VA (Veterans Affairs) Educational Benefits

Southern California Health Institute welcomes veterans of our nation’s armed forces to study here. Our school is authorized to accept veteran’s benefits (Montgomery G.I. Bill) for those students who qualify. VA benefits can cover a significant portion of the cost of attendance, and unlike federal and private student loans, these funds do not have to be repaid. Students and potential students who are veterans of the armed forces should contact their Veterans’ Administration representative to see if they qualify for veteran’s benefits. There are currently several categories and sub- categories of VA benefits, so students and prospective students must be cognizant of which benefit programs are applicable to them and to the school. Contact information is available at the finance office.

In order to access veteran’s benefits, the student or prospective student will have to provide a copy of their form DD-214 (discharge form) to the financial aid office. Students and prospective students seeking to utilize VA benefits to pay for their training must comply with all rules and regulations set forth by the Veterans’ Administration for qualification and use of VA benefits. Information regarding these qualifications can be found on the VA website: http://www.vba.va.gov. VA benefits must be calculated into a student or prospective students need analysis to determine how much, if any, Title IV Federal Student Aid the individual is qualified to receive. Students and prospective students seeking to utilize VA benefits must meet with the financial aid office in order to determine how VA benefits might Affect their eligibility for Title IV Federal Student Aid.

Southern California Health Institute will accept transfer credits if applicable to any course offered within a program of study for students receiving veteran benefits. Students and potential students who have previously completed courses while engaged in military service, or at another learning institution, must complete the “VA Student Prior Postsecondary Transcript Acknowledgement” form at time of admission to SOCHi. The student must provide at minimum unofficial transcripts of their prior education within the first ten (10) days of the start of their program of study. If it is determined that transfer credit should be awarded for a course the student is scheduled to attend within that first 10 days, tuition for that course will be returned to the Veteran’s Administration. Additionally, all courses that are determined to be applicable to the program of study will be awarded with the clock hours or quarter credit hours of the program being shortened and tuition and fees reduced accordingly. The director of education will verify that the courses already taken are applicable to the student’s or prospective student’s program of study and that those courses correspond to the SOCHi courses for which the student seeks to transfer credit. Credits from a school that is not accredited by an accreditation bureau recognized by the U.S. Department of Education will not be considered for transfer.

A student or prospective student seeking to transfer credit must have earned a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher in the courses to be transferred in order to receive transfer credit. Because of the nature of the courses and skills taught by Southern California Health Institute, a practical examination under the direction of one of our instructors may be required in order to demonstrate that the student or prospective student has achieved and maintained proficiency in the subject and technique under consideration. Transfer credit shall not be given to a student or prospective student who fails to pass a required practical examination.

Transfer credits from another institution that are applicable to the new program of study will not be calculated in the grade point average or rate of progress, but will be considered as units attempted and earned in the time frame calculation. All documentation supporting the evaluation and/or award of transfer credit will be maintained in the student’s academic file.

Progress will be monitored at the end of each module for all students receiving veteran benefits. If at the end of any given evaluation period the student’s grade falls below 2.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) the student will be placed on academic warning for the following evaluation period. If by the end of the academic warning period the student’s grade is not raised to 2.0 CGPA the Veterans Administration will be notified and benefits will be interrupted. If the student fails the academic warning period, he or she will be placed on academic probation for another module, during which the student will be responsible for tuition and fees. If by the end of the academic probation period, the student fails to achieve a minimum of 2.0 GPA and/or an overall attendance of 80%, he or she will be withdrawn from the school.

Attendance will be monitored for all students receiving veteran benefits. If a VA student is absent for more than 5 consecutive days, he or she will be withdrawn from the program and must meet with the Academic Department to be reinstated.

Students will be placed on attendance warning if at the end of any evaluation period (module), they fall below 80% overall attendance. If by the end of the attendance warning period the student’s attendance is not raised to an overall attendance of 80% the Veterans Administration will be notified and benefits will be interrupted. If a student fails the attendance warning period, they will be placed on attendance probation, during which the student will be responsible for tuition and fees.

As per the Secretary, on August 1, 2021, no approved education courses may maintain policies that violate any of the below provisions. Qualified persons may not be charged out of pocket or denied access to facilities due to delay in payment for any covered tuition and fees. Additionally, the tuition and fee rates must be the same for covered individuals as noncovered individuals. See the citation below for more details.

