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Greetings School Certifying Official (SCO),
We continue to make every effort to make you aware of changes made to the School Certifying Official Handbook. Today, August 20, 2024, a new version was updated on the GI Bill® website.
Please find a list of the updates below.
Respectfully,
Education Service
New sections
There was an additional sub-section added to the SCO responsibilities section:
"Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA)
The Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) is a financial statement that lists an organization's federal assistance expenditures for a fiscal year. It's a required supplemental schedule for organizations that are subject to the Single Audit Act, which applies to states, local governments, and Indian tribes.
Although the Post /11 GI Bill is listed in the Assistance Listings found in SAM.gov, as are other GI Bill programs such as MGIB, each listed with different numbers, we cannot answer questions regarding how schools conduct their financial audits. VA does not require these audits. Please contact the State or Federal agency requiring these audits to obtain guidance on how or whether to report Post 9/11 GI Bill."
There was a new section added:
"Conservation of Entitlement
If a student asks to be certified for fewer applicable credits than he or she takes to conserve entitlement, you can certify fewer credits than actually taken. For chapter 33, Tuition & Fees would be reported for the number of credit hours certified, not for the total number of credit hours taken. Retain a copy of the student’s request in the VA file.
This may be useful to permit extension of limited entitlement into another term under Chapters 30 and 33 (including FRY) For Chapter 33 TOE dependents, only the last family member with remaining entitlement at the time of exhaustion are entitled to an extension.
Example: A student is enrolled in 12 credits during the fall and spring terms. At the start of the 4-month long fall term, the student has 3 months and 15 days of benefits remaining. If the student is certified for 12 credits during the fall, VA will extend their entitlement to pay through the end of the term and nothing will be payable for the spring. However, if the student opts to be certified for 9 credits during the fall, they will only use 3 months of benefits, leaving 15 days remaining at the end of the term. Spring can then be certified for 12 credits and VA will extend their entitlement, allowing the student to receive full benefits for the entire spring term. VA will not pay Chapter 33 tuition and fees for the 3 credits not certified during the fall, and the student will receive a lower housing allowance (and possibly a lesser book stipend) but will gain payment for an entire subsequent term at full-time. When reporting fewer credits than the student is actually enrolled in, report Tuition & Fees based on what those 9 credits would have initially cost (without the additional 3 credits).
You can certify fewer credits to conserve entitlement, but you cannot change quarter, semester, term, or session dates for that purpose. Actual dates must always be certified. For example, if the Spring term runs from January 22 through May 10, it can’t be terminated in April to conserve entitlement.
However, effective for terms beginning on or after January 1, 2024, if enrollment for the entire term has been reported and processed by VA at full value, the student can determine they would be better served to not use their benefits at all for that term, or to have fewer credits reported. You can terminate the entire term indicating ‘withdrew prior to the 1st day’. Similarly, you can report a reduction in credit hours effective prior to the first day of the term. Student and/or school will be responsible for any debts created by the reduction or termination. No additional remark is needed on the enrollment certification. Retain a copy of the student’s request in the VA file."
Significant changes
STEM Scholarship section
85/15 section
Reductions and Withdrawals section
Submitting Enrollment Certifications - Original Applications section
Moderate changes
Submitting Enrollment Certifications section
Repeating Courses section
Graduation section
Tuition and Fees section
Refresher Training section
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