Military Tuition Assistance and Veteran’s Benefits Information
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 https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Elizabethtown College, in conjunction with the Veterans/Military Education State Approving Agency, manages veterans education benefits for students attending Elizabethtown College. Other campus benefits include a Veterans Lounge is located in Baugher Student Center (BSC), Room 232 and two Veteran parking spaces in the Alpha Drive visitor lot.
How do I get started?
- Establish an account on the GI Bill® Web Site: site at https://www.va.gov/. (or dial 1-888-422-4551). GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
- Meet with an Elizabethtown College admissions representative (or dial 717-361-1000) to review degree programs and cost. Some things to consider when choosing a degree program:
- What are your education goals?
- Will my military training or prior college credits transfer into a degree program?
- How much of your educational benefits have you used already and how much will you need to reach your academic goals? Service members should contact their Educational Services Officer (ES) or counselor prior to registration to confirm the availability of tuition assistance funds.
- How much will you need for living expenses?
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid.
Who are the Certifying Officials at Elizabethtown College?
Kelly Boutsikaris
Kelly Boutsikaris is the certifying official for the traditional college (day program). She is located in the Registration and Records Office, Zug Memorial Hall, room 210.
- Phone: 717-361-1423
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Mail: Registration and Records
Attention: Kelly Boutsikaris
Elizabethtown College
1 Alpha Drive Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Katharine Daniels
Katharine Daniels is the certifying official for the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. She is located in the Registration and Records Office, Zug Memorial Hall, room 210.
- Phone: 717-361-3735
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Mail: Registration and Records
Attention: Katharine Daniels
Elizabethtown College
1 Alpha Drive Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Where can I find Financial Resources?
Financial Resources for all enrolled students can be found on the Business Office Website.
- Military Tuition Assistance
- The College Scorecard
- The College Navigator
- Theft/File and Accident Insurance
- Paying for College
If you need more information, please contact a member of our Office of Financial Aid (717-361-1404) or the Business Office (717-361-1417).
How do I order a military transcript?
Students can use the Joint Services Transcript (JST) website to request a transcript. The Joint Services Transcript (JST) is a function of the Department of Defense and it is not associated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Air Force transcripts requests are through CCAF transcripts.
What academic support resources and services are available?
Academic Advising, the Catalog, and the Degree Audit (a.k.a., Grad Report)
Every enrolled student is assigned a team of professionals to help them achieve their academic goals. Each student is assigned a primary advisor as well as advisors for each major/minor declaration. In addition, the School Dean of every discipline associated with the degree-seeking programs are available to the student. Every student is required to meet with their academic advisor prior to course registration each semester. Students who fail to satisfy this requirement will be prohibited from registering for classes. SGPS Students are assigned an Academic Advisor upon application.
- The Degree Planner is a static document that spells out course requirements, their credit values, and a space for the student to document the semester each course was taken and the earned grade as they advance through a particular program. Degree Planners for majors, minors, and cooperative programs are located in the Online College Catalog.
- Service members should contact their Educational Services Officer (ES) or counselor prior to registration to confirm the availability of tuition assistance funds.
- The Grad Report is an online 24/7 exact replica of all Catalog requirements for graduation based on the students enrollment year. It is a students road map to academic success! The Grad Report is designed to assist students with academic planning, monitoring academic progress, and a mechanism for staying on track in order to avoid preliminary-graduation surprises.
- All academic policies relating to graduation are outlined in the Academic Policies section of the online Catalog.
- Students with accommodations should work directly with Disability Services when seeking Priority Registration.
- The Office or Registration and Records provides Junior and Senior Reviews to all enrolled students and their academic advising team.
Academic Support Services through the Center for Student Success include:
Most Veterans will qualify for academic accommodations such as priority registration and additional time for testing. For more information please visit Disability Services website or call 717-361 - 1227.
Related Services Include:
- Career Development Center
- Counseling Services
- Student Wellness
- High Library
- Registration and Records
- Financial Aid
- Business Office
Veteran Education Benefits and Standards of Academic Progress
Veteran students using education benefits must maintain good academic standing to continue using their benefits. Click here to review further information. Contact your School Certifying Official if you have any questions. Students electing S/NS grades for the Spring 2020 semester will continue to receive benefits as previously determined. Read more about the S/NS grading options here.
