Maintaining Benefits

For students using GI Bill® benefits, the school certifying official is required to report any course that is not completed. This includes courses that receive a W grade and have a last date of attendance prior to the end of the term. This may result in debt with the VA or LBCC.

For students using DoD military tuition assistance, specifically ArmyIgnitED, grades are entered into the ArmyIgnitED system for review by your ESO.

For students using State of Oregon benefits, not meeting academic standards may lead to a loss of the benefit, but grades are not reported.

Note: only students using GI Bill® benefits who do not meet SAP will be contacted by us.

The GI Bill® requires that students using these benefits must maintain satisfactory academic progress. According to the law, the VA will discontinue payments of educational assistance if the individual does not maintain SAP. Progress is considered unsatisfactory if the individual does not meet the regularly prescribed standards of the institution of higher learning they are attending.

In other words, in order to continue to receive benefits at LBCC, students must maintain satisfactory academic standards, which include a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and a completion rate of 70%.

Students using VA or FTA benefits who do not meet LBCC’s academic standards will be notified by us via email.

Students can be in one of four statuses:

• Good Standing: Student is meeting or exceeding academic standards
• Warning: First term student has not met academic standards 
• Probation: Second term student has not met academic standards
• Suspension of Benefits: Third term student has not met academic standards

A student can appeal a Suspension of Benefits, which, if approved, the student is placed back in Probation status.

A student whose in Suspension of Benefits status can also elect to pay for a term out of pocket instead of using their benefits. If their academic status improves (they complete 100% of courses enrolled in for the term with a 2.0 term GPA) during the term not covered by benefits, then they can be shifted back to Probation status and their benefits may be applied retroactively. 

Warning (first term)

Action:
A student does not meet term GPA or cumulative GPA of 2.0 and/or does not complete 70% of courses for that term.

Consequence:
Email is sent to the student with resources for academic support. Benefits for following term are not impacted.

Returning to Good Status:
To clear a warning, the student must complete 100% of their enrolled courses the following term with a 2.0 GPA or better.

Probation (second term)

Action:
A student does not have a term GPA or Cumulative GPA of 2.0 and/or does not complete 70% of courses for that term for the second term. Or has not completed 70% of courses overall.

Consequence:
Email is sent to the student with resources for academic support. Benefits for following term are not impacted.

Returning to Good Status:
To move from probation back to warning, students must complete 100% of their enrolled the following term with a 2.0 GPA or better.

Suspension of Benefits (third term)

Action:
A student does not meet term GPA or cumulative GPA of 2.0 and/or does not complete 70% of courses for that term for a third term or has not completed 70% of courses overall.

Consequence:
Email is sent to the student with appeal information. Benefits for following term(s) are suspended.

Returning to Good Status:
Suspended students can complete an appeal (see below for more information) or attend a term without using benefits.

• Once a student is notified that they are on suspension of VA benefits, they may complete an appeal packet. Completion of the appeal packet does not guarantee that your appeal will be approved.
• The Veterans Office Suspension of VA Benefits Appeal Packet is different from the appeal packets required by Financial Aid or Academic Suspension.
• A complete appeal packet must include:
  • Packet filled out entirely
    • Satisfactory academic progress information (complete with an academic advisor)
    • Student Success Plan & Resource Recommendations (Complete the Resource Recommendations with an academic advisor).
  • Appeal letter
  • Education plan in DegreeWorks
  • Appeals are reviewed by Veterans Office appeals committee and responded to within two weeks of receipt.

• Page 1: Focuses on your information and what the packet includes
• Page 2: Satisfactory Academic Progress information
  • Access your unofficial transcript. Review your cumulative GPA, earned hours, and attempted hours.
  • Enter this information on page two of the packet and calculate completion rate:
    • Earned hours at LBCC ÷ attempted hours at LBCC = completion rate
  • Enter the information gathered into the SAP Calculator
  • Using the calculator, determine your projected credits earned to get 70%, minimum credits to degree and maximum credits to 150%
  • Enter this information in the boxes on page two
• Page 3: Student Success Plan & Resource Recommendations
  • Chart 1: Academic Obstacles. Consider obstacles you faced over previous term(s).
    • If your academic obstacles include mitigating circumstances, make sure you can provide documentation.
  • Chart 2: Resource Recommendations. Work on this section with your academic advisor. As an education plan in Degree Works is required with your appeal packet, you must meet with your academic advisor.
• Page 4: Appeal Letter
  • Your appeal letter is made up of two sections of 250 words or fewer. Your letter should be addressed to the Veterans Office or To Whom it May Concern.
  • Section 1: Explanation
    • Your appeal is contending that extenuating or mitigating circumstances made it impossible for you to be successful.
    • Be aware; being overwhelmed is not an extenuating circumstance.
  • Per the VA, mitigating circumstances include:
    • Illness, injury, or death affecting the student or their immediate family
    • Unavoidable change in employment
    • Unavoidable employment related transfer
    • Financial obligations beyond student’s control
    • Unanticipated active military service
    • Unanticipated difficulties with child care
  • Section 2: Plan for Improvement
    • Include how you plan to use the resource recommendations you received from your academic advisor.
      • Appropriate documentation is required to support your statements.
      • Documentation that is submitted along with the appeal packet is kept on file at LBCC but is not sent to the VA. You may receive notification from the VA if they require documentation of mitigating circumstances as well. It is the responsibility of the student to send all documentation to the VA.
      • Appropriate documentation of extenuating circumstances includes:
        • Documentation from health care provider(s)
          • This includes (but is not limited to) documentation of visit and letters from medical professionals.
          • Health care provider(s) include counselors, social workers, and medical doctors.
        • Police reports
        • Death notices
          • This includes published obituary notices, death certificates, and documentation of funeral proceedings.
        • Court reports
      • Inappropriate documentation includes letters from family or friends.
• If you are required to submit an appeal packet to receive your GI Bill® benefits, you will be contacted via Watermark.