Steps to Using Tuition Assistance (TA)

  • Service Members should speak with their Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within their military service prior to enrolling at the college.
  • Apply for Tuition Assistance (TA) based on your military branch specific process.
  • The Cashier’s Office at MECC handles state and federal tuition assistance.  Once you have completed the paperwork, be sure to check with the Cashier’s Office to be sure they have received the contract from your unit

Application Procedure

Veterans, transferees, spouses, or dependents must first apply for Veterans Education Benefits at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill. After submission of application, contact the MECC Veterans Affairs Officer in Robb Hall, Room 106.

Veterans

Submit a copy of your DD Form 214 (Member 4); Have your military transcripts sent to MECC, Enrollment Services prior to enrollment for a review of courses that will satisfy the required courses. If you served in the Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Navy) request your Joint Services Transcript at https://jst.doded.mil. If you served in the Air Force, request your military transcripts through the Air Force Transcript Portal at https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Barnes/CCAF/ Display/Article/803247/community-college-of-the-air-force-transcripts.

As transcripts are submitted, transcripts will be reviewed, and credits will be applied to your program of choice. You will receive a notification informing you of all transfer credits applied your program.

If you have any questions regarding your qualifications for veterans benefits or to explore your options for maximum use, please call the Veterans Administration toll-free number at 1-888-442-4551 or visit the website www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

If you are transferring to MECC from another place of training, or you have not been enrolled for at least one year, a Request for Change of Program/Place of Training will be required.

To ensure smooth processing of VA claims, it is important to apply early. Applicants normally receive notification from the Department of Veterans Affairs within 30 days after an application is submitted. A copy of the Certificate of Eligibility must be submitted to Enrollment Services/Veterans Affairs.

Certificate of Understanding

All VA recipients are required to submit a signed MECC Certificate of Understanding (COU) prior to receiving any VA Education Benefits based on enrollment through MECC.

Enrollment Certification

VA recipients must be enrolled in an approved program of study. To receive full-time monthly stipends/BAH, the VA recipient must be enrolled full-time. Post-9/11 G.I. Bill recipients must be enrolled in at least 51% of a full course load to receive a monthly housing allowance. The College will certify enrollment as a full-time at 12 credits or above; three-quarter time at nine to eleven credit hours; half-time at six to eight credit hours; less than six hours for cost of tuition and fees only. Certifications listed above are based on continuous enrollment for the entire 15-week semester. Please contact the MECC Veterans Affairs Officer for certification information for short or special sessions.

Upon completion of enrollment, VA recipients are required to submit the Certification Request for VA Educational Benefits form to Enrollment Services/Veterans Affairs.

  1. Click here to log in to MyMECC.
  2. Click on the SIS tile.
  3. Click on the Student Records eForms tile.
  4. On the left, click the tab for Military Benefit Certify eForm.
  5. Fill out the information on the form to the best of your knowledge and click the blue Submit button at the bottom of the page when finished. If there are any issues with your form, an error message will pop up when you click Submit. You must correct all errors before the form is complete.
    Note: If you would like to save your progress and come back later, you may click Save instead.

It is important to enroll early and submit your documentation by the priority deadline. VA recipients will receive a certification email each semester indicating the rate of pursuit that has been certified. In addition, the first semester a recipient enrolls in a program/plan, a Shopping Sheet, and a copy of the program/plan from the College catalog will be included in the certification email.

VA recipients are required to notify Enrollment Services/Veterans Affairs immediately of any changes in enrollment that occur after benefits have been certified to the DVA.

All academic policies as included in this catalog apply equally to all students at Mountain Empire Community College. However, there are a few guidelines specifically applicable to the administration of veterans certified for benefits through the Veterans Administration.

  1. Veterans Affairs Officer will consult with VA recipients who fail to attend classes regularly.
  2. Veterans Affairs Officer will report to the Veterans Administration as soon as possible any change in the status of VA recipients, including change in curriculum, reduction or increase in course-load or withdrawals.
  3. Veterans who fail to maintain good academic standing must be counseled by an Academic Advisor at the College prior to veteran’s benefits being reinstated.
  4. Mountain Empire Community College grading policies will be used to determine whether VA recipients are maintaining satisfactory progress. According to College and the Veterans Administration policies, students must make satisfactory academic progress. If suspended or dismissed, students must appeal to the Student Affairs Committee and meet with Student Affairs Committee. Students who have been reinstated must achieve a 2.0 GPA for the semester of their reinstatement. At the conclusion of this semester, enrollment of successful students receiving veterans’ educational benefits will be certified.
  5. The physical education requirements for the degree, certificate, and career studies certificate programs may be waived for veterans.

Students and their families can compare the following across multiple financial aid offers by visiting, Know Before You Owe.

For more information about GI Bills & Programs that are available to qualifying students, visit GI Bills & Programs

For more information about receiving your benefits and payment deadlines, visit Receiving Your Benefits & Payments

The Veterans affairs office is located on the MECC campus on the first floor of Robb Hall, Room 106. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and can be reached by phone at 276-523-9028. For more information, visit Veterans Benefits

For more information about the Recruitment Policy, visit Recruitment Policy.

