I am a new student to Long Beach City College and I am military Veteran, how do I sign up for classes? Please follow the instructions on this link to register to Long Beach City College http://www.lbcc.edu/veterans/new-students.cfm I am a new student at Long Beach City College, but I will not be using the GI Bill, are there any services for me? As a veteran at Long Beach City College, you will have priority consideration. For example, you will have priority registration, this means that be able to register for courses before any student on campus registers, veterans will be the first to select their course each semester. If you are the first to select your courses every semester, then are able to obtain a degree or to transfer quickly. You may also receive priority consideration in other service such as financial aid and transcript evaluations. What do I need to obtain Veteran Priority Registration? To obtain Veterans Priority Registration at Long Beach City College please provide the Veterans Service Office a copy of your DD214 or Military Veterans ID. Where is the Veterans Service Office at Long Beach City College? The LBCC Veterans Service Office is currently located at the basement level of the E bldg. The E bldg. also houses the Cafeteria. Do I have to go on campus to turn in paper work for my Veterans file? Veterans may provide paper work to the LBCC Veterans Services Office in person or by fax at 562-938- 4046 or by email at veterans@lbcc.edu. Once I complete my paperwork for the GI Bill, how long does it take to get paid? Once a Veteran Student has a complete file in the Veteran Service Office, is registered for the semester, and submitted a VA Request for Benefits for the current semester, the student may be certified for the enrolled course that meet the student s academic goal. Once all this is complete, it may take about a week to certify your courses. When there is large amount of VA Request for Benefits, this may take longer. Please be aware of the deadlines in the office and on the webpage so that you certification get done with plenty of time. Once the certification is done is it up to the Regional Veterans Affairs Office to process your Basic Housing Allowance (BHA). How long this takes, is unknown to our office. 1 last updated 12/18/2012
Where is the Regional Veterans Affair Office for Long Beach City College? The Regional Veterans Affairs Office for Long Beach City College is located in Muskogee, OK. You may contact their office at 1-800-441-4551. How do I know that my LBCC courses have been certified? Once the Veteran Certifying Official has certified your courses to the VA, you automatically will receive an email to the address provided on the VA Request for Benefits. Once you have received this email, you are welcome to come into the office to obtain a hard copy of the certification, which is also called the 1999 form. How can I determine the amount of my Basic Housing Allowance (BHA)? For current payment rates http://www.gibill.va.gov/resources/benefits_resources/rate_tables.html Do I need to do anything else to get paid after I have completed the paper work at the Veteran Service Office? Once you have a complete file in the Veteran Service Office you should also 1. You must verify your enrollment to the VA via the CCC Veteran s Certifying Official, Ericka Gutierrez, every semester. 2. You must notify the college Veterans Office each semester you wish your educational benefits to be continues, by submitting the VA Request for Benefits. 3. you must notify the college Veterans office if you add or drop a class, or withdraw from the college. May I get paid by the VA for taking courses at another college/university at the same time I am taking courses at Long Beach City College? Yes, if the courses are equivalent to courses needed for your education goal, Contact the college Veterans Office for detail and reporting requirements. Can my VA educational benefits payment be suspended for any reason? Yes, If you are placed on academic/progress probation for 3 semester, your VA educational benefits will be suspended. 2 last updated 12/18/2012
Do I have to pay back the VA if I fail a class? If you fail a class, the LBCC Veterans Service Office will send you a letter asking you to document your attendance in the class. As long as 1) you attended the class for the entire term, and 2) returned the letter citing this attendance to the college Veterans Services Office, you will not have to pay the VA back. Can I get college credit for military service? Long Beach City College recognized that US. Services members received intensive physical training and health education. LBCC will award a maximum of 4 units for Physical Education and Health Education. Can I get college credit for my SMART (Sailor/Marine ACE Registry Transcripts) or AARTS (Army/ACE Registry Transcript System)? At this time, NO. Long Beach City College is currently working with ACE (American Council on Education) to make this service available to veterans. Once LBCC is able to take SMART and AARTS transcripts students will notify by email. Please keep in mind, if you are transferring that they university that you are transferring to may accept SMART or AARTS transcripts, please check with their Veterans Office. How can I get question answered for my specific situation? The Veteran s Service Office is open from 8 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Thursday. No