Covered Individual
A covered individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under Chapter 31(Veteran Readiness and Employment) or Chapter 33 (Post 9/11) GI Bill® benefits.
Elizabethtown College does not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual's inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to a delayed disbursement funding from the VA under Chapter 31 or 33.
Covered individuals are permitted to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the College a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31 or 33. A certificate of eligibility can also include a Statement of Benefits obtained frm the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website - va.gov or VAF 28-1905 form for Chapter31. The aforementioned ends on the earlier of the following dates: 1) the date on which payment from VA is made to the institution 2) 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.
What if I am temporarily unable to attend class or called to Active Duty?
Class attendance policy is determined individually by faculty members. Students are responsible for knowing the attendance policy for each course and consulting with professors in the case of absences due to illness or other personal problems. Students should email the faculty member directly to discuss how to make up missed work.
Traditional College classes: After 15 consecutive class days of absence from all classes, a student is considered to have withdrawn from the College. While the Veterans Administration and the American Council on Education have not mandated policies for colleges/universities whose students are called to active duty, the American Council on Education has provided guidelines:
- 100% tuition refund through the 8th week of the semester.
- Pro rated refund for room/board charges.
- No notations made on the permanent record card.
- After the eighth week, grades of “I” (incompletes) or “W” (withdrawals) are given – based upon the students’ preferences.
- Tuition refund is given for only courses with grades of “W”.
- If the withdrawal is during the last two full weeks of the term (last week of classes and finals week), full course credit is to be awarded and grades earned by the time of activation shall be posted.
- A copy of the activation paper is filed in the student’s folder
Student that need to exercise a withdrawal from the College need to contact the Center for Student Success (717-361-1415) to process a college withdrawal.
SGPS accelerated classes: While the Veterans Administration and the American Council on Education have not mandated policies for colleges/universities whose students are called to active duty, the American Council on Education has provided guidelines for these situations:
- 100% tuition refund through the 3rd week of the session.
- No notations made on the permanent record card.
- After the 3rd week, grades of "I" (incompletes) or "W" (withdrawals) are given – based upon the students' preferences.
- Tuition refund is given for only courses with grades of "W."
- If the withdrawal is during the last two full weeks of the session, full course credit is to be awarded and grades earned by the time of activation shall be posted.
- A copy of the activation paper is filed in the SCO's file and the Advising folder.
How do I apply for Readmission to the College?
Students who leave the College in good academic standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average) gain readmission by written request to the Office of Registration and Records.
- Students who leave the College in academic difficulty (below 2.00 cumulative grade point average) must petition the Academic Standing Committee for readmission.
- A student who is readmitted to the College after an absence of five successive years may petition to have previous grades of F removed from his/her cumulative grade point average. In order to be eligible to petition for this, students must have completed 16 consecutive credits at Elizabethtown and earned a grade of C or better in each class. If the petition is approved, the old F grades remain on the transcript but are removed from the student’s overall grade point average.
For further information, students should consult with the Office of Registration and Records.
To review readmission deadlines and to submit the online readmission application, please visit the Registration and Records webpage dedicated to readmission requests.
What other resources are available to veterans?
What college scholarship opportunities are available for military personnel, veterans, and/or their families?
- http://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/veterans.htm
- http://www.finaid.org/military/veterans.phtml
- http://www.pheaa.org/funding-opportunities/aid-for-military-national-guard/index.shtml
What resources are available to assist veterans who are transitioning careers?
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Links and Resources
- PA Department of Labor & Industry – Services for Veterans
- USA Jobs Veterans Resources – https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans/ and www.fedshirevets.gov
What resources are available in my community?
- Military OneSource: a comprehensive resource provided by the Department of Defense (DoD) to give information on many aspects of military life to active duty, Guard and Reserve service members, and their families.
- United Way of Lancaster County : provides resources in Lancaster, Berks and the Lehigh Valley.
- United Way of York County
- United Way of the Capital Region: provides resources in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry County
- Hotline for Women Veterans: A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs resource for women veterans - 1-855-VA-WOMEN; form more information about the hotline and links to other resources
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 https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.