Veterans Affairs

Veterans Benefits

Wallace Community College Selma welcomes veterans, national guard/reservists, and dependents/survivors who are eligible for VA education benefits.

Veterans and their dependents may complete their application for Federal benefits online using www.vets.gov or www.ebenefits.va.gov. To find out more about eligibility requirements, please contact Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO) at 1-888-442-4551.

Each time you register you must submit a copy of your current schedule to the Office of Financial Aid. Please register for all sessions (Full, 1st mini and 2nd mini) up front if possible. If you change your Major, Drop/Add or Withdraw from a course or school, you must notify the VA representative immediately.

Alabama National Guard Education Assistance Program

ANGEAP is a program established by the legislature of the State of Alabama and is designed to provide financial assistance to active Alabama National Guard members who are enrolled in degree programs at accredited post-secondary institutions of higher learning located within the State of Alabama. Limited funding is provided by the Alabama Legislature and priority is given to those who apply early. For more information about the ANGEAP, members should contact the unit administrator at their prospective unit.

Tuition Assistances (TA)

Tuition assistance (TA) is a Department of Defense (DOD) program. GoArmyEd is the virtual gateway for all eligible Active Duty, National Guard, and Army Reserve soldiers to request tuition assistance (TA) online, anytime, anywhere, for classroom and distance learning. It allows soldiers to manage their education records, including college classes, testing, on-duty classes, and Army education counselor support.

• Soldiers may request TA through GoArmyEd prior to the course start date. GoArmyEd will notify the soldier whether the TA is approved. If the TA request is not approved, GoArmyEd will advise the soldier of the reason and next steps.

• All drops/withdrawals must be handled through GoArmyEd. Soldiers who do not successfully complete a class due to military reasons must request a Withdrawal for Military reasons through GoArmyEd and complete all required steps to ensure that they will not be charged. Students have 14 days from the start of the semester to input information into the GoArmyEd system for TA approval.

Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation (Disabled Veterans)
A veteran may be eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31) benefits if he or she received, or will receive, a discharge (other than dishonorable conditions incurred or aggravated a service-connected disability which entitles him or her to VA disability compensation: and

• Is in need of vocational rehabilitation because his or her disability creates an employment handicap. Vocational rehabilitation may be provided for up to 48 months.

• An eligible veteran generally has 15 years from the date he or she is notified of entitlement to VA compensation to use his or her Chapter 31 benefits. VA may approve an extension of time and/or length of training in certain cases.

• Entitlement for vocational rehabilitation services is determined on an individual basis following an evaluation of the veteran’s interests, aptitudes, education, work experience, and vocational abilities.

• Each school is assigned a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist to assist Chapter 31 students and school officials responsible for certifying Chapter 31 students. Full tuition, fees, and books are paid to the school by the VA. In addition, the student gets a subsistence allowance depending on the training status.

Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill ® (MGIB) and Active Duty
The Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty), also known as Chapter 30, is a program of education benefits generally for individuals who enter active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985, and have contributed to the College fund.

• Active Duty for benefits purposes includes full-time National Guard duty after November 29, 1989. The participant generally must serve continuously on active duty for three-year or greater initial enlistment, or, for a lesser benefit, two years of an initial active duty obligation of less than three years.

• An individual also may qualify for the full benefits by initially serving two continuous years on active duty, followed by four years of Selected Reserve service. In the latter case, the participant must enter the Selected Reserve within one year of the release from active duty. The participant must meet the requirements for a high school diploma or an equivalency certificate before the first period of active duty ends. Completing 12 credit hours toward a college degree meets this requirement.

• Individuals, who initially serve a continuous period of at least three years of active duty, even though they were initially obligated to serve less, will be paid at the higher basic rate. Wallace Community College Selma does not participate in advance pay.

Chapter 33 Post 9/11
The Post 9/11 GI Bill® is a new education benefit program for individuals who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. The benefits are payable for training pursued on or after August 1, 2009. No payments can be made under this program for training pursued before that date.

• You may receive up to 36 months of entitlement under the Post 9/11 GI Bill®. Once you elect to receive benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, you will no longer be eligible to receive benefits under the program from which you elected before the Post 9/11 GI Bill®.

• A monthly housing allowance (MHA) based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents at the location of the school (for BAH rates, please visit gibill.va.gov) is associated with this benefit. For those enrolled solely in distance learning, the housing allowance payable is equal to 1/2 the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents for the 2011 academic year (Active duty students and their spouses cannot receive the MHA). An annual book stipend of $1,000 is paid proportionately based on enrollment.

Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserves (MGIB-SR)
This program provides benefits for members of the Selected Reserve and National Guard who enlisted, re-enlisted or extended their enlistment for a period of six years after July 1, 1985.

Chapter 1607 Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)
REAP was established as a part of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. It is a Department of Defense educational benefit program designed to provide educational assistance to members of the Reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency (contingency operation) as declared by the President or Congress. This program makes certain reservists who were activated for at least 90 days after September 11, 2001, either eligible for education benefits or eligible for increased benefits.

Chapter 35 Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program
Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of certain veterans. This program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training. If you are a spouse, you may take a correspondence course. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.

MYCAA
The Military Spouses Center Advancement Account (MYCAA) programs sets out to prepare eligible military spouses for the work force by offering up to $4,000 of financial assistance (FA) from the Department of Defense (DOD). This is meant to encourage spouses of military personnel to pursue education, training, licenses, certificates, and degrees leading to employment in Portable Career fields. The MYCAA program uses this funding to pay schools directly for coursework and exams taken by the approved spouse account owner.

Verifying Attendance
Students receiving VA education benefits must provide the VA Certifying Official with an enrollment certification request each semester for continuation of monthly benefit payments. Veterans and National Guard/Reservists must verify their enrollment on the last day of each month through WAVE (Web Automated Verification of Enrollment) website https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave/index.do or by calling 877-823-2378.

Withdrawals from Class by Veterans
Students receiving VA education benefits may adjust their schedules during the Drop/Add period. After the Drop/Add period, students will have to notify the school’s VA Certifying Official before they will be allowed to be withdrawn from any course(s).

Scholarship Guide

Application Assistance: The Alabama Department of Veteran Affairs maintains an office in each county of the State which can furnish information and assist in filing your application. To find the office nearest you, click here.

Alabama GI Bill® students transferring to a new or different institution of higher learning must submit an ADVA-5s, Request for Supplemental Certificate to the Financial Aid Office. The completed form will be forwarded to the State of Alabama VA Office for further processing.

Veterans Affairs Forms (PDF's)