VA and More for Our Veterans

Important Information

• Academic progress will be measured at the end of each term in which the VA student was enrolled. Failure by a VA student to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 will result in the VA student being placed on academic warning for the next term of enrollment.

  A VA student with a term GPA less than 2.0 after the academic warning term will be placed on academic probation. A VA student with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher after the academic probation term but with a cumulative GPA less than 2.0 will remain on academic probation. A VA student with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher after academic probation term will be taken off of academic probation and placed in satisfactory status. 

  A VA student on academic suspension will have beneftis suspended and must sit out one academic term. To be readmitted the VA student must meet with the Vice President of Student Affairs or counselor, prior to re-enrollment, to indentify strategies to improve his or her academic performance. These strategies will be written up in the form of an academic plan.

  A VA student who appeals and is removed from academic suspension and allowed to register is placed on academic probation. Documentation that the student has a reasonable likelihood to maintain satisfactory attendance, progress and conduct in the future must be submitted to the SCC veterans affairs coordinator. The SCC veterans affairs coordinator must submit a statement with the recertification of enrollment that describes the conditions for the student's continued certification to VA. A VA student removed from academic suspension and placed back on academic probation is subject to academic suspension again if he or she fails to earn at least a 2.0 term GPA during the next period of enrollment.

• VA students must notify the veterans affairs office of any address change by completing the address change form.

• VA students should be prepared to pay tuition, fee, book and supply expenses when due; however, you may request advanced payment of the first VA benefit check. To qualify for advanced payment, the VA student must have been out of school for at least a full calendar month, completed the admissions process at SCC and completed a VA advanced payment application at least 45 days prior to the first day of class. The Department of Veterans Affairs mails the check to the College for disbursement. VA students must complete the registration process, including fee payment, before receiving the advanced payment check.

• VA students must adhere to the attendance policy established by the College. VA students who accrue more than the allowable number of absences will have VA benefits terminated.

• VA students must report course drops or a term withdrawal to the SCC veterans affairs office. To ensure timely notification to VA, reports will be run monthly to identify VA students who have dropped courses or withdrawn from the term. At the end of each semester, VA students who earn a grade of "F" with a course status of "AB=abandoned" are reported to VA with the last date of attendance.

• VA students may receive benefits only for those courses that are required for graduation or are a prerequisite for courses required in the program of study. When additional courses beyond the courses required for graduation are needed to overcome a grade point deficiency, the additional courses may be approved with required documentation outlined in VA regulations.

• SCC offers a variety of course delivery methods within a certificate, diploma or degree program of study. Non-traditional course delivery methods are listed in the semester course schedule and on the College's web site. SCC expects students to participate in all instructional activities since these courses are comparable to resident (traditional classroom) courses. SCC requires that each course offered in one of these non-traditional formats meets prescribed academic standards.

• • a provision for an assigned instructor;
  • a provision for instructor-student interaction on at least a weekly basis and a stipulation that this interaction is a regular part of the course/program;
  • a statement that appropriate assignments are required for completion of the course;
  • a grading system similar to the system used for resident (traditional classroom) courses;
  • a schedule of time required for the course that demonstrates that the student will spend at least as much time in preparation and training as is normally required for resident (traditional classroom) courses.

• Regulations prohibit payment of VA benefits for a course from which the student withdraws. Unless the student submits to VA documentation of mitigating circumstances, the student must repay to VA all the money paid to him or her for the pursuit of that course from the start of the term - not just from the date he or she dropped the course.

• VA students who have attended another college must submit all collegiate transcripts to the SCC admissions center for evaluation even if transfer credit is not requested.

• VA students who change programs must complete a change of program form in the VA Office. Credit hours earned that fulfill requirements in the new program must be transferred as required by regulations.

• Certification for enrollment in remedial courses numbering 011 through 099 (mathematics, reading and English) will be limited to a maximum of 30 credit hours. Exception will be granted only to a student who meets the academic requirements outlined above and has the approval of the Vice-President of Student Affairs or his or her designee.

• There is no limit on the number of times a course may be repeated for which a failing grade (or a grade which does not meet the minimum requirements for graduation) was received as long as the grade assigned to the repeated course at the end of the term is punitive.

• VA students may receive monetary assistance from the VA to pay for a tutor if one is required.

• This program was established to provide financial assistance to members of the South Carolina Army and Air National Guard. NGCAP covers the cost of attendance as defined by federal regulations up to a maximum amount each award year. The maximum amount will be determined annually by the S.C. Commission on Higher Education (CHE). Students who have earned a bachelor s or graduate degree are not eligible. To qualify, the student must be in good standing with the active National Guard at the beginning of each academic year and remain a member in good standing throughout the entire academic year, maintain satisfactory academic progress, be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident and satisfy additional eligibility requirements as may be promulgated by CHE. The S.C. National Guard is responsible for providing a list of all eligible Guard members to CHE which will in turn notify the College. To be awarded, the student must be on the list from CHE.