The Fort Scott Community College VA Certifying Official’s office is located in the Financial Aid department of the Fort Scott campus.
In order to use your VA benefits, you must enroll in classes at FSCC and then be certified by the FSCC VA Certifying Official.
Follow the steps below that apply to you:
- New or Transfer GI Bill® students
- Continuing/Returning GI Bill® FSCC Students
If you wish to see if you qualify for federal student aid in addition to your VA benefits, please complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov. Further information can be found on our Financial Aid web page: http://www.fortscott.edu/financialaid.
College Credit for Military Service
College Credit for Military Service FSCC follows the recommendations of the Office of Educational Credits listed by the American Council of Education (ACE). Advanced standing credits will be given to veterans for formal service school courses based on the recommendations of ACE. Military experience listed on the Joint Services Transcript (JST) will be awarded credit based on the recommendations of ACE. Credit earned is limited to a maximum of 30 hours to be allowed for graduation. No letter grade is awarded when students receive advanced standing for military educational experience. Credit is counted as transfer work without a grade, but is counted toward graduation and may be used to fulfill curriculum requirements.
For a complete look at FSCC’s Campus Catalog, go to fortscott.edu/catalog
To understand how your military service can transfer to FSCC, please visit https://www.kansasregents.org
To request a copy of your JST to be sent to FSCC, please go to the following website: jst.doded. mil.
Active Duty Readmission
Students receiving active duty military orders will be allowed readmission and to resume their current program of study upon completion of service. Students must provide written documentation of the active duty orders to the Registrar, Vice President of Student Services, and Vice President of Academic Affairs. Students will not be required to reapply to selective admissions programs. Each situation will be reviewed individually by faculty members, Registrar, Vice President of Student Services, and Vice President of Academic Affairs to determine if the student may be eligible for an incomplete or withdraw from courses in which they are enrolled.
How to Verify Your Attendance to the VA
Chapter 30, Chapter 1606 and Chapter 1607 students MUST report school attendance to the Department of Veterans Affairs on the last day of each month in order to receive payment. Call 1-877-823-2378 or verify your school attendance online.
Students using Dependents Education Assistance (Chapter 35) or Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) are NOT required to verify monthly attendance.
Reporting Class Schedule Changes to the VA
If you drop or add classes, enroll in classes outside your FSCC educational objective, repeat classes, enroll in short-term classes or are dropped for nonattendance, these changes are required to be reported to the VA.
Changes in enrollment can result in an overpayment that will be determined by the VA. Further payments will be adjusted accordingly.
VA Education Payments
If you are a student receiving VA benefits, the VA will determine your payment rate based on the type of benefit for which you are eligible and how many hours in which you are enrolled.
The basic payment rates are listed on the VA website. Also at that website is a benefit comparison tool.
The only benefit that pays tuition directly to FSCC is the Post 9/11 GI Bill®. Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill® you may receive:
- A tuition and fees payment (paid directly to the school) at the In-State rate only. The student is responsible for the out of state difference. Additionally, if benefit eligibility is less than 100% the student is responsible for the remainder of the tuition.
- A monthly housing allowance based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. This amount is based on the ZIP code of the Fort Scott campus (66701). You can determine the BAH online at defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm.
- An annual book stipend of $1,000 paid proportionately based on enrollment ($500 per semester, full-time).
It can take the VA several weeks to process your initial application and anywhere from six to 10 weeks to process enrollment verifications from the school.
Generally, VA education benefit payments are made at the end of each month you attend school. For example, if classes start in August and your claim has been completely processed by the VA, the payment for that month will normally be received in the first 10 days of September.
Any schedule changes must be reported to the VA Certifying Official immediately. If, at any time, you stop attending a class and do not officially withdraw from it, your last date of attendance will be reported to the VA and you will possibly be charged an overpayment.
Contact Information
School Certifying Official (SCO) &
Financial Aid Director
Telephone: 620-223-2700 ext. 3508
FAX: 620-768-2938
VA Contact Information:
- Questions concerning your VA Education Benefits: 1-888-442-4551
- To verify attendance: 1-877-823-2378 or gibill.va.gov/resources/verify_attendance
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 Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.