VA Education Overpayments
Six Very Important Questions You Need to Answer
- Has your current enrollment changed from full-time to part-time?
- Have you canceled or withdrawn from UNL for a term?
- Are you repeating a course to remove a grade of "D" from your record?
- Have you received a grade that does not count toward graduation?
- Have you applied for academic bankruptcy for a term?
- Have you changed your college and/or major?
If your answer is "yes" to any of these questions, the payment of your VA educational benefits has been affected and an overpayment may have occurred.
Education Overpayments
Overpayment of educational benefits occurs when you receive an incorrect benefit payment that is more than what you are entitled to receive. The educational benefits you receive are affected by any changes you make in your current registration including full-time/part-time status, cancellation, withdrawal, college/major, and academic standing (dismissal).
Standards of Progress
Once you begin receiving educational benefits, you are required to make satisfactory progress toward graduation. The following briefly describes some of the standards of progress at UNL.
Drops/Withdrawals
The effective date of any dropped course or withdrawal from the University is reported to the VA.
Information found on this Page
Repeated Courses
Each semester, the VA Clerk reviews your academic record for any repeated courses prior to certification. No repeated course may be certified for VA benefit payments if you previously received a satisfactory grade for the course. If you are repeating a course in which you initially received a grade of "C-", this course will not be used as part of your regular enrollment unless a grade of "C" or better is required by your approved program. These requirements are stated in the Undergraduate Bulletin. In cases where a repeated course is discovered late, an adjustment will be made by the University and proper notification will be made to the VA regional office. This adjustment may result in an overpayment and/or reduction of benefits.
Grades of "N", "I", and "NR"
Courses with nonpunitive grades are not used to complete graduation requirements. The VA requires the University to report nonpunitive grades received by veterans using educational benefits. If you receive a nonpunitive grade in a course, that course will not be used in the calculation of UNL enrollment status for the term. When the reporting of these grades changes your status, any overpayments will be assessed against you. The following are nonpunitive grades:
"N" No Pass. "P" is interpreted to mean "C" or above. Grades of "N" are reported to the VA regional office immediately following the term the grade is received.
NOTE: Veterans should give careful consideration before registering for courses on a Pass/No Pass basis.
"I" Incomplete. The grade of "I" designates incomplete work in a course. The VA allows one year to remove an "I" and have a grade recorded.
NOTE: Do not reregister for a course in which you have received an "I".
"NR" No Report. The instructor did not report a grade for the course. The VA allows one year to remove an "NR" and have a grade recorded.
Academic Bankruptcy
If you file for academic bankruptcy for semesters that were covered by veterans benefits, you will be required to pay back all benefits received for those terms.
Academic Dismissal
The University is required by law to report to the VA regional office any veteran or eligible person that is academically dismissed. These reports are made immediately following the term that you are academically dismissed. To have benefits reinstated, you must follow University procedures to be removed from dismissal. Upon readmission to UNL, please notify the VA Clerk who will then report this release to the VA regional office.
Change of Program
If you receive VA educational benefits and have accumulated sixty or more credit hours (earned at UNL, transfer credit, or a combination of both), you must officially declare a college and a major. Once a college and major have been declared, it is important that you consistently report the same college and major to the VA Clerk when processing any registration or certification paperwork. The VA allows one change of program without special approval. If you wish to change your program, you should bring a statement from the new college of the hours that will apply to the new major and complete a "Change of Program" form (VA Form 22-1995 or 22-5495) at 107 Canfield Administration Building.
How can you prevent overpayments?
You can prevent problems with overpayments by promptly notifying the VA Clerk of any changes affecting your educational benefits including dropping or adding a course or otherwise changing your enrollment from full-time to part-time status; canceling or withdrawing from UNL for a term; receiving a grade that does not count toward graduation (e.g., No Pass, Incomplete, and No Report); applying for academic bankruptcy for a term; or changing your college and/or major. Remember, the sooner the VA is notified, the greater the possibility that an overpayment can be prevented.
Payment Schedules
For information on your payment rates and/or remaining entitlement, please contact the Department of Veterans Affairs, 5631 South 48th Street, Lincoln, NE, 68516, (800) 827-1000.
Tutorial Assistance
Most eligible VA students who are experiencing difficulties in courses required for their program of study may be eligible for tutorial assistance. To be eligible, you must be enrolled on at least a half-time basis and have a verifiable need for tutorial assistance. The allowance for tutorial assistance cannot exceed $100 per calendar month with a maximum assistance of $1200. Any tutorial assistance paid in excess of $600 will be taken from your entitlement.
For an application and further information, contact the VA Clerk, 107 Canfield Administration Building.
Advance Pay
An eligible person may elect to be paid in advance for the initial month of enrollment or fraction thereof plus the amount payable for the following month. You should be aware that if you receive advance payments, for example, for August and September at the beginning of a fall term commencing in August, you will not receive your October benefit check until November 1. If you have an existing overpayment in your VA account, part or all of the advance payment may be applied to liquidate that debt.
Eligibility. Advance payment is dependent on the following requirements:
- You must be certified for at least half-time enrollment.
- The enrollment certification must be for an enrollment period which begins at least 30 days after the end of your prior period of enrollment, and you are not eligible for payment of benefits for that interval.
- The enrollment certification, checked for advance payment, must be received in the VA office at least 30 days and not more than 120 days before the beginning of the term.
When these criteria are met, an advance payment will be sent to UNL and an award letter will be sent to you advising that an advance payment has been sent. The check will not be given to you more than 30 days before the beginning of the school term. Any advance payment not picked up 30 days after classes begin will be returned to the U.S. Treasury.
Work Study Opportunities
The work-study program allows student veterans to perform work for VA in return for an hourly wage. To apply, complete VA Form 20-8691, Application for Work-Study Allowance. This form may be obtained by calling the Lincoln Regional Office at 1-800-827-1000 or by visiting them at 5631 South 48th Street. For additional worksite locations, contact the RPO Work-Study Unit (WSU) at 1-888-442-4551 for worksites in the area.
