Veterans Services Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to questions about veterans services at Highline College. If you have additional questions, please contact Veterans Services.
Highline College Class Schedule and Prior Learning Credit
Why didn’t I get priority registration?
Continuing students who meet the state law requirements will automatically be assigned priority registration. If that didn’t happen, or you’re currently enrolled but not a continuing student, please contact Veterans Services.
Students who are honorably discharged Washington State residents, currently enrolled, and receiving either Post-9/11, VocRehab or Montgomery Bill (Chapter 30) VA benefits are automatically eligible. We will consider all others on a case by case basis, including those who have never used VA educational benefits at Highline College.
If you believe you qualify, please provide the Veterans Services Office with a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 version).
If I change my schedule do I have to submit a new ECRF?
Yes, The ECRF tells us what classes you want the VA to pay for, and how many credits we can certify to the VA. The VA uses this information to calculate how much BAH you qualify for. You can do this either at the Veterans Services office or online.
If you were taken off the wait list and got into the class, submit a new Enrollment Verification Form updating the VSO staff of all your classes so that the VA will submit payment in a timely manner.
How will I be notified that my classes have been certified?
You will receive a confirmation email saying how many credits you have been certified for. If this is less than the amount you submitted for it might be because you are on a wait list which we cannot certify until you are in the class or a class doesn’t fit into your program and cannot be certified.
How do I take a class that isn’t in my program of study or is a substitute for another class?
Have your advisor, email and inform Kendall Evans at keevans@highline.edu informing about the departure from the program of study and/or the substitute. The email will be saved in the student’s VSO folder and the class will be certified.
How does the VSO determine if a class fits into my program of study to certify the classes I am taking?
The VSO uses the degree audit. We use this tool to see if classes will fit into your declared program of study. If they do not, the class or classes will not be certified and an email will be generated and sent to the @students.highline.edu account telling the student what class will not be certified and how to remedy it.
If I change programs at Highline College, do I need to tell the VA?
No. The VA doesn’t require that anymore, but you need to come to the Veterans Services Office and fill out a Request for Change of Program or Place of Training form.
You will have to notify the VA directly only if you change schools.
How do I retake a class?
The VA’s general rule is it won’t pay for classes you already have credit for. There are some exceptions.
- If the student’s program requires a minimum grade in a particular course, the VA will pay for retakes until that grade is earned.
- If the student earned less than a 1.0 grade, and #1 above doesn’t apply, the VA will pay for one retake.
- In the final term before graduation, a student can ’round out’ their schedule with non-required courses (and courses already completed) to raise the total credit load to full-time status.
Prior Learning Assessment
Get credit for what you already know. If you can produce evidence of experience or training in a class offered at Highline, you could get credit for it for much less than the cost of a regular class. The Prior Learning Assessment coordinator can help you connect with an instructor, or you can just make an appointment with an instructor to see if you qualify. See policy on Military Credit Acceptance at Highline.
Veterans Affairs
When will I receive my BAH Stipend?
Chapter 33 (Post-9/11): You will receive the BAH on the first of the month for the previous month. For example the March BAH payment will be received on May 1. If the term ends in the middle of the month you will still have to wait until the beginning of the next month.
Chapter 31 (VocRehab): The same applies except for the first month’s payment which will be given with the initial payment.
How much is my BAH?
The VA will send the full BAH payment if you’re a full-time student and taking at least one class that meets in person or in a practicum/internship setting. The VA considers hybrid classes the same as online. If you take all online/hybrid courses as a full-time student, the VA will send you 40% of the national average BAH. If you’re less than full-time status, the VA will decrease your BAH accordingly.
How much of the BAH Stipend will I get if school is not in session for the whole month?
You will receive a prorated amount for the month which means it will be less than the full amount. Go to your eBenefits account and look up recent payments a couple of days before the end of the month or call 1-888-442-4551 to speak to a VA representative.
I didn’t receive my BAH stipend. What now?
Did you submit an ECRF (Enrollment Certification Request Form)? Without an ECRF the Veterans Service Office cannot move forward with certifying your classes, which will result in non-payment of tuition and fees to the school, and no BAH will be sent. Submit your ECRF as soon as you have registered for classes.
The VA is supposed to pay my tuition and fees, but I still owe money to the College. Why?
There are three possible reasons.
- If you’re being charged non-resident tuition, you’ll owe some portion of that to the College, even if you’re 100% eligible under the Post 9/11GIBill. That’s because the VA will only pay the resident tuition amount for the number of credits you’re taking.
- Another reason might be that you’re less than 100% eligible for the Post 9/11GIBill. The VA assigns percentages of eligibility levels based on the length of qualifying service.
- A third reason might be that you signed up for classes that don’t appear to meet the VA’s guidelines of what it will pay for. In cases like that, we can’t ask the VA to pay for those courses, unless we get a written statement from your academic advisor that he/she approved those courses for your program of study. The VA will pay for:
- Required courses in your program of study;
- Prerequisites for classes that fit within your program of study;
- Approved electives and supporting courses that count towards your graduation requirements;
- Remedial courses, with proof of a verifiable need for the course. These must be in a classroom setting, not online or hybrid courses.
Written proof from your advisor can be either an email sent directly from the advisor to Veterans Services or a detailed quarter by quarter academic plan listing each course you’re approved to take. You are responsible for asking your advisor to send that proof.
I got a letter from the VA telling me I owe them money. Why?
Post-9/11 students: if you dropped one or more classes after the VA sent the first payment, we have to report to the VA that your actual costs have dropped. That means the first payment was too much, and the VA will expect the difference to be sent back. Sometimes the VA sends the collection letter to the College, but sometimes the letter is sent to the student instead.
If you get the letter, Highline College can issue you a check for the refund so that you can send that amount to the VA, and pay off the debt. If you’re issued a refund check and choose not to send payment to the VA, they will still expect you to pay, and can take it out of your future entitlement the next time you ask for it. This could mean that money you’re counting on for that next quarter is never sent, because the VA applied it to your current debt instead.
When the VA sends a debt letter to the student, they won’t accept the refund directly from the College; it has to come from the student.
The debt letter might also be for an over-payment of your BAH, which Highline College obviously can’t refund to the VA. You would be responsible for that.
Anytime you get a debt letter from the VA, bring a copy to the Veterans Services Office so we can determine if it’s for a tuition over-payment.
If You Owe Money to the VA
Withdrawing from classes can create a debt to the VA. Questions? You may contact the Debt Management Center at 1-800-827-0648 or by email at dmc.ops@va.gov
What classes will the VA pay for?
The VA’s general rule is that it will only pay for classes that count towards graduation and fit within a specific program of study. This includes prerequisites (classes that must be completed before enrolling in a particular course) and remedial courses (those that are below the 100 level; for example, MATH081).
Regarding remedial courses, the VA will only pay for those that take place entirely in a classroom or practicum setting, and will not pay for online or hybrid remedial classes. All other courses can be online, hybrid, or in a face to face setting.
The VA also asserts it will not pay for courses the student has already completed or received credit for. This is why Federal law requires an evaluation of a student’s official transcripts from other institutions attended, including the military (Title 38, Section 21).
Questions about your payments and your VA account?
You can always get current, detailed information on your account by calling VA benefits at 1-800-827-1000 or 1-888-442-4551. Both numbers give you the option of speaking personally with a benefits specialist who can give you information about your specific claim or case.