In alignment with Ohio Revised Code Section 3345.42, this procedure utilizes the definitions for "service member" and "veteran:"

"Service member" means a person who is serving in the armed forces of the United States.

"Veteran" means any person who has completed service in the armed forces, including the national guard of any state or a reserve component of the armed forces, and who has been discharged under honorable conditions from the armed forces or who has been transferred to the reserve with evidence of satisfactory service.

Support and Assistance Provided to Service Members and Veterans

1. Lakeland Community College will:
   1. Maintain a service member and veteran student services office;
   2. Refer service members and veterans to proper local, state and/or federal agencies in the event Lakeland Community College believes that the service member or veteran is eligible for services;
   3. Work with the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to develop a veteran-friendly campus that increases the opportunity for service members and veterans to succeed academically.
   4. Work with other Ohio institutions of higher education to disseminate and share promising practices for serving service members and veterans effectively;
   5. Promote veteran-friendly campuses by utilizing the ODHE's structure to disseminate and share promising practices statewide for serving service members and veterans effectively.
   6. Train appropriate faculty and staff to increase awareness of the mindset and unique needs of service members and veterans returning from combat zones and/or tours of duty overseas;
   7. Create a "safe zone" for service members and veterans through a student service member/veteran student organization and campus-wide awareness training;
   8. Provide a student who is either a veteran or a service member with priority for course registration, as required by Ohio Revised Code 3345.422.
   9. During new student orientation, make service members and veterans aware of the services available to them;
   10. Ensure that appropriate equivalent credit is awarded for military training, experience, and coursework that meet the standards developed by ODHE, consistent with Ohio Revised Code 3333.164.
   11. Recognize the service of service members and veterans at various events such as graduation, and an appreciation day;
   12. Regularly evaluate institutional policies and procedures that create barriers to service member and veteran success;
   13. Empower those working directly with service members and veterans to provide services designed to promote educational achievement;
   14. Provide training, in partnership with Veterans Affairs, in the proper certification methods for certifying officials on each campus;
   15. Develop a clear outreach strategy to communicate with eligible persons about educational and training benefits to encourage the use of GI Bill benefits, as well as services and assistance offered by the institution;
   16. Continue to work with the legislature, workforce and higher education community to identify and develop statewide policies to ensure the transition to higher education is seamless for all students, including service members and veterans. (This may include, but is not limited to, issues such as transfer, credit for prior learning and/or experience, career ladders, support services, etc.); and
   17. Ensure the campus community is aware of benefits associated with the new Post 9/11 GI Bill and through our campus veterans' office and veteran coordinator(s) to actively find ways to connect returning service members and veterans with the services offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
   18. Provide career and employment services and resources ranging from online services, to group services, to personalized career and job search success coaching.
   19. In accordance with the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-407), the College allows Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill) and Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehab) beneficiaries, with a valid Certificate of Eligibility or VAF 28-1905, to attend a course of education or training for up to 90 days without payment. The College will not impose a penalty, require the beneficiary to borrow additional funds to cover tuition and fees, or drop the beneficiary due to late payments from the Veteran's Administration.
   20. In accordance with Section 1018 (G) of Public Law 116-315, Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, ensure that students who are Service members, including the reserve components and the National Guard, may be readmitted if such students are temporarily unavailable or need to suspend enrollment by reason of active service in the Armed Forces. The College shall comply with the Department of Education's regulation regarding readmission (34 C.F.R. 668.8) for returning Service members seeking readmission to a program that was interrupted due to a Military service obligation, and apply those provisions to Service members that are temporarily unable to attend classes for less than 30 days within a semester or similar enrollment period due to a Military service obligation when such absence results in a withdrawal under College policies. A description of the provisions for Service members and their families is provided in Chapter 3 of Volume 2 of the Federal Student Aid Handbook.