When you receive VA education benefits, you are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better) to keep your benefits. These standards are described in the Veterans Affairs section of the Central Piedmont catalog.
Course withdrawal
It is your responsibility to report all withdrawals or attendance issues to prevent overpayments. You are required to complete the Veterans Affairs Schedule Adjustment form (PDF) and submit mitigating circumstances in writing within five business days via email to the Veterans Affairs Education Benefits Office.
What are mitigating circumstances?
If there are circumstances beyond your control that prevent you from continuing in school or that cause you to reduce credits, the VA may use those mitigating circumstances to reduce any overpayments due back to the VA.
Examples are:
- illness or injury afflicting you during the enrollment period
- illness or death in your immediate family
- unavoidable change in your conditions of employment
- unavoidable geographical transfer resulting from your employment
- immediate family or financial obligations beyond your control that require you to suspend pursuit of the program of education to obtain employment
- discontinuance of the course by the school
- unanticipated active military service, including active duty for training
- unanticipated difficulties with childcare arrangements that you have made for the period you are attending classes
The last date of attendance must be verified by the instructor for all withdrawals.
The VA allows a one-time exclusion from being penalized for withdrawing for up to six credit hours. You can be paid up to the last date of attendance for those six hours. If you attended classes throughout the semester and receive a “W” (non-punitive) as a grade, this has to be reported to the VA Regional Office and is not part of the six-hour, one-time exclusion even if you can document that you attended through the last day of class. You are responsible for overpayments resulting from non-punitive grades.
Failure to notify the VA Education Benefits Office of withdrawals and continued acceptance of educational funds may be considered fraud. You are encouraged to register only for those classes that you know you can complete.