Veterans Center

Veterans Educational Benefits

Lakeland's Veterans Services department is here to help student veterans take advantage of the educational benefits that are available. From dealing with the VA, to applying to Lakeland, to registering for classes and completing a degree, Lakeland can help you every step of the way.

Please contact the Veterans Benefits Certifying Specialist with any questions during this process.

1. Schedule an appointment with Lakeland's Veterans Benefits Certifying Specialist for assistance with educational benefits and certification. Please provide a DD-214 #4.
2. Apply to Lakeland.
3. Apply for VA educational benefits at va.gov/education.
4. Request official transcripts from high school or GED, all previously attended colleges and military service to be sent directly to Lakeland's Admissions Office.
5. Take the placement test. Log in to myLakeland and find the Schedule It app to schedule testing.
6. All students must complete the New Student Online Orientation session through their myLakeland account. Once completed, students will meet with an academic counselor, register for classes, discuss access to technology, and receive information about financial aid/scholarships. Students will receive instructions on how to access the New Student Online Orientation session via email after they have been admitted to Lakeland. This requirement may be waived if you have earned a bachelor's degree or higher at an accredited post-secondary institution. For questions or assistance please contact 440.525.7349 or email orientation@lakelandcc.edu.
7. Register for classes that are required for the declared degree program. Priority registration is available for student veterans.
8. Submit Veterans Registration Reporting form (VRR) to the Veterans Services office in S-216 for certification.
9. Apply for financial aid at studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa or contact Lakeland's Financial Aid department for assistance. Lakeland's school code is 006804.

Call the VA (1.888.442.4551) to check the status of educational benefits. Please allow two weeks before calling after claims are submitted.

Click here for more helpful information, including health benefits, local, state and federal resources for veterans.

Did you know Lakeland student veterans are eligible for both GI Bill* benefits and financial aid? Follow the steps below and file a FAFSA to take advantage of additional financial aid. Contact Lakeland's Financial Aid department for assistance on FAFSA filing.

*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 website at va.gov/education.

*Note: if enrollment changes during the term, notify Lakeland's Veteran's Benefits Certifying Speicalist and report changes to the VA at 1.888.442.4551 or on WAVE.

• Visit the WAVE website and register.
  1. Chapters 30, 1606 and 1607 are required to self-certify enrollment.
  2. To self-certify, call the automated system at 1.877.823.2378 or speak with a VA representative at 1.888.442.4551.
  3. Students must self-certify the last day of every month or the last day of the term.
  4. Update any address or direct deposit information with the VA at 1.888.442.4551 or in the WAVE account. Please keep Lakeland and the VA informed of any address updates.

• Submit the Veterans Registration Reporting Form every semester for enrollment certification and return to Lakeland's Veterans Services office. Forms are available at the Lakeland Student Service Center or can be printed online.
• Attend classes. Students not attending class must complete and submit a schedule change form to the Student Service Center on or before the withdrawl deadline and notify the Lakeland Veterans Benefits Certifying Specialist of any changes.
• Maintain Lakeland's academic standards of satisfactory attendance, conduct and progress. See the Lakeland Student Handbook for details.
• Non-attendance grades (AW - Administrative Withdraw) must be reported to the VA. The student may be required to reimburse the VA for all funds received. VA debt management will send notification to the student if this is the case.
• Create a tuition payment plan through myLakeland. Contact Lakeland's Controller office for more details on tuition payment.

• Payable courses are only those courses required for degree program(s) and will be payable through GI Bill benefits. Consult a Lakeland counselor to ensure this standard is met.
• Non-payable courses include:
  • Repeated courses in which a passing grade or prior credit was received.
  • Online remedial classes.
  • Classes required for a program at another college, if the student is not enrolled at that college. Contact Lakeland's Veterans Services for more details.

• TA is exclusive to active duty military.
• TA is requested on a course-by-course basis, and each course must be part of an approved degree program.
• TA is limited on the total number hours for undergraduate degrees (lifetime limit) depending on the branch/component.
• TA can be reimbursed for up to 100% of the course cost, not to exceed $250.00 per credit hour; up to $4,500 per fiscal year applies for Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines. Coast Guard, not to exceed $250.0 per credit hour; up to $2250 per fiscal year. (Fiscal year resets October 1)
• TA may NOT cover all course fees.
• TA can be used in conjunction with the GI Bill ®, but with some restrictions; contact an Educational Service Officer(ESO) or counselor within the Military Service for guidance.
• TA requests should be completed prior to the start of the semester. Each branch/component has its own deadline.
• TA is a tuition reimbursement program; an upfront payment will not be received. Payments are made directly to the college/university.
• TA is not a guaranteed benefit, and funding is limited. TA is paid on first come first serve basis. Students must apply within their branch of service prior to the start of the school term.

Service members should first check with an Education Service Officer or military counselor for the specifics involving TA by visiting their local installation education office or by going online to a virtual education center, prior to course enrollment. Each military branch has its own TA application form and procedures.

