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Veterans Services

Any veteran seeking to utilize their education benefits must submit an application to the VA. The VA determines eligibility for the benefits. The type of benefit you're eligible to receive determines what your pay is and how you get paid. The school does not determine eligibility for a benefit and school officials are not trained to give advice in which benefit is best for you.

The school's role is to report your enrollment information to the VA. This is called the Enrollment Certification. Students receiving veterans benefits must notify Hennepin Tech's Veterans School Certifying Official (SCO) by submitting a Veterans Enrollment Certification-Deferment Request eForm for each semester/term of enrollment at Hennepin Tech.

The VA requires schools to report enrollment separately for each course that begins or ends more than one calendar week after the start or end of the term. These courses, which are shorter than the length of the term, are called nonstandard terms.

Nonstandard terms affect the pay you will receive because benefits are paid from the first scheduled date of the class for the term in which you are enrolled. For this reason, the enrollment level reported to the VA for your benefit amount may be less than the enrollment reported on your school transcript.

Specific questions regarding your benefits, such as which one is best for you, should be directed to the VA.

Education Benefits

  • Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty (MGIB)
  • Chapter 31 Voc Rehab
  • Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill - served on active duty on or after 9/11/01
  • Chapter 35 Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (DEA)
  • Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves (MGIB-SR)

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 http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Federal Tuition Assistance

Hennepin Technical College has signed the Department of Defense (DOD) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding and is apporved to process DOD Tuition Assistance (TA) for all of our degree programs. TA benefits are available to qualifying individuals currently serving in the Armed Forces. Each service branch has specific TA policies and annual funding limits. Questions about your TA eligibility should be directed to your unit or education office. Some helpful links are below.

Return of Tuition Assistance (Unearned TA Policy)

Students who use Tuition Assistance are expected to remain enrolled in the course for its entire duration. If a student using TA withdraws or stops attending, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of the benefit that was originally authorized. To remain in compliance with the Department of Defense's policy, Hennepin Tech will return any unearned TA funds through at least 60% mark of the course on a prorated bases. The amount of unearned TA that is returned is based on student-initiated date of withdrawl or last date of attendance noted by the instructor.

After 60% of the course has passed, TA will not be evaluated for a return to the DOD.

As an institution, we will bill the DOD after 60% of the course has passed to reduce the amount of incorrect TA funds being disbursed by the DOD to Hennepin Tech. We will only bill for the amount the student earned given their enrollment.

Schedule for Returning Unearned TA

This return schedule applies to any course regardless of its duration.

Unearned TA funds will be returned on a prorated basis, depending on the length of the course and the amount of the course the student completed.

To determine the amount of TA that needs to be returned the instituion will determine the date the withdrawl or date of last attendance, count the number of days the student completed and then divide that by the total number of days in the course to determine the percentage of TA that was earned by the student.

Example: The student enrolled in a course with a scheduled duration of 30 days. The withdrawal was submitted on the 14th day. The institution would perm the calculation to determine how much TA was earned by the student's attendance:

(14 divided by 30 equals 46.6%. 47% of the TA authorized was earned by the student, which means 53% of what was authorized will be returned to the DoD).

If the student completed more than 60% of the course, the full amount of TA authorize is considered "earned" and no refund is needed.

Information the Department of Defense Asks Us to Share with Prospective Students

The College Scorecard is a consumer planning tool and resource to assist prospective students and their families as they evaluate options in selecting a school.

The College Navigator is a consumer tool that provides school information about tuition and fees, retention and graduation rates, use of financial aid, student loan default rates, and features a cost calculator and school comparison tool.

The Financial Aid Shopping Sheet is a model financial aid award letter designed to simplify the information that prospective students receive about college costs and financial aid so they can easily compare instititutions and make informed decisions about where to attend school. For a personalized Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, log in to eServices with your StarID and password, then click on the "Financial Aid" link. Additional information about Hennepin Tech tuition, fees, and financial aid information is found on our website.

The Paying for College website contains a tool that can be used by prospective students to compare detailed financial information for up to three schools at a time. This site also includes general information about financial aid and financial literacy.