§3679. Disapproval of courses

• (a)(1) Except as provided by paragraph (2), any course approved for the purposes of this chapter which fails to meet any of the requirements of this chapter shall be immediately disapproved by the Secretary or the appropriate State approving agency. An educational institution which has its courses disapproved by the Secretary or a State approving agency will be notified of such disapproval by a certified or registered letter of notification and a return receipt secured.
• (2) In the case of a course of education that would be subject to disapproval under paragraph (1) solely for the reason that the Secretary of Education withdraws the recognition of the accrediting agency that accredited the course, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, and notwithstanding the withdrawal, may continue to treat the course as an approved course of education under this chapter for a period not to exceed 18 months from the date of the withdrawal of recognition of the accrediting agency, unless the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the appropriate State approving agency determines that there is evidence to support the disapproval of the course under this chapter. The Secretary shall provide to any veteran enrolled in such a course of education notice of the status of the course of education.
• (b) Each State approving agency shall notify the Secretary of each course which it has disapproved under this section. The Secretary shall notify the State approving agency of the Secretary’s disapproval of any educational institution under chapter 31 of this title.
• (c)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter and subject to paragraphs (3) through (6), the Secretary shall disapprove a course of education provided by a public institution of higher learning if the institution charges tuition and fees for that course for covered individuals who are pursuing the course with educational assistance under chapter 30, 31, or 33 of this title while living in the State in which the institution is located at a rate that is higher than the rate the institution charges for tuition and fees for that course for residents of the State in which the institution is located, regardless of the covered individual’s State of residence.

(2) For purposes of this subsection, a covered individual is any individual as follows:

• (A) A veteran who was discharged or released from a period of not fewer than 90 days of service in the active military, naval, or air service less than three years before the date of enrollment in the course concerned.
• (B) An individual who is entitled to assistance under-
• (i) section 3311(b)(9) of this title; or
• (ii) section 3319 of this title by virtue of the individual’s relationship to-
• (I) a veteran described in subparagraph (A); or
• (II) a member of the uniformed services described in section 3319(b) of this title who is serving on active duty.
• (C) An individual who is entitled to rehabilitation under section 3102(a) of this title.
• (3) If after enrollment in a course of education that is subject to disapproval under paragraph (1) by reason of paragraph (2)(A), (2)(B), or (2)(C) a covered individual pursues one or more courses of education at the same public institution of higher learning while remaining continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters or terms) at that institution of higher learning, any course so pursued by the covered individual at that institution of higher learning while so continuously enrolled shall also be subject to disapproval under paragraph (1).
• (4) It shall not be grounds to disapprove a course of education under paragraph (1) if a public institution of higher learning requires a covered individual pursuing a course of education at the institution to demonstrate an intent, by means other than satisfying a physical presence requirement, to establish residency in the State in which the institution is located, or to satisfy other requirements not relating to the establishment of residency, in order to be charged tuition and fees for that course at a rate that is equal to or less than the rate the institution charges for tuition and fees for that course for residents of the State.
• (5) The Secretary may waive such requirements of paragraph (1) as the Secretary considers appropriate.
• (6) Disapproval under paragraph (1) shall apply only with respect to educational assistance under chapters 30, 31, and 33 of this title. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Secretary or the applicable State approving agency shall disapprove a course of education described in paragraph (14) or (15) of section 3676(c)
• of this title unless the educational institution providing the course of education-
• (1) publicly discloses any conditions or additional requirements, including training, experience, or examinations, required to obtain the license, certification, or approval for which the course of education is designed to provide preparation; and
• (2) makes each disclosure required by paragraph (1) in a manner that the Secretary considers prominent (as specified by the Secretary in regulations prescribed for purposes of this subsection). (e)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, beginning on August 1, 2021, a State approving agency, or the Secretary when acting in the role of the State approving agency, shall disapprove a course of education provided by an educational institution that has in effect a policy that is inconsistent with any of the following:
• (A) A policy that permits any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of this title and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
• (i) The date on which the Secretary provides payment for such course of education to such institution. (ii) The date that is 90 days after the date on which the educational institution certifies for tuition and fees following receipt from the student such certificate of eligibility.
• (B) A policy that ensures that the educational institution will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary under chapter 31 or 33 of this title.
• (2) For purposes of this subsection, a covered individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of this title.
• (3) The Secretary may waive such requirements of paragraph (1) as the Secretary considers appropriate.
• (4) It shall not be inconsistent with a policy described in paragraph (1) for an educational institution to require a covered individual to take the following additional actions:
• (A) Submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance not later than the first day of a course of education for which the individual has indicated the individual wishes to use the individual’s entitlement to educational assistance.
• (B) Submit a written request to use such entitlement.
• (C) Provide additional information necessary to the proper certification of enrollment by the educational institution. 117