  1. Click here to log in to MyMECC.
  2. Click on the SIS tile.
  3. Click on the Student Records eForms tile.
  4. On the left, click the tab for Military Benefit Certify eForm.
  5. Fill out the information on the form to the best of your knowledge and click the blue Submit button at the bottom of the page when finished. If there are any issues with your form, an error message will pop up when you click Submit. You must correct all errors before the form is complete.
    Note: If you would like to save your progress and come back later, you may click Save instead.

Click here for the JST Transcript Release Form.

To join MECC Student Veterans of America, contact lgrace@mecc.edu.

Like us on Facebook at MECC Student Veterans of America

Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions

Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) went into effect August 1, 2009.  The percentage of the following benefits you will receive is determined by the number of days you served on Active Duty (not including training) after September 10, 2001:

  • Payment of tuition directly to the school.
  • A book stipend of up to $1000 per academic year payable to the student.
  • A monthly housing allowance paid to the student. This payment is equal to the BAH of an E-5 with dependents in the same zip code as the school. Click here to view current rates.

Please note:  The housing allowance is not payable if you are enrolled only half-time or less. The law has been updated to allow a reduced payment if you are enrolled in exclusively distance learning courses.

In order to receive Ch 33 benefits, you must submit an application (Form 22-1990) to the Veterans Administration specifically electing this benefit.  If you are eligible for any other benefit, you will have to give up that benefit in order to receive Ch 33.  This election CANNOT be reversed.  Please research and discuss your options so you can make the correct decision for your circumstances.

In certain instances you may qualify to transfer all, or a portion, of your benefits under Ch 33 to your spouse or children.  For the most up-to-date information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, please refer the Veterans Administration’s website at http://benefits.va.gov/gibill/.

Montgomery GI Bill

The Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30) will provide you with a monthly educational allowance to help you pay for your education.  The monthly benefit amount depends on the number of credits you are taking each term, the length of each course, and the length of your enlistment.  During a standard 16-week semester, 12 or more credit hours is considered full-time for each full month of classes if you completed three or more years of active duty service.  If you are eligible for the College Fund, Top-up, or Kicker, you will receive additional monies. Click here to view current rates.

Reserve GI Bill

Reservists and National Guard members may qualify for Chapter 1606 benefits as long as you are actively drilling with a unit. Click here to view current rates. Any kickers, etc. will be paid in addition to this base amount. If you have had Active Duty beyond training, you may have eligibility for more than one benefit. There are additional factors to consider if you plan to use Tuition Assistance at the same time. Please discuss your particular situation with your unit’s Education Officer and college’s Veteran Liaison.

Please note: The National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 ended Chapter 1607 (REAP) on November 25, 2015. As of November 25, 2019, the VA is no longer paying any benefits under this program. Where applicable, students collecting REAP were reviewed for eligibility under other education benefits programs offered by the VA and transitioned over.

If you have specific concerns related to your benefits, please contact the GI Bill education center at 1-888-442-4551.

Educational Programs for Dependents

Dependents (spouses and children) of veterans may be eligible for educational benefits as well.  The VA provides benefits to dependents of disabled/deceased veterans under the Dependent Educational Assistance (DEA) program (Chapter 35).  For children, you may receive this benefit from the age of 18 to 26.  There is no age limit for spouses, but the benefit is only available for 10 years after you are deemed eligible to receive it.  Click here to view current rates.

Virginia also provides benefits for certain dependents at public colleges within the state. You may collect both benefits simultaneously if eligible for both. As of July 1, 2019, there are now 2 tiers to the Virginia Military Spouses and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP). Tier 1 provides a full waiver of tuition at public colleges and universities in Virginia. Tier 2 provides the tuition waiver as well as an additional stipend. MECC makes this available to you for use in the bookstore during the financial aid charging period contingent on available funding. Please visit https://www.dvs.virginia.gov/education-employment/virginia-military-survivors-and-dependents-education-program-2-2-2 for more information and to apply.

Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 and the Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness Act of 2021, effective August 1, 2022, with amendments as required under 38 USC 3679:

The following individuals shall be charged the in-state rate, or otherwise considered a resident, for tuition purposes:

  • A veteran using educational assistance under either Chapter 30 (Montgomery G.I. Bill® – Active Duty Program) or Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 G.I. Bill), of Title 38, United States Code, who lives in the Commonwealth of Virginia while attending a school located in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of their formal state of residence).
  • Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits who lives in the state where the IHL is located, and the transferor is a member of the uniformed service serving on active duty.
  • A spouse or child using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (35 U.S.C. § 3311(b)(9) who lives in the Commonwealth of Virginia while attending a school located in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of their formal state of residence).
  • A spouse or child using benefits under Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance (Chapter 35) living in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of their formal state of residence).
  • An individual using educational assistance under chapter 31, Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) who lives in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of their formal state of residence) effective for courses, semesters, or terms beginning after March 1, 2019.
  • Anyone described above remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or terms) at the same institution. Therefore, the described person must be enrolled in the institution and use educational benefits under Chapters 30, 31, 33, or 35 of Title 38, United States Code.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.