If you are receiving Tuition Assistance and are seeking access to access services counseling, contact Access Services.

Financial Aid for Veterans

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. Applying for financial aid is recommended for all students, even when VA benefits or other military funding covers your school expenses.

  1. Apply for your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID

    Each student (and one parent, if you're a dependent student) must create a FSA ID. This will alow you to electronically sign your FAFSA, change your address, view the processing status of your application, view your loan history, and much more. Carefully read all information on the website. Your FSA ID should be kept in a safe, confidential location. The FSA ID login information that you create will be used each year you apply for financial aid.

  2. Complete the FAFSA

    By completing the FAFSA, you're applying for all types of federal and state financial aid, including grants, work-study and loans.

    Representatives in the Financial Aid Office are available to assist students with completion of the FAFSA. You'll need your federal income tax information for the appropriate year and FSA ID to complete the FAFSA. A list of necessary documents and financials needed to apply is available on the Student Aid website.

    Note: You must be an admitted student at Hennepin Tech to receive a financial aid award notification lisitng the grants, loans, and other aid you're eligible to receive.

  3. Types of Financial Aid

    Both Federal and State Financial Aid programs (including grants and loans) are available for veterans to utilize in conjunction with federal veterans benefits and tuition reimbursement. A detailed shopping sheet is available in the Financial Aid area of eServices which outlines common aid programs available to students, as well as cost of attendance information. Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and Private Education Loans are available to all students to assist with the cost of attending college. Students have the ability to refuse all or portions of the loan amounts available to them.

  4. Other Aid Programs for Veterans

    Veterans may also be eligible to receive benefits through the Minnesota GI Bill program. This is a program through the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. This program is different than the Federal GI Bill (Montgomery, Post 9-11, Veterans Education Assistance Program, Dependents Education Assistance Program, or Vocational rehabilitation). This program awards veterans additional aid if they have remaining need after VA benefits, federal/state financial aid, and other grants/scholarships have been considered. The annual limit for receipt of Minnesota GI Bill funds is $3,000 and the lifetime maximum is $10,000. For more information on the Minnesota GI Bill program, visit the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs website.

For more information on Financial Aid eligibility requirements, visit the Financial Aid webpage. Remember to contact the Financial Aid Office with questions about your eligibility, timelines, or the application process.

Students receiving Veteran Education benefits can also receive Title IV Federal Financial Aid and Minnesota State Financial Aid programs with no benefit reduction.

Resources

VocRehab and Tuition Assistance

If you have VocRehab (Chapter 31) funding, see the Tuition Office at your declared major's home campus with your signed authorization (VA Form 28-1905).

If you have Tuition Assistance through the Guard or Reserves, you need to submit your paperwork to Hennepin Tech's Third Party Coordinator at:

Hennepin Technical College
Attn: Third Party Coordinator
9000 Brooklyn Blvd
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445

Phone: 763-488-2517
Toll Free: 888-569-5121
Fax: 763-488-2952

Activation Procedures

If you get called to active duty in the middle of a semester, you must present your order to active duty and complete the Hennepin Tech Add/Drop form. Your registration will then be canceled and a full tuition refund will be processed.

Student Responsibilities

  • Submit the required forms to the VA Office and/or the school
  • Notify the School Certifying Official when you register each semester/term by submitting a Hennepin Tech VA Enrollment Certification eForm
  • If you make changes to your class schedule after submitting the eForm for that semester/term, you do not need to submit another eForm
  • Stop by the Tuition Office for information regarding charging required books and supplies at the college Bookstore
  • Inform the School Certifying Official if you decide to change your major (submit a Hennepin Tech Change of Major eForm)
  • Verify your enrollment monthly with the VA (Chapter 33 exempt currently)

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon

Hennepin Tech has a Veterans Resource Center on each campus for student veterans to use. See the Veteran Resource Centers website for more information. Each center also hosts a Veterans Student Organization at each campus.


Contacts

Veterans Certifying Officials

Misty Spicer

For questions or concerns, please email VeteransCo@HennepinTech.edu

Student Advising

Brooklyn Park Campus

Anna Poteryakhin

Eden Prairie Campus

Todd Carlton