Veterans Standards of Progress Policy

1. Veterans Standards of Progress Policy - TCC follows the academic policy for students developed by the Virginia Community College system. It is educationally sound and serves the needs and purposes of the College and its constituents. This policy applies equally to veterans. However, in order to make explicit a few guidelines specifically applicable to students certified for benefits from the Veterans Administration, the following procedures are in effect: 

• A record of course progress for all students will be maintained by instructors. This record may include class attendance; dates of examinations; term papers and class projects completed, along with their respective dates of submission; grade level of performance; and other appropriate index of student achievement. The data must be sufficiently complete to determine the termination date of course pursuit, should a student fail to maintain satisfactory progress in attendance or quality of work. 
• A student receiving VA benefits who adds or drops courses or withdraws from the College will be reported to the campus Veterans Affairs Office by the Admissions and Records Office within one week of the course adjustment or withdrawal. 
• Any change in the status of a student receiving VA benefits, whether it be a change of curriculum, reduction or increase in course load, withdrawal, suspension, dismissal, or other type of change, will be reported to the Veterans Administration as soon as possible, but no more than thirty calendar days after the process has been officially completed by the Admissions and Records Office. 
• A student receiving VA benefits may remain on probation only one semester without being reported as making unsatisfactory progress. If the student's grade point average (GPA) is not raised above the probationary level during the semester in which he is on probation, his unsatisfactory progress will be reported at the end of the probationary semester. Likewise, a student placed on suspension or academic dismissal will be reported as making unsatisfactory progress. 
• The campus Veterans Affairs Office will use curriculum check sheets to list authorized courses in programs of study and to monitor the progress toward graduation of students receiving benefits. 
• The Admissions and Records Office will ensure that previous collegiate, civilian or military training and experience of students receiving VA benefits are evaluated in a timely manner. It is the student's responsibility to insure that acceptable records are sent to the appropriate college records office no later than the first semester of enrollment. The campus Veterans Affairs Office will report the results of these evaluations to the Veterans Administration as soon as possible. 
• Each recipient of Department of Veterans Affairs educational benefits is required to execute a certificate of understanding enumerating obligations between the campus office of Veterans Affairs and the student.

3. Developmental Courses - Veteran students may receive benefits for enrolling in developmental courses where need for those courses has been indicated. Need for English and Math developmental courses is determined by placement testing. In the case of science courses, need is determined by previous academic experience. 

4. Tutoring - Reimbursement for tutoring services in all courses is available. Need for the tutoring and selection of the tutor are decisions made by the instructor and the student, as is the hourly rate to be paid. A maximum of $100.00 per month is allowed. 

5. Repeating Developmental Courses - Veteran students may receive benefits to repeat a developmental course one time if he or she has not met all requirements of the course and if a grade of R or U is assigned. Under certain circumstances, and if the need is documented by the appropriate Division Chairman, the veteran may repeat a course for a second time (i.e. third attempt). 

6. Repeating College Level Courses - Grades of W or F - Veteran students may not be paid benefits for repeating any college level course unless a W or F if assigned. If a grade of W is assigned, the veteran may be required to repay all benefits for the semester based on the W grade unless mitigating circumstances exist. If mitigating circumstances exist the veteran will receive benefits to the last date of attendance. Mitigating circumstances include: 

• Serious illness of the eligible veteran or dependent.
• Serious illness or death in the eligible veteran's or eligible dependent's immediate family. 
• Immediate family of financial obligations which require a change in terms, hours, or place of employment which precludes pursuit of a course. 
• Discontinuance of a course by a school. 
• Active duty personnel military service, including active duty for training. An "F" grade in a required course may be repeated one time. Under certain circumstances and if the need is documented by the appropriate Division Chairman, a veteran may repeat a course for a second time (i.e. third attempt). 

7. Course Work Must Count Toward Graduation - Grades of W, X, or I - Veteran students may not be paid benefits for a college level course in which the grade received does not count to satisfy graduation requirements. As a result, they must normally repay benefits paid to them for any college level course in which they are awarded grades of X, W, or I unless these grades are changed to A, B, C, D, or F. The student has a grade period of one semester to complete the required work in a course where an I grade was awarded. He or she will not be paid additional benefits for the course in question during the grace period. 

8. Legal Liability of the College - While the veteran has primary liability for repayment of benefits to which he/she was not entitled, the college is secondarily liable for repayment of such benefits. Secondary liability is created by the College's failure to submit data on student drops, withdrawals, and satisfactory progress in a timely fashion. Submission of the administrative withdrawal form as soon as the decision is made to assign a W or F grade for non-attendance will greatly assist in timely reporting. 

9. College Attendance Policy - All students are expected to be present and on time at all scheduled class and laboratory meetings. Instructors are not required to admit a student who arrives late to the classroom. A student who adds a class or registers after the first day of classes is counted absent from all class meetings missed. Although a student may be allowed some absences in each semester, the student should be advised not to use these except for emergencies. Absences have adverse effects on student achievement. The student is responsible for determining and making up all work missed. Each instructor is responsible for keeping a record of the student's attendance in each class. 

• When a student's absences in a course equal the number of weekly class sessions of that course, the student may be warned by the instructor that the student's standing in that class is in danger. 
• Absences in excess of twenty percent of the scheduled instructional time for a course, including absences during the drop/add period, may be defined as unsatisfactory attendance. 
• When an instructor determines that absences constitute unsatisfactory attendance, a Faculty Withdrawal Form may be completed and submitted to the Admissions and Records Office. The last date of attendance must be documented. A grade of "W" will be recorded for the first sixty percent of a course. Students withdrawn after sixty percent will receive a grade of "F" except under mitigating circumstances, which must be documented. A copy of this documentation must be placed in the student's academic file. (The V.A. office suggests that faculty members retain their grade and attendance records for at least one year.) Health Science programs may mandate more rigorous attendance standards. Such standards are explained in the Health Science program student handbooks. Source "College Catalog, page 42.