Information, Regulations, and Procedures

Academic Progress. The UWF Veterans Services Office monitors student academic progress. University academic standing is discussed in the academic policies section of the University catalog. Students receiving veterans benefits are held to stricter requirements set forth below:

Undergraduate Standard. A student with a semester grade point average (SGPA) or cumulative grade point average (CGPA) below 2.00 will be placed on VA academic probation. If, at the end of the next semester, the SGPA is above 2.00, but the CGPA remains below 2.00, the student will be continued on VA academic probation for one additional semester. If, at the end of the second semester of VA academic probation, the student's CGPA is not at least a 2.00, the DVA will be notified of the student's unsatisfactory progress and benefits subsequently will be terminated by the DVA. Likewise, if a student is placed on VA academic probation one semester, and both the SGPA and the CGPA are below 2.00 the second semester, the DVA will be notified of the student's unsatisfactory progress and subsequently benefits will be terminated by the DVA. However, a student who receives consecutive SGPAs below 2.00 will be continued on VA academic probation if his/her CGPA remains at least 2.00.

Graduate Standard. A student with a SGPA or CGPA below 3.00 will be placed on VA academic probation. If, at the end of the next semester, SGPA is above 3.00, but the CGPA remains below 3.00, the student will be continued on VA academic probation for one additional semester. If, at the end of the second semester of VA academic probation, the student's CGPA is not at least a 3.00, the DVA will be notified of the student's unsatisfactory progress and benefits subsequently will be terminated by the DVA. Likewise, if a student is placed on VA academic probation one semester, and both the SGPA and the CGPA are below 3.00 the second semester, the DVA will be notified of the student's unsatisfactory progress and subsequently benefits will be terminated by the DVA. However, a student who receives consecutive SGPAs below 3.00 will be continued on VA academic probation if his/her CGPA remains at least 3.00.

Benefit Re-establishment. Benefits may be reestablished ONLY if there is a reasonable likelihood that the student will be able to attain and maintain satisfactory progress for the remainder of the program. Based upon correspondence from the student's department chair, a recommendation will be made to the DVA.

Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation) beneficiaries will have more stringent standards established by their DVA Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist.

Academic Requirements are established by the University. Only those courses that apply to the student's degree program can be included in certification information provided by the University to the DVA. Students may take other courses not required by the University. However, they will not receive DVA benefits for the courses.

Advance Payment advance payment of DVA benefits may be available to new students and those students who were not certified to the DVA for the previous term. Application should be made through the UWF Veterans Services Office no later than 45 days before the start of classes. Advance payment is not available for Chapter 31 on active duty beneficiaries.

Admission Requirements. Students must apply for admission to the University before they can be certified for DVA benefits. It is recommended that students apply for admission well in advance of the time that they desire to enroll in classes. This will permit time to take required admission tests, order transcripts, establish residency, etc. The Office of Admissions is located in Building 18.

Applicability. The information contained in this web site applies to all students at the University of West Florida who are currently receiving educational benefits from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. Those students receiving benefits under Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation) will have additional requirements levied by their DVA Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist.

Attendance. It is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor of an absence from class prior to, or as soon as possible, after the absence. Students must check with their respective instructor(s) regarding the attendance policy for each class. When a student receiving DVA benefits is found in violation of the policy, the DVA will be notified and benefits reduced or terminated accordingly.

Audit. Under no circumstances will the DVA pay for a course taken on an audit basis.

Break/Interval Pay is a benefit paid to DVA students for periods between two consecutive semesters. The pay rate is identical to the rate paid on the last day of the semester preceding the break. This benefit counts against the total DVA benefit eligibility period. Therefore, it must be specifically denied or requested when a student completes enrollment certification with the UWF Veterans Services Office. Break pay cannot be paid if the following conditions exist:

1. The interval exceeds 8 weeks.
2. The interval exceeds 56 days and the student is transferring from one school to another but remains in the same program.
3. The student is transferring from one school to another and changing program.
4. The student is on active duty.
5. The student was attending at less than half time the previous semester.
6. The student's entitlement expires during the break. (It is more advantageous to use it during the subsequent semester for chapter 30, 34/30, and 1606 beneficiaries.)

Career Counseling may be obtained from the DVA by requesting it on the VA Form 22-1990 or 1995. This counseling will be scheduled by the DVA at a location near the student. Normally there is a four to six week wait for this benefit. The DVA does not provide academic counseling. If you chose this option, your benefit checks will be held until after you meet with the counselor. However, the University of West Florida will provide academic, career, and personal counseling for currently enrolled students.

