Terra State Community College students with veteran benefits eligibility through the
Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) may be certified to receive VA educational benefits.
General Veteran and Service Member Benefit Information at Terra State
If you are a veteran, service member, or eligible dependent and wish to enroll, you
should:
Complete the VA Application Form for Education Benefits. The VA application form is
available online at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/ This form should be completed at least 30 days before the start of the semester.
It can be completed after this deadline, but their may be a delay in benefits.
Currently active Service Members should contact their Educational Services Officer
(ESO) or work with their leadership to review/confirm their education benefit eligabilty
before enrolling in classes.
Any Veteran with a VA.gov login can access their decision letter online. Check out
this video for information on how to use the Decision Letter Download Tool: https://youtu.be/Y9TKxj3P-A4.
Provide a copy of the Veteran's Authorization for Separation from Active Duty (DD-214)
and Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE).
Meet with your advisor to ensure you are meeting the curriculum requirements in your
program of study.
Every semester, an SCO reviews and then certifies each veteran for the number of credit
hours taken in their approved program. Students receiving benefits are required to
notify the College’s SCO every term they want to use their benefits. An email from
the student’s Terra State-provided email address is preferred.
Change of Program/Objective
If you have used VA benefits in the past and have entitlement remaining, you are able
to change your original objective or program of study by completing the Request for
Change of Program or Place of Training (VA Form 22-1995) at www.gibill.va.gov.
Change of Course Schedule
If you wish to change your course schedule during the semester, you should inform
your advisor or SCO immediately. The VA must be notified of any change in a student's
schedule. An SCO will notify the VA of this change, and the student will be notified
via email when the change is made at the VA.
Re-enrollment
Veterans students who wish to enroll for classes following a complete withdrawal or
lapse in enrollment should contact an SCO so that proper certification can be made
to the VA. If you have been away from Terra State Community College for at least one
year, you may need to resubmit an application for admission before re-enrollment can
occur.
Veteran Credit Hour Payment Status
Enrollment status for VA payment matches the College requirements for all students,
outlined in the college catalog. Enrollment status for VA payment matches the College requirements for all students,
outlined in the college catalog. The VA pays the rate based on enrollment periods.
The standard enrollment period at Terra State is 16 weeks. Non-standard enrollment
(Late starts, 1st and 2nd half terms, and Summer) are adjusted by the VA.
VA pays education benefits for nonstandard enrollment periods based on credit equivalents.
Remember, schools report actual number of credits; VA makes the conversion. When enrollment
periods overlap, credit hour equivalents for the period of overlap are combined.
Credit hours per semester
VA Payment Status
12 or more
Full time
9-11
Three-quarter time
6-8
Half time
5 or less
Less than half time
Applying for Education Benefits
Apply for the GI Bill®
The GI Bill® is a program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and funded by the
federal government. It exists to help servicemembers, veterans, and their dependents
with college degree and certificate programs, co-op training, technical or vocational
courses, flight training, apprenticeships or on-the-job training, high-tech training,
licensing and certification tests, entrepreneurship training, certain entrance examinations,
and correspondence courses. 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.
Eligible Ohio National Guard members (Air and Army) may use ONGSP at Terra State Community
College to cover their tuition costs. The credit hour eligibility is dependent upon
the length of the enlistment contract.
6 Year Enlistment = 96 Units (Credit Hours)
3-5 Year Enlistment = 48 Units (Credit Hours)
Applications should be completed as soon as possible. Terra State cannot see applications
in a “pending” status. Only applications approved through the ONGSP.Ohio.gov website
will be visible to Terra State.
Members must meet the following eligibility requirements to apply:
Must be an enlisted “member in good standing” during the entire academic term they
are applying for and attending. This status is determined by the unit commander. Former
members with qualifying deployment time (Latta Amendment students) may also qualify.
Have a high school diploma or GED, but have no bachelor’s degree. Must take a minimum
of three semester hours.
Should exhaust any qualifying FTA funds prior to applying. See the Federal Tuition
Assistance section below.
The Department of Defense (DoD) offers Tuition Assistance service members. Active
military students should contact their commanding officer (CO) or Education Services
Officer (ESO) in their branch of service for details on the specific application process
for Tuition Assistance and to seek approval to use FTA. The DOD requires that students
seek approval from their CO and/or ESO prior to registering for courses. The links
below can be used as a guide.
Tuition Assistance may cover tuition costs up to $250 per credit hour and $4500 per
year. Application/approval processes as well as credit hour and cost caps vary by
branch. No fees, books, or supplies are covered.
Once approved, provide Terra State with your FTA approval paperwork by emailing it
to cashier@terra.edu.
Be sure to coordinate with the school certifying officials if you are combining FTA
with VA benefits, because some require coordination.
Ohio War Orphan & Severely Disabled Veterans' Children Scholarship Program (WOS)
The Ohio War Orphan & Severely Disabled Veterans' Children Scholarship (WOS) awards
tuition assistance to the children of deceased or severely disabled Ohio veterans
who served during a period of declared war or conflict. The recipient must be an Ohio
resident enrolled full-time (12 credit hours or more) in an approved Associate Degree
at Terra State Community College. Benefits will be paid toward instruction and general
fees and are determined annually based on the number of eligible applicants. For more
information and to apply, please go to https://highered.ohio.gov/educators/financial-aid/sgs/wos. You should contact FinancialAid@terra.edu once you have been approved for the scholarship. Financial Aid cannot check the status
of your application, and the payments from the scholarship will not be applied until
a minimum of 15 days after the start of the term.
