Military-Related Students

Purpose:

To comply with Virginia Community College System (VCCS) policy and all applicable provisions regarding military-related students found under Code of Virginia, Title 23.1, §§ 23.1-601, 23.1-904, and 23.1-207.

Definitions:

Military-related students: students who are active duty military, spouses of active duty military, children of active duty military, veterans, reservists, or members of the Virginia National Guard, who have been officially determined as eligible to receive veterans education benefits through enrollment at the college, or who have provided documentation of such status to the college.

Reinstatement: means the re-admittance and re-enrollment of a student whose service in the uniformed services caused their sudden withdrawal or prolonged absence from enrollment at a Virginia institution of higher education.

Veteran: an individual who has served at least one (1) day of service in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released there from under conditions other than dishonorable.

Policy:

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Reynolds) subscribes to the notion of providing a flexible, friendly environment to military students and families. As such, the following provisions are in place to assist military-related students with enrollment and other transactions at the college.

1. Any military-related student who enrolls at Reynolds shall be eligible for in-state domicile for the purposes of tuition absent of the required twelve-month wait period, provided that student complies with the college's procedures and the State Council for Higher Education for Virginia's (SCHEV) Domicile Guidelines regarding domicile for military-related students.

2. All military-related students shall be able to register for classes during open registration, which is the first opportunity for enrollment for any given term. Students must provide proof of active duty, veteran status, or eligibility of veterans' education benefits through Veteran Services in order to receive this benefit. Documentation should be provided prior to any registration period. Any student receiving Chapters 31 or 33 benefits will be allowed to register and attend class, without being dropped for non-payment, while waiting for payment from the VA. Exceptions to this would include students who are not covered at 100% by the VA. Those students with a balance not covered by the VA will need to pay that balance immediately after registering for classes in order to attend those classes or have sufficient financial aid that will cover the remaining balance.

3. In the event that a military-related student is called to duty during the course of a semester/term, or is affected by a deployment of a family member, the student may petition the dean of the school in which their courses are housed to determine if they are able to continue in the course in an alternate format. The student must provide documentation of the deployment to the dean, who shall assess the situation on a case-by-case basis. If the military-related student leaves at any time during the semester and elects to receive a full tuition refund, no courses or grades will be recorded on the student's transcript.

4. In the event that an active duty student is unable to continue enrollment, the student shall be eligible for a tuition refund under Reynolds Policy 1-02, Tuition Refunds.

5. Students called to active military duty, whose service prevented them from completing their academic program, may be re-admitted to such program. Readmission shall be subject to Reynolds Policy 1-20, Effective Catalog Year.,  The following provisions govern reinstatement to the college upon release or return from services in the uniformed services.

   The student will be assured an opportunity to be reinstated to their program of study (if available) without having to reapply for admission if they return to the college after a cumulative absence of not more than five years, and they provide notice of intent to return to the college not later than three years after the completion of the period of service. Relevant exceptions to these timelines can be found in the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

   Throughout the entire process, the student will have access to advising services to determine the impact of absence from the program, evaluate the ability to resume study, and assess options.
   
   Military students may have credits and experiences evaluated for credit under Reynolds Policy 1-21, Advanced Standing.

Procedures:

Procedure for Reynolds Policy 1-16, Military-Related Students

Other Information:

Code of Virginia, Title 23.1, §§ 23.1-601, 23.1-904, and 23.1-207

SCHEV Domicile Guidelines

SCHEV Virginia Tuition Relief, Refund, and Reinstatement Guidelines

SCHEV Guidelines on Course Registration Policies for Military-Related Students at Virginia Public Higher Education Institutions

Reynolds Policy 1-02, Tuition Refunds, 

Reynolds Policy 1-20, Effective Catalog Year, 

Reynolds Policy 1-21, Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)