Certification is the process by which the University verifies to the DVA a student's dates of attendance, program, transfer credits, and hours enrolled. IT IS NOT AUTOMATIC. Students must visit the UWF Veterans Services Office within seven days after registering each semester to verify enrollment and complete necessary paperwork.

Change of Address forms for the DVA and the University may be obtained at the UWF Veterans Services Office. Students should also call the DVA at (888) 442-4551 to change their DVA address. Students must also provide address change information to the University.

Change of Dependent Status must be reported by a student receiving benefits under chapter 31 or 34/30 to the DVA. A copy of the document supporting the claim must be provided. A dependent of a chapter 31 or 34/30 student who reaches the age of 18 may no longer be claimed for DVA educational benefit purposes unless the dependent is a full time student. If the dependent is enrolled in school, VA Form 21-674 must be completed.

CO-OP Education students may choose to be paid monthly benefits during the semester they are on the job. However, the DVA pays only 80% of the full time benefits rate during both the "at school" and "at work" semesters which must be sequential. Since there are many other restrictions on co-op programs, please check with the UWF Veterans Services Office or the DVA before making a decision about using these benefits.

Course Changes. If a student withdraws or otherwise changes his/her course registration, this change must be reported to the UWF Veterans Services Office within seven days. Please see the section concerning overpayment earlier in this web site.

Courses for which the DVA will not pay. Only courses meeting University requirements for graduation can be certified to the DVA for benefits payment. The following list reflects types of courses that will not be certified to the DVA, but it is not all inclusive:

1. Courses not on the Program Description Sheet (PDS) signed by the advisor and student, unless an addendum is provided before the last date of the drop/add period.
2. Repeated courses that have been previously completed with a grade of "D-" or higher, unless the student's program requires a higher grade. This includes courses transferred from other colleges.
3. Courses taken to fulfill requirements at another institution unless a transient authorization is received.
4. Courses taken on an audit or non-credit basis or courses in which the permanent grade is "non-punitive," e.g., "N" or "X."
5. Course for which an "I" or "I*" was assigned, but not changed to a letter grade of "A" through "F" grade within one year of the completion of the semester. In this case the DVA will be notified retroactively.

Credit for military experience or courses may be granted by the University. Requests for credit should be made at the time of admission application and will need to be substantiated on the DD-214 or other appropriate documentation provided.

Cross-Enrollment with other institutions may be authorized. The student must first complete a "Transient Student Form" that may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. Since cross-enrollment requires both institutions to certify the student, a delay will usually occur before the paperwork is processed and benefits paid.

Dual Major requires individual approval by the State Approving Agency located in Tallahassee prior to the student earning 60 hours toward a baccalaureate program. (For a graduate student, the request must be made during the student’s second semester of enrollment.) Please visit the UWF Veterans Services Office for further information and necessary paperwork.

Electives may fall into several categories. "Free electives" may be filled by any course offered at the University. "Required electives" may be chosen from a particular list of courses or courses in certain areas. All elective hours must be listed on the Program Description Sheet if they are to be included in the calculations to determine benefit payments. The hours authorized in each of these areas may not be exceeded.

Employment on Campus. On campus employment opportunities are listed in the Office of Financial Aid located in Building 18, Room 181. See also "VA Work Study Programs."

Extension of Educational Benefits. For students receiving benefits under chapter 30, 34/30, or 1606, the DVA will extend the entitlement to the end of the semester in which the benefits expire. This entitlement extension does not apply to chapter 35 recipients who receive 45 months of benefits or chapter 32 students who receive benefits based upon the amount of in-service contributions.

Filling out a full time schedule. Should a student not need a full load in his/her final semester to graduate, the DVA may permit the student to "fill out" the final term's schedule in order to receive full time benefits. Contact the UWF Veterans Services Office for further information.

Financial Aid Programs. The UWF Office of Student Financial Aid is located in Building 18, Room 181. DVA educational benefits are included in financial aid calculations for many financial aid programs.

Florida National Guard. Eligible members may be exempt from the payment of one-half of the cost of tuition and fees. If eligible, students should contact their Guard unit and the UWF Student Accounts Office in Building 20E. The UWF Veterans Services Office does not process paperwork for this program.

Grade Forgiveness. See the University Catalog for specific information concerning grade forgiveness. The DVA will not pay educational benefits for a course already successfully completed. Any grade above an "F" constitutes a satisfactory grade in most courses. However, if a "C" or higher is required by the program/major for a particular course, then that grade or higher is considered a satisfactory grade.