Veteran Student Rights and Responsibilities
In-State Tuition Eligibility
Eligibility for In-State Tuition is defined by Ohio Administrative Code 3333-1-10
Ohio Student Residency for State Subsidy and Tuition Surcharge. The rule requiring
twelve consecutive months for proof of Ohio domicile, may be waived in some cases
for Service Members and Veterans. This means that the qualifying student needs to
show residency in the State of Ohio no later than the 1st day of the term, instead of twelve months prior.
Possible Rules and Exceptions for Service Members, Veterans, and their dependents.
C4 Veteran, veteran’s spouse or veteran’s dependent
A veteran, and the veteran's spouse and any dependent of the veteran, who meets both
of the following conditions:
The veteran either (i) served one or more years on active military duty and was honorably
discharged or received a medical discharge that was related to the military service
or (ii) was killed while serving on active military duty or has been declared to be
missing in action or a prisoner of war.
If the veteran seeks residency status for tuition surcharge purposes, the veteran
has established domicile in this state as of the first day of term of enrollment in
an institution of higher education. If the spouse or a dependent of the veteran seeks
residency status for tuition surcharge purposes, the veteran and the spouse or dependent
seeking residency status have established domicile in this state as of the first day
of a term of enrollment in an institution of higher education, except that if the
veteran was killed while serving on active military duty, has been declared to be
missing in action or a prisoner of war, or is deceased after discharge, only the spouse
or dependent seeking residency status shall be required to have established domicile
in accordance with this division.
C5 Military Student Receiving Federal Veterans’ Benefits
A veteran who is the recipient of federal veterans' benefits under the "All Volunteer
Force Educational Assistance Program," 38 U.S.C. 3001 et seq., or "Post-9/11 Veterans
Educational Assistance Program," 38 U.S.C. 3301 et seq., or any successor program,
if the veteran meets all of the following criteria:
The veteran served at least ninety days or active duty.
The veteran enrolls in a state institution of higher education, as defined in section
3345.011 of the Revised code.
The veteran lives in the state as of the first day of a term of enrollment in the
state institution of higher education.
C6 Students using Fry scholarship or transferred military education benefits
This classification is for “A person who is the recipient of the federal Marine Gunnery
Sergeant John David Fry scholarship or transferred federal veterans' benefits under
any of the programs (C5) of this rule, if the person meets both of the following criteria:
(a) The person enrolls in a state institution of higher education.
(b) The person lives in the state as of the first day of a term of enrollment in the
state institution of higher education.
Note: In order for a person using transferred federal veterans' benefits to qualify
under paragraph (C)(6) of this rule, the veteran who transferred such benefits must
have served at least ninety days on active duty or the servicemember who transferred
such benefits is on active duty.
C7 Military Student Using Ch31 VR&E or Ch35 Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance
A person who is using federal veterans' educational assistance under the "Vocational
Rehabilitation and Employment," 38 U.S.C. 3101 et seq or under "Survivors' and Dependents'
Educational Assistance," 38 U.S.C. 3510 if the person meets the following criteria:
(a) The person enrolls in a state institution of higher education.
(b) The person lives in the state as of the first day of a term of enrollment in the
state institution of higher education.
C10 Active duty military stationed outside Ohio
A service member who is on active duty and to the service member's spouse and any
dependent of the service member while the service member is on active duty. In order
to qualify under this paragraph, the student seeking in-state tuition rates must live
in the state as of the first day of a term of enrollment in the state institution
of higher education, but the student or the service member shall not be required,
to establish domicile in this state as of the first day of a term of enrollment in
an institution of higher education.
E2 Ohio resident on active military duty
A person who enters and currently remains upon active duty status in the United States
military service while a resident of Ohio for all other legal purposes and his or
her dependents shall be considered residents of Ohio for these purposes as long as
Ohio remains the state of such person's domicile.
E3 Active military member stationed and residing in Ohio
A person on active duty status in the United States military service who is stationed
and resides in Ohio and his or her dependents shall be considered residents of Ohio
for these purposes.
E8 Member of the Ohio National Guard
A person who is a member of the Ohio National Guard and who is domiciled in Ohio,
and his or her spouse and dependents, shall be considered residents of Ohio while
the person is in Ohio National Guard service.
Responsibilities of Veteran Students
While enrolled in classes at Terra State Community College, you should be sure to:
Consult an academic advisor every semester and enroll in courses meeting the curriculum
requirements of your program of study;
Attend classes regularly and complete course requirements satisfactorily to continue
receiving VA benefits;
Contact an SCO when you want to
Register for classes
Make a schedule change (add or drop classes)
Withdraw completely from classes
Stop attending classes on a regular basis
Change name, address and/or telephone number
Change educational major
Have any concerns or questions about VA benefits
It is critical that you communicate regularly with the SCO, as complete and proper
paperwork is required to receive VA benefits.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official
U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
