Veterans and Military Families

Students receiving VA education benefits must complete the certification process with the School Certifying Official (SCO) at their campus.

Available VA Benefit Chapters:

• Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill® – Active Duty
• Chapter 31: Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)
• Chapter 33: Post-9/11 GI Bill®, including Transfer of Entitlement and the Fry Scholarship
• Chapter 35: Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance
• Chapter 1606: Montgomery GI Bill® – Selected Reserve

For information about less common benefits, visit VA.gov.

To apply, visit VA.gov. For questions about your eligibility or payments, call the VA Education Call Center toll-free at 888-442-4551.

Disclaimer: GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website, www.va.gov/education/.

We offer credit for prior learning so you can make the most of your military experience and previous education.

The VA requires us to evaluate and report transfer credit from all prior education. To process your admission and VA enrollment certification, we need official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended, whether or not you used VA benefits there. We cannot certify your VA education benefits until we receive these transcripts.

Send transcripts to the Admissions Office at your campus. Request your military transcript through the Joint Services Transcript (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard) or the Community College of the Air Force (Air Force, Space Force). Military transcripts are sent electronically to the college. The Registrar’s Office evaluates all transfer and military credit.

Military Credit:

You can receive transfer credit for your military experience with an official ACE (American Council on Education) recommendation transcript. If you also provide a valid DD214, you may receive two physical education credits and two general elective credits. A maximum of 30 military-related credits (including up to 16 vocational credits) will be applied toward your graduation requirements.

Transfer Credit:

• Credit from other accredited colleges will be evaluated based on our degree requirements.
• We accept transfer credits for classes in which you earned a grade of C- or better.
• Your GPA from other institutions does not transfer to Iowa Valley.
• Pass/fail credits are not accepted for transfer.

Career Credits:

• Credit earned in our career programs can be used to fulfill elective credits for an Associate of Arts (AA) degree, up to 16 semester hours.
• Career credit may not be used for core AA degree requirements without a waiver from the division involved and the Dean of Academic Affairs.

• Registration Changes: If you change your registration (adding or dropping classes, ending enrollment, changing your major), notify the Registrar’s Office and your SCO right away. These changes affect your VA payments.
• Course Repeats: IVCCD allows you to repeat a course to improve your grade. The VA pays for a repeated course only if it meets VA requirements, such as when your program requires a minimum grade. Talk with your SCO before you repeat a course.
• Certification: We can only certify courses that apply to your degree program. Certification is based on your dates of enrollment and credit hours for the semester, and the VA pays according to this certification.

You are expected to attend all classes you are registered for. If you stop attending a class or plan to drop it, contact your SCO right away. Changes to your enrollment can affect your VA payments, and you may have to repay money the VA paid you. If something prevents you from attending, talk with your instructors, advisor or a counselor as soon as possible.

Students using VA education benefits are held to the same academic standards as all IVCCD students, including the minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA. Students who do not meet these standards may be placed on Academic Warning and then Academic Dismissal under IVCCD Academic Standards policy.

Academic standing and VA benefit eligibility are separate decisions. If you have questions about how your academic standing affects your benefits, talk with your SCO.

You must graduate within the approved length of your program. It is your responsibility to schedule your classes to fit the training time the VA pays for. For example, a student pursuing a 64-credit AA degree who enrolls in 13 credit hours per semester is expected to finish in five semesters (2.5 years).

Before you withdraw from college, you must meet with your campus SCO. In addition to completing IVCCD’s regular withdrawal process, your SCO must update your enrollment with the VA. The VA then decides whether your benefits will be adjusted or whether you owe an overpayment.

Dropping a single course can also affect your payments, so notify your SCO before you drop. Whether your benefits are reduced depends on the date you withdraw, the grade you receive and whether the VA finds mitigating circumstances, such as a serious illness or a family emergency.

If you are using Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment) or Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®) benefits and your VA payment to the college has not arrived yet, IVCCD will not:

• Charge you a late fee
• Restrict your registration
• Deny you access to classes or other college facilities
• Require you to borrow money to cover the amount the VA is expected to pay

To receive these protections, give your SCO your Certificate of Eligibility (or VA Form 28-1905 for Chapter 31) by the first day of classes, along with any other information needed to certify your enrollment.

IVCCD has policies in place to support students who are called to military service:

• Tuition and Fee Refunds or Credits: If a service member student is called into U.S. military service, IVCCD will refund or credit all tuition and fees to the student’s account upon request. If the service member has a dependent child, their spouse can also make this request.
• Leave of Absence: Documented military leave or medical treatment provided to your SCO will be considered a request for a leave of absence.
• Academic Adjustments: If you are called into service, you can work with your faculty to receive a grade based on the work you have completed or choose an incomplete grade, whichever works best for your situation.
• Withdrawal Due to Training or Treatment: If you need to withdraw because of a lengthy military obligation or extended medical treatment during the semester, contact your SCO to start the military activation withdrawal and other necessary steps.