Veterans must be matriculated at Charter Oak State College. Charter Oak State College can only certify the Charter Oak State College course tuition and course registration fee for VA benefits. Charter Oak State College does not participate in the Connecticut Tuition Waiver Program.

Procedures for Certification of Veterans Benefits

Step 1

Veterans should contact the VA at 450 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103 or call toll-free at 888-442-4551 or at 800-827-1000 weekdays between 8 AM and 4:30 PM to inquire about veterans educational benefits (i.e., eligibility, entitlement, delimiting date, training times and pay rates); to verify that his/her educational program is approved for VA benefits; to verify that independent study or practical training is approved, if the veteran plans to register for courses at an institution other than COSC.

• If a veteran has never used his/her education benefits, he/she must complete VA Form 22-1990 (Application for Veterans Benefits), VA Form 22-1999 (Enrollment Certification form), and submit a copy of his/her DD214.
• If a veteran has used benefits before, but the benefits were used at an institution other than Charter Oak State College, he/she must complete VA Form 22-1995 (Change of Program or Place of Training), VA Form 22-1999 (Enrollment Certification), and submit a copy of his/her DD214.

Step 2

Submit a completed Charter Oak State College Veterans Educational Benefits Authorization Request form (with all required documents as stated above) to the Director of Financial Aid & Veteran's Benefits. The Veteran's Academic Counselor will declare the number of credits they have earned for previous civilian or military training and experience will be applied to their degree program requirements for the specified enrollment period (or show that this evaluation is still pending during the first two semesters). If veterans are taking courses by independent study or distance learning at COSC, the certifying official will complete the enrollment certification and send it to the VA (along with the above forms provided by the veteran).

Step 3

If veterans are taking courses at another college or university which is approved for VA benefits, they should provide a catalog description of the courses, in which they plan to register to their Academic Counselor at COSC. Once the courses have been approved, veterans should forward that information to the certifying official (Director of Financial Aid & Veterans Benefits) at Charter Oak State College. The certifying official will forward the supplemental enrollment letter, which verifies that the courses the student is going to take at that institution will transfer into the veteran degree program at Charter Oak. The Veterans Officer at supplemental institution will forward the necessary paperwork to VA, so the veteran can begin receiving payment.

Note: The veteran is responsible for providing his/her Academic Counselor with a letter listing the courses he/she will take at the supplemental school. The form may be downloaded here as a PDF - Veterans Educational Benefits Authorization Request. Without this information the veterans Academic Advisor will not verify the courses when the Veterans Benefits Office seeks verification of the courses.

The veteran must submit a transcript request form and a copy of the appropriate payment receipt to the certifying official at Charter Oak State College before the courses can be certified. The check for the fee should be issued to the school at which the course will be taken and should be dated for the end of the semester.

Note: The veteran should contact the other school to determine the cost of an official transcript; to estimate the date on which the grade will be recorded; and to request a copy of his/her transcript be sent to Charter Oak State College for courses that are being taken.

Step 4

Veterans should keep a copy of all items and allow the VA eight weeks to respond to the claim. After that time the veteran may contact the VA at one of the phone numbers listed in Step 1 to inquire about the status of the claim.

Step 5

All veterans are responsible for notifying the certifying official of their withdrawal from a course, termination of training, or reductions in training due to the receipt of a non-punitive grade for a course.

Note: The VA will not pay benefits for any portion of the training for which the student receives a grade that does not count toward his/her graduation requirement unless the VA accepts the student's mitigating circumstances.

COSC's Academic Standards policy requires students to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0. The college will notify the VA to terminate benefits on the basis of "unsatisfactory academic progress" when a veteran's cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0. In addition, the certifying official will not certify any veteran's enrollment in any course(s) until the veteran's grade point average again reaches 2.0.