Discharged veterans must provide a copy of their Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) in order to apply for education benefits. Copies of the DD Form 214, as well as other military records, can be obtained at the Military Personnel Records Center (MPRC) in St. Louis, a unit of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The NARA website provides instructions for submitting a request for military records.
College Credit for Military Training
For assistance in converting military training to college credits please contact Holley Westbrook in the Office of the Registrar via email or telephone at (607) 274-1210. Remember to bring a copy of your training from your military record.
Enrollment Certification
Remember to register for classes and inform the college’s certifying official so that you can be certified. Education benefits can only be disbursed to students who request to be certified each semester and before each summer term in which they attend Ithaca College. You are expected to maintain enrollment for the number of credits for which you have been certified; however, if you drop a course or change the credits of a course, be sure to inform the college’s certifying official.
Undergraduates who register for and maintain at least 12.0 credits in a semester will receive full benefits. Graduate students who register for and maintain at least 9.0 credits in a semester will also receive full benefits. (Please see the “Training Time Charts” below for more information.) Benefits will be reduced and an overpayment may occur if you drop below full-time status. It is especially important to report a complete withdrawal from the college. Please notify the college’s certifying official immediately of any change of status to reduce the amount of an overpayment.
Grades
Grades of I (Incomplete) and W (Withdrawn) are reported to the VA resulting in an overpayment of benefits. You are responsible for informing the college’s certifying official if an I or W grade is changed or if a regular grade (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, and F) is later changed to an I or W.
Repeating a Class
You may choose to re-register for a course which you already completed successfully; however, the VA will not certify or pay for the course a second time.
Auditing a Class
You may choose to register for and audit a course; however, the VA will not certify or pay for an audited course. Audited courses do not count as credit toward graduation. Auditing a course is not permitted during summer sessions.