Army Tuition Assistance Application Process:

1. Go to Armyignited.com & click Get Started
2. Click "CREATE AN ACCOUNT" to start the process of creating your Login.gov account.
   1. ** **If you have an existing login.gov account, but need to associate your CAC, sign into login.gov, and add as an additional authentication method.
   2. ** If you have an existing login.gov account, and it is already setup with your mail.mil along with your CAC being associated, please click "Get Started" on ArmyIgnitED. Once logged in, you will proceed to step 7 and complete the account setup process.
3. Enter the email that you want associated with your login.gov account and click submit. • It is recommended you use your MAIL.MIL. • A confirmation link will be sent to the address entered in the previous step.
4. 4. Log in to the email account you've requested the confirmation code to be sent to and copy and paste the link to your URL. **
   1. ** If using your personal email, you can click the box that says "Confirm Email Address." If using your mail.mil, you will need to copy and paste the URL. When copying and pasting the URL, please ensure you start from HTTPS and end without copying the greater than symbol (>). ** DO NOT COPY THE GREATER THAN SYMBOL WITH THE URL
5. Create a login.gov password and associate your CAC in order to complete the request. • It is a requirement to associate your CAC to your account in order complete the setup in ArmyIgnitED. • It is recommended you add an additional authentication method by adding your phone number.
6. Click agree and continue in order to provide ArmyIgnitED permission to obtain information from your login.gov account.

Navy  Tuition Assistance: Application Process:

1. Contact your Navy College Office or the Virtual Education Center to get educational counseling either in person, virtually, by phone or email. With your academic adviser, determine which courses will be requested for TA funding.
2. Complete a TA Application in WebTA listing course(s). Check with your institution to make sure the amounts for tuition you listed are correct. Fees may not be paid using TA funds.
3. Start your application 30 days in advance of the term start date.
4. To apply for Tuition Assistance electronically from any computer, go to https://www.navycollege.navy.mil, and click on Secure Tuition Assistance & Other Funding.
5. You may log in via CAC or DEERS.
6. Every TA application MUST be Command Approved prior to being forwarded to the VEC.

Air Force Tuition Assistance Application Process:

To apply for TA benefits, visit the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC) via https://www.my.af.mil/faf/FAF/fafHome.jsp, then follow these steps:

1. Create your username and password, or login using your existing credentials
2. Navigate to the Tuition Assistance Program application
3. List the reasons why you want to use tuition assistance (say something like you want to further your career, be more useful to the military, or pick up new skills and knowledge that will help with your current MOS)
4. Choose the school you want to use TA benefits at. If your school isn't listed here, you'll have to visit the base's Education Office to get a printed-out TA Application Form, which you'll then need to manually submit
5. Provide the beginning date and end date for the course term that you want to use TA to pay for. Don't enter the start and end date of the course, but the actual term. Note that these may be different.
6. Provide the course information from the pre-populated course catalog. If it's not available in there, then enter it manually. You'll need to include the course number, dates, etc.
7. Keep adding courses until you've got all the courses you plan on taking entered on the form, and if you're taking courses from multiple schools, then keep in mind that you'll have to submit a different TA form for each institution.
8. Choose your registration fees from the drop-down menu.
9. Verify that all the data you input is accurate, then submit your form. You'll get an email notification saying that it was received.
10. If your request is approved, you'll get a form containing both your digital signature, and the digital signature of whoever approved your request. You'll need to forward this to your school.
11. Once everything is set up, make sure to keep in contact with your base Education Center in case anything changes. If the class is canceled, you decide to drop it, or something else happens, you'll have to work with them to make sure that all the details are updated accordingly. Failing to take care of things in time can result in you being forced to reimburse the Air Force for funds that they think you wasted.

Coast Guard Tuition Assistance Application Process:

A complete TA application (degree plan uploaded, command approved) must be received by ETQC NO LESS than 14 days prior to the class start date, not including the date of submission to ETQC nor the class start date.  There are no exceptions or waivers to this policy.

1. Member establish a plan for completion of a degree or certificate program with their ESO's. Use of ETQC-4147 is mandatory to determine a service MBR's eligibility for the use of TA. The use of this form determines a MBR's eligibility AND command approval for the use of TA IAW the current TA ALCOAST.
2. Members Submit TA application in MyCG Ed up to 90 days prior to the course start date. All TA applications must be command approved by the ESO 14 days prior to the course start date, MBR's can use the user manual in MyCG Ed for assistance on entering the TA Application. As a reminder, use all available picklists in MyCG Ed when applying for TA to avoid errors. Reserve members affiliated with the Selected Reserve (SELRES) must up load a current point statement in MyCG Ed for ETQC to verify satisfactory progress in the current anniversary year and to have met the participation standards for the previous anniversary year.
3. Supervisors/Department Heads shall forward the electronic recommendation form to the XO for final approval.
4. Supervisors/Department Heads shall validate that a member meets the following criteria:
   1. Satisfactory progress toward completion of unit qualifications.
   2. Satisfactory progress toward watch station qualifications.
   3. c) Satisfactory proficiency of craft.
   4. Satisfactory conduct during the previous six (6) months prior to TA application.
   5. Review & verify accuracy of JST Transcript & submit to school for evaluation
   6. Complete & email JST Correction form for transcript  (if applicable)
   7. Uploaded degree plan in MyCG Ed under the "My Education Plan" tab
5. The CO/XO or designated Authority will then forward electronically to the designated ESO, COPYING member.
6. Member then enters course information in MyCG Ed.

Marines Tuition Assistance Application Process:

Marines must apply for Marine Corps Tuition Assistance (TA) through WebTA (login required).
Only courses with the same start and end dates can be on the same application. Courses with different start/end dates require multiple applications to be submitted.

1. Contact your Marine Corps Voluntary Education Center to receive educational counseling either in person or by phone. With your academic adviser, determine which courses will be requested for TA funding.
2. To apply for Tuition Assistance electronically from any computer, complete a TA Application in WebTA listing course(s). Check with your institution to make sure the tuition amounts you listed are correct. Fees cannot be paid using TA funds.
3. Start your application 60 days in advance of the term start date. You can submit your TA even before finishing your enrollment in the course at your school. Every TA application must be Command Approved prior to being forwarded to the Voluntary Education Center for final approval.