Graduate Students Taking Undergraduate Courses concurrently with graduate courses will have their course load evaluated for pay purposes using graduate standards. Graduate students taking only undergraduate courses will have their hours evaluated at the undergraduate rate. All courses must be listed on the student's Program Description Sheet.

Incompletes must be converted to letter grades of "A" through "F" within one year of the completion of the semester in which they were earned. If this is not done, the DVA will be notified by the University and overpayment action will begin.

Mitigating circumstances may be claimed by submitting a VA Form 21-4138 explaining the situation when a student withdraws or otherwise incurs an overpayment. Mitigating circumstances are unanticipated and unavoidable documented events that interfere with the pursuit of a course. Dislike of an instructor, avoidance of a failing grade, change of jobs, etc., are not considered mitigating circumstances.

Non-Applicable Courses are those courses that are not on a student's Program Description Sheet. These courses are not considered when calculating the student's eligibility for benefits. See also "electives," "filling out a full time schedule," and "thesis/dissertation hours."

Non-Degree Students are generally not approved for DVA benefits. Currently the only exception at UWF is for students who are pursing teacher's certification and MSCE. See "Teacher Certification" or "MSCE."

Non-Matriculated Students are those individuals who have applied, but have not been admitted to a future term at the University. The DVA will pay students for a maximum of two semesters, regardless of training rate, while in this status. Students are not eligible for DVA benefits if they have been denied admission by the University. The University limits the number of hours earned in a "Special Student" status that may be applied toward a degree.

Non-Punitive Grades. DVA students are not entitled to benefits for courses in which a non-punitive grade is assigned. A non-punitive grade is one that does not affect either hours earned or GPA. Examples include: "G," "I," "I*," "TR," "V," "W," "WP," "ZZ," etc. See the University catalog for a further explanation of these grades.

Overpayments occur when a student receives more funds than are authorized.

Partial Term Courses are those courses beginning or ending on dates other than the regular semester dates. In the semester course guide these are currently referred to as B, C, or E term courses. Students should be aware that the DVA determines benefits on a term basis, not by adding the total credit hours for the semester. Taking B, C, or E term courses may affect a student's training rate for pay purposes and eligibility for break pay.

Program Description Sheet (PDS) lists all the courses that are required to be completed to receive the student's specific academic degree at the University. The PDS, signed by the academic advisor and the student, must be on file in the UWF Veterans Services Office before the end of the student's first semester at UWF. Considerable care should be taken in the development of this plan as the DVA will consider only courses listed on the PDS in making determination of the student's status. The PDS and instructions are generally provided when a student first visits the UWF Veterans Services Office.

Residency for tuition purposes is established in accordance with Florida statutes. Students should inquire in the Admissions or Registrar's Office at the University (Building 18) when they first begin application procedures.

Teacher Certification courses, independent of a degree, may be approved if the student is not already certified to teach in a particular field. Further information may be obtained from the UWF Veterans Services Office.

Thesis/Dissertation Hours. Only the minimum number of thesis/dissertation hours required by the specific program will be included in computation of benefit eligibility.

Transient Students. See "Cross Enrollment."

Tuition Deferment. Florida statutes permit DVA educational beneficiaries to defer payment of tuition for a period of 60 days one time each academic year. Further information concerning this program is contained in the current University catalog.

Tutorial Assistance is available from a variety of sources on campus including the Office of Student Support Services located in Building 18, room 140. The DVA also will pay reasonable tuition charges for recipients of educational benefits. Further information is available in the UWF Veterans Services Office.

Withdrawal from Class(es). If a student withdraws or otherwise changes his/her course registration, it must be reported to the UWF Veterans Services Office within seven days. Please see the section concerning overpayment earlier in this web site.

VA Work Study Programs. The DVA offers a Work Study Program for VA students who are currently enrolled at three-quarter or greater time and drawing DVA educational benefits. Work study students may work up to 25 hours per week and are paid the federal minimum wage. There are employment opportunities at the local DVA Outpatient Clinic, Job Services Offices in Pensacola and Milton, DVA Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Family Services Center, Barrancas National Cemetery, and the UWF Veterans Services Office. Students should also contact the UWF Office of Student Financial Aid concerning other Work Study Programs

The information provided on these pages was accurate at the time of publication. Benefits, regulations, eligibility requirements, etc., are subject to change.