Veteran Affairs

The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (codified at 38 U.S.C. 3679) has been amended by Section 1005 of Public Law 116-315, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D., Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, which modifies 38 U.S.C. 3679(c).

The amendment requires that for all courses, semesters, or terms beginning after August 1, 2021, public institutions of higher education must charge qualifying Veterans, dependents, and eligible individuals tuition and fees at the rate for in-state residents.

As amended, 38 U.S.C. 3679(c) requires that the following individuals be charged the in-state resident rate:

• A Veteran using educational assistance under either Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill® – Active Duty Program), Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation), or Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®), of 38 U.S.C. who lives in the state in which the institution is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence).
• Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) who lives in the state in which the institution is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence).
• Anyone described above while he or she remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or terms) at the same institution. The person must be using educational benefits under Chapter 30, Chapter 31, or Chapter 33 of 38 U.S.C.
• Anyone using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (38 U.S.C. § 3311(b)(9)) who lives in the state in which the institution is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence).

In summary, you are no longer required to enroll within three years of discharge or release from a period of active duty service or the transferor’s discharge or release from active duty service in order to receive the in-state resident tuition rate.

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

The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), is offered by Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is available to all QCC students. In order to receive a commission as an Army Officer, QCC students will need to continue their education at any bachelor's degree-producing ROTC program. American citizens who are physically qualified and who satisfactorily complete the entire four-year program will be commissioned in the United States Army. Graduates serve as second lieutenants in the Active Army or the reserve components (National Guard and Army Reserve). Delayed entry on active service for the purpose of graduate school is available. Military science is designed to complement other instruction offered by Worcester State.The emphasis throughout is on the development of individual leadership abilities and preparation of the student for future important leadership roles in the Army. There are two variations of ROTC available to the student who desires to participate: a four-year program, in which students participate in required military science courses and activities for four academic years. Attendance at a six-week advanced training camp is required between the third and fourth years.

The two-year ROTC program is intended for students in their second year of college who want to enroll in ROTC in their junior year. If you are about to transition from QCC to a four-year institution in order to complete your bachelor's degree, this option may be for you. It begins with a six-week basic summer training camp, with pay, between the sophomore and junior years. Upon successful completion of the basic camp, the student participates in the third year of ROTC and attends the advanced camp during the next summer. As an alternative, an enlisted member of the Army National Guard or Army Reserve who has completed basic training can qualify for the two-year ROTC Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP).

All students enrolled in the last two years of the program receive a tax-free cash stipend of $420 each month in school. Two- and three-year Army ROTC scholarships are available for students who wish to apply. The scholarship is based on the achievements of the applicants, not the financial status of their families. The ROTC scholarship covers tuition and most required fees, paid directly to the college. Members of the Army Reserve and National Guard may participate in the ROTC/Simultaneous Membership Program, receiving a reserve officer commission upon successful completion of the military science requirements. SMP cadets remain members of their unit and earn E-5 drill pay in addition to the tax-free stipend of $420 per month through ROTC. Additionally, Massachusetts National Guard ROTC/SMP members receive free tuition at state schools.

If you are interested in Army ROTC, please contact the Professor of Military Science at the Military Science Department

Address:

Military Science Department

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 

82 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609

Phone: 508.831.5268

Offices are located on the first floor of Daniels Hall.

The Department of Air Force Aerospace Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute offers education and training to become commissioned officers in the United States Air Force or Space Force through its Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFROTC) program to all qualified QCC students. This program is designed to be completed in four years but can be accomplished in three. The first two years are known as the General Military Course (GMC). There is no military obligation for the first two years of Air Force ROTC unless a student has an Air Force ROTC scholarship. GMC classes are one hour in duration and as a freshman are taken in conjunction with Leadership Laboratory (LLAB). LLAB is a student-run education event that takes place with all cadets present once a week and is two hours in duration. Students who successfully complete the GMC compete nationwide for entry into the Professional Officers Course (POC). POC classes are three hours a week and are required for juniors and seniors. Officer candidates in the POC (and on scholarship) receive a nontaxable subsistence allowance of up to $500 a month. In addition, qualified officer candidates attend the Air Force ROTC field training program between their sophomore and junior years. Field training is a two-week curriculum in a boot camp-styled environment where the skills learned in the first two years of AFROTC are evaluated.

Interested students can complete the first two years of their education at QCC and finish a four-year degree to continue in the AFROTC program by transferring into one of the Detachment 340 four-year degree-granting universities.

For further details, qualifications, and information on scholarship opportunities, please contact AFROTC Detachment 340, 

Address:

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

37 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, 

Phone: 508.831.5747

E-mail: afrotc@wpi.edu 

VA Benefits Fact Sheet - Veteran Chapter 1606

First-time applicants (never used benefits before)

What is it?

A monthly stipend is paid to drilling members of the Selected Reserves who are enrolled in qualified college programs.

Am I eligible?

