

• Greenville County Veterans Affairs Office, 864-467-7230
• VA Clinic, 864-299-1600
• VET Center, 864-271-2711
• VFW SC Post 6734 - Greenville
• VA Home Page
• State Departments of Veterans Affairs
• National Guard
• National Resource Directory
• Caregiver Support
• Homeless Veterans
• Mental Health
• Returning Service Members
• Women Veterans

Veterans Financial Services
VeteransFS@vbj4.com 
864-250-8000

Jennifer Walford, VFS Program Manager
Amy Byrley, VFS Program Manager

Office location:
Dreisbach/Anderson Student Success Center
Barton Campus, Building 102

For more information about veterans' educational benefits or assistance regarding your monthly benefits/eligibility, contact the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Regional Office at 1-800-827-1000, 1-888-442-4551, or visit the website http://www.va.gov/education/. Local offices that may be of assistance are the Greenville County Veterans Affairs Office, 864-467-7230, VA Clinic, 864-299-1600, and the VET Center, 864-271-2711.