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.