Reservists must meet the following standards:

• Must have a 6-year obligation to serve in the Selected Reserve signed after 6/30/85. (Officers must agree to serve an additional 6 years in addition to current obligation)
• Initial Active Duty for Training (IADT) must be complete.
• You must have earned a high school diploma or GED before completing IADT.
• Must serve in a drilling Selected Reserve unit and remain in good standing.

Disclaimer: VA rules & regulations change often. You should always verify the information directly with the VA. When in doubt about eligibility, you should apply for benefits anyway. Let them adjudicate your claim.

Procedures:

• Apply for benefits by filling out VA Form 22-1990. You may fill it out online or download it for printing. Copies are also available in Room 258A.
• Submit DD Form 2384-1 (often called a NOBE ). This is issued by your unit’s Admin Office.
• Send documents to:

Address:

VA Regional Office

P.O. Box 4616

Buffalo, NY 14240-4616

• Fill out the QCC VA Pre-registration Form. This is generally done once per year and is a simple two-minute process.

What happens next:

1. The VA will send you a letter confirming receipt of your paperwork and providing your file number.
2. The VA will process your application and send you an award letter. This details the amount you are entitled to receive monthly, your original net entitlement, your delineation date (when your benefits expire), the amount of remaining entitlement at the end of the semester, and the appeals procedure.
3. QCC’s approved VA Certifying Officials will notify the VA electronically that you are registered and whether you are full-time, ¾ time, half-time, etc. (this is why we need the QCC VA Pre-registration form. We won’t know to certify your enrollment if you don’t tell us you are enrolling). If your enrollment status changes, we will also notify the VA.

Your responsibility is to:

• Attend class and on the last day of each month, certify to the VA that you are attending. You can do this online (preferred method). Visit the va.gov website and look for the link (on the left) Information for Benefit Recipients, then the link Verify Your Attendance (WAVE) – if you are a first-time user, read the First Time User Login Instructions; you can also verify by phone by calling 1.877.823.2378. Remember, no attendance certification, no payment.
• Notify the QCC VA office of any changes in enrollment status – e.g. adding a course or withdrawing.
• Remain in good standing with your unit.

Where you can get help:

Contact the VA Regional Office at 1.888.442.4551. These counselors are well trained, supervised, and have immediate access to all processed records.

It is important for QCC faculty and staff to understand some of the challenges that our Veteran students face when pursuing a college degree or certificate. Many of our Veteran and National Guard students have experienced the horrors of war. It is important that we familiarize ourselves with how these problems impact their learning experience. The Top Ten Green Zone Tips list is a product of the Veteran Affairs Office at Oklahoma University and is presented here with the permission of OU.

Although the Top Ten Green Zone Tips are a product of Oklahoma University, they can easily be transferred to our students here at QCC. The challenges that our Veterans face are the same no matter where they go to school. The solutions that OU employs can be directly transferred to what we at QCC have to offer. Please read the Green Zone Tips and feel free to contact this office with suggestions on how we may increase our support to our Veterans. 

Here are the Top Ten Green Zone Tips from Oklahoma University:

1. Realize that Veterans are nontraditional students, a special population of financially independent adults often juggling family, work, and studies.
2. Be aware that not all the Veterans in your classroom are male. More women are serving, and are almost as likely as their male counterparts to have experienced firsthand traumas of war. One in four Veteran students are women. (Newbold & Balmer, 2012)
3. Veterans generally possess discipline, structure, and a strong work ethic. Remember that the military teaches team connection and completion skills.
4. With some awareness and sensitivity on the instructor’s part, Veteran life experiences become assets, adding to the diversity of perspectives represented in classrooms. These life experiences can help both Veterans and nonveterans gain a broader, more nuanced perspective on the world or class subject. (Kreuter, 2012)
5. A secured classroom can provide Veterans with feelings of safety. Veterans may be sensitive to triggers such as surprises, loud noises, and chaos. Be cautious about images of injury, dismemberment, and death, and provide advanced warning before displaying such images. (Newbold & Balmer, 2012)
6. Veterans view the instructor as the leader of the classroom and typically respect decisiveness. Treat Veterans as adults, as this is what they expect. Instructors should have effective classroom management policies in place. (Newbold & Balmer, 2012)
7. Veterans may be reluctant to talk about their military experiences. Conversely, some may inadvertently dominate class discussions, in which cases boundaries for the nature and quantity of class participation need to be set, preferably in private, without calling the student out in front of the class. Don’t try to relate to experiences that you don’t share – if you haven’t been in combat, don’t pretend that you understand what it or its aftermath is like. (Kreuter, 2012)
8. Keep the syllabus (mission) clear with specific tasks and dates. Be available for assistance and added support or referral. Veterans may not easily admit when they are struggling. (Grasgreen, 2013)
9. Understand that not everything in these Top Ten tips applies to every Veteran. They are all unique individuals with unique needs, and we do not want to engage in false assumptions about Veterans.
10. One example of how you can help is to refer Veteran students to services on campus. It is helpful to confirm that you are referring correctly by making a phone call before sending the student to the referral source.

• Veteran Affairs Pre-Registration Form
• Mass Tuition Waiver Form
• Other popular VA forms