appointment is necessary. Come in, or email at veterans@lbcc.edu, or call at 562-938-4162. How do I find out if I have any GI Bill Benefits left? You may find out how may educational benefits you have left at the Department of Veteran s Affair Regional Office 1-800-441-4551. I am current in the service and I am getting out in the next couple of months. How do I register to go LBCC? Please follow the instructions on this link to register to Long Beach City College http://www.lbcc.edu/veterans/new-students.cfm I have attended other colleges, how do I get credit at LBCC for the courses that I have already taken? If you have attending another college/university, please submit your official transcripts to the Veterans Service Office. Once the transcripts are submitted, the Veteran s Service Office will forward them to 3 last updated 12/18/2012
Admission and Records with a Request for Evaluation of Transcripts. Once the evaluation process is complete the student will receive an email to schedule a counseling appointment. The counselor will go over the course that the student will receive LBCC credit. What is Veterans Educational Plan? Per Presidential Order all colleges and universities have to provide the student with an educational plan that explain 1)all the courses the student is required to complete their academic goal, 2)a semester by semester break down of suggested schedule to enroll in the required courses and 3) the estimated date of completion. The Veterans Educational Plan is also used to certify your courses every semester. How do I obtain a Veterans Educational Plan? You may obtain an educational plan by scheduling an appointment with the Counseling Department at (562) 938-4560 at the Liberal Art Campus or at (562) 938-3920. Please inform the Counselor that you are a Veteran. What does Priority Registration mean? Priority Registration means that The Admission and Records has designated the certain dates for Veterans to register before other student for the upcoming semester, after these dates have pass, the enrollment process is open to other students and veteran will be competing with other student for courses. May I receive Financial Aid while receiving my GI Bill education benefits? Yes, you are able to obtain financial aid and the GI Bill educational benefits at the same time. You may apply for financial aid at the www.fafsa.gov. What other services does the Veterans Services Offer? Other services offered at the Veterans Services Office is priority processing of financial aid paperwork and transcript evaluation. You may also participate in workshops that are hosted throughout the semester. I am register for 12 units and I receive an email that I am certified for less units. What is going on? 4 last updated 12/18/2012
If you have question about the courses that you were certified for, you are encourage to contact the Veterans Service Office. Please remember that only required courses are certified. Recommended courses are NOT certified. Also remember if you receive military credit for health or physical education, you may not be certified to take those courses at LBCC. What is the minimum amount of units to receive the BHA? The minimum amount of units to receive BHA will depend on the GI Bill educational benefits that you are utilizing VRAP- 12 units Chapter 33 (Post 9-11)- 7 units Chapter 30 (Original)- 6 units Chapter 35 (dependents) 6 units Chapter 1606 or 1607-6 units Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation) -.5 units. I have been approved to receive the Cal-Vet Fee Waiver, and have a letter from the VA stating this. What do I need to with this letter in order to get my tuition fees waived? Please submit your Cal-Vet Fee Waiver to the Veterans Services Office. If you are an in-state resident, your tuition fees will be removed from your account. If you already paid the fee, the amount you paid will be refunded to you by the Cashiers office. I am an out of state student (or do not meet residency requirements) and I have been approved to receive the Cal Vet Fee Waiver by my local county VA office. Can I use it at LBCC even though I am outof-state? Even though the county office approved you, you will not qualify to receive the Cal Vet Fee Waiver. The County VA does not have the jurisdiction to evaluate California residency requirements, thus when you are submitting paperwork to them, they are not looking at that when approving you for the fee waiver. Just like the California colleges and universities do not have jurisdiction to approve you for the Cal Vet Fee Waiver, on the County VA office can do that. If LBCC has already established that you are paying 5 last updated 12/18/2012
non-resident tuition then as stated in #3 of the approval letter, you will not be eligible for the waiver; You must meet the California residency requirements of your school in order to receive these benefits. Can I use my Cal-Vet Fee Waiver for Summer School? Yes. I lost my Cal- Vet Fee Waiver letter, what should I do? Visit our office. We may have a copy of it if not, contact the local county VA office. I am changing my major. What do I need to do? Veteran students that change their major, please make an appointment with an Academic Counselor to create a new Veteran Academic Educational Plan. Please submit a copy of the new Vet Ed Plan to the Veteran Service Office as soon as possible. 6 last updated 12/18/2012