Veterans

Veteran specific information and advising are available for those eligible for educational benefits under the various laws aiding veterans and their dependents. Under U.S. Code Title 38 (cf. Chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, and 1606) and the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, a veteran is required to be degree seeking to be eligible for benefits; he or she may attend college full time or part time. It is important for the veteran to meet with a Student Success Advisor prior to registration each term. The Veteran Services Office completes the Veteran’s Certification for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Benefits are paid on a sliding scale:

• Full-time Benefits: 12 or more credit hours
• 3/4 Benefits: 9 to 11 credit hours
• 1/2 Benefits: 7 to 8 credit hours
• Tuition only: 1 to 6 credit hours (Post 9/11 GI Bill® only)

All veterans and dependents (except those served under the Vocational Rehabilitation Act and Post 9/11 GI Bill ®(Chapter 33)) are responsible for paying all College tuition and fee responsibilities within the appropriate deadlines. Registration fees may be deferred, when necessary, up to sixty days. If the term is less than sixty days long, the deferment is ten days less than the length of the term (whichever is earlier). Fees may be deferred only once per semester.

Veterans (and their spouses and dependents) qualify to have the out-of-state portion of tuition at Polk State tuition waived. The student must submit the appropriate DD214 Form showing honorable discharge to the Admissions and Registrar’s Office prior to the Drop Deadline for classes. More information regarding submission of this form can be found in the Catalog section on Defining a Florida Resident for Residency Fee Purposes. The Veteran Student should contact the Veterans Services Office for assistance with completing the appropriate paperwork.

VA regulations require each Veteran Student to progress at a regular rate toward graduation and maintain the same Standards of Academic Progress as a student who receives federal financial aid. Details regarding the current Polk State College policy for meeting these requirements are available in the Financial Aid Office on the Lakeland and Winter Haven campuses. 

[Note: Any student who does not successfully pass the first two attempts of a course is charged the full cost of instruction on the third attempt.]

VA Payment Compliance

In accordance with Title 38 of US Code 3679 subsection (e), the College has adopted the following additional provisions for any student using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) or Veteran Readiness and Employment Act (Chapter 31) benefits. While payment to the institution is pending from the VA, the College does not:

• Prevent the student’s enrollment.
• Assess a late-penalty fee to the student.
• Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding.
• Deny the student access to any resources (i.e., access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to any other student who has satisfied the tuition and fee requirements to the institution.

To qualify for this provision, the student is required to:

• Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class.
• Provide a completed Veteran Certification Request Form, signed by a Student Success Advisor.
• Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies.
• More information about education benefits offered through Veterans Affairs is available at the official U.S. government website (www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/).

[Note: A Veteran Student cannot be assessed any penalty, late fee, or denial of access to classes, libraries, or Polk State College facilities resulting from an inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to delayed VA payment as provided under Chapter 31 or Chapter 33 of Title 38 U.S. Code.]

[Note: Class sizes and fees are based on a room capacity of 25 students. Most Flight Lab Instruction is assigned as a one-to-one training experience. Flight training periods last two hours.]

[Note: The Veteran Student must have obtained a First Class or Second Class FAA Medical Certificate from an FAA-authorized Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) prior to any Flight Lab Instruction being funded by the VA. More information and a list of authorized Aviation Medical Examiners (AME) can be found on the FAA’s website (www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator).]

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.