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The VA certifying official assists veterans and eligible dependents entitled to educational benefits administered by the . They can help students through the entire process from determining eligibility to receiving educational assistance benefits.

Those interested in veterans' benefits under the GI Bill® (Post 9/11, Active Duty, or Selected Reserve) should contact Joann Bloxsom, VA certifying official, at 607-587-3960 or via email for further information or to make an appointment.

Getting Started

Please be sure to gather the following items if they apply:

• Your 
• DD-214 for the veteran under which you are applying for benefits
• Notice of basic eligibility (if you are in the Reserves)
• Necessary paperwork to demonstrate eligibility for Chapter 35

÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State permits any student receiving Chapter 33 or Chapter 31 benefits to attend and participate in coursework during the period for which a Certificate of Eligibility, Statement of Benefits, or VAF 28-1905 is received.

÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of funding from VA under chapter 33 or 31.

Continued Certification 

Students wishing to be certified must submit the  each semester upon registration.  

Federal Assistance

÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State accepts Military Tuition Assistance from all U.S. service branches. All Active Duty Service Members, including Guard and Reserve, must receive approval from their education service officer or education counselor within their branch of service prior to enrollment. We can assist in the process of enrollment once eligibility is established. Available services include providing an outline of your degree plan and the transfer credits awarded, submitting required information prior to the start of a given semester, and inputting grades once received.

Individual Tuition Assistance information and required steps for approval for each service branch is available below.

Return of Tuition Assistance

Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded.

To comply with Department of Defense policy, ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State will return any unearned TA funds on a prorated basis through the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending. These funds are returned to the military Service branch.

State Assistance

The Recruitment Incentive and Retention Program (RIRP) is a New York State Program designed to recruit and retain quality members for the New York Army and Air National Guard and the Naval Militia. Any active member, in good standing, is eligible to apply to receive tuition assistance, up to the cost of the State University of New York's (SUNY) maximum in-state undergraduate tuition after NYS Tuition Assistance (TAP) is applied.

The following are basic RIRP eligibility requirements:

• Be in good standing with the State Military Forces (attend or make-up all drills and annual training)
• Be accepted and enrolled in an undergraduate degree-granting program for a minimum of six (6) credit hours per semester or four (4) credit hours per quarter
• Be a resident of the State of New York for a period of 186 days prior to using the program, excluding Active Duty periods

Applications are processed exclusively by the .  The deadline for fall semester applications is Aug. 15 and the deadline for spring semester applications is Dec. 15.

*Drilling reservists of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard are  as long as your primary drilling location is in New York State.

Joann Bloxson, VA Certifying Official in the Student Records and Financial Services Office, is the point of contact for service members for financial advising and student support services such as academic advising, transfer credit, accessibility, and career development services. Joann can be reached via email. In addition, all students are assigned a financial aid counselor while enrolled at ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State. Students are encouraged to make an appointment to meet with their counselor and discuss any financial aid concerns. More information on important financial aid topics are available through the links below.

• College Costs
• Applying for Financial Aid
• Scholarships
• Types of Loans

÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State College complies with program integrity requirements consistent with the regulations issued by the Department of Education (34 C.F.R. 668.71-668.75 and 668.14) related to restrictions on misrepresentation, recruitment, and payment of incentive compensation to eliminate unfair, deceptive, and abusive marketing aimed at service members. ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State and its agents including third party lead generators and marketing firms will:

1. Ban inducements, including any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, transportation, lodging, meals, or other item having a monetary value of more than a minimal amount, to any individual or entity, or its agents including third party lead generators or marketing firms other than salaries paid to employees or fees paid to contractors in conformity with all applicable laws for the purpose of securing enrollments of service members or obtaining access to TA funds. Educational institution sponsored scholarships or grants and tuition reductions available to military students are permissible, and;
2. Refrain from providing any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on securing enrollments or federal financial aid (including TA funds) to any persons or entities engaged in any student recruiting, admission activities, or making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance, and;
3. Refrain from high-pressure recruitment tactics such as making multiple unsolicited contacts (three or more), including contacts by phone, email, or in-person, and engaging in same-day recruitment and registration for the purpose of securing service member enrollments.

÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State College also adheres to the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s (NACAC) code of ethics related to student recruitment, including service members and their families. 

Questions regarding the NACAC code or HEA regulations may be directed to the Vice President for Enrollment Management.

Military veterans or active service members who have completed approved training courses may be eligible for transfer credit. ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State College follows the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations for awarding academic credit, which may be used for degree completion. For credit consideration, veterans and active service members are encouraged to submit their official for evaluation. Applicable training will be reviewed under the coordination of the transfer advisor, and students are sent a transfer credit summary email once their review is completed.

Student veterans may be exempt from parking fees. To be exempt, please print the Veteran Exemption Form (PDF) and bring it along with a copy of your DD-214 to University Police.

Veteran alumni, faculty, staff, and students are invited to join the  to meet, share information, reconnect, and network. Veterans’ dependents and friends of ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State who support veterans are also welcome to join, as well as family members of those who are in active duty. We want to meet you and hear your story.

÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State College also has a Veterans and Military Affiliated student club, ASC Veterans United.  The club is student senate recognized, and open to all.

The ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ Campus Veterans' Lounge is located in EJ Brown, room 201. This space offers comfortable lounge furniture, refrigerator, microwave, and several computers. This room is accessible through a key code so only veteran/military service students and faculty/staff have access.

The Wellsville Campus Veterans’ Lounge is located in the H Bldg, 1st floor and features furniture, refrigerator, coffee maker, and microwave. 

SALUTE was established in 2009 through funding from ACE/Wal-Mart Success for Veterans Grant at Colorado State University. It is the first of its kind that recognizes academic achievement of student veterans in both two- and four-year institutions of higher education. ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State started its chapter in fall 2015. For more information on SALUTE, please . For information on the ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State chapter specifically, please contact Veterans Advisory Board member Melanie Ryan at ryanma@alfredstate.edu.

Committee Chair:

• Joann Bloxsom: Assistant Registrar, Army veteran

Members:

• Matthew Ryan: Chief Diversity Officer
• : Director of Residential & Cultural Life, Advisor to SALUTE
• : Professor, Automotive Trades, USAF veteran
• Irene Wentzell: Academic Advisor
• Stephen Caton: Adjunct Instructor, Computer and Information Technology, USAF veteran
• Mallory Winant, Coordinator of Wellness Education, USAF Veteran
• Stephanie LaFever, Assistant Director of Admissions

÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ State acknowledges and appreciates the important contributions of our students who are currently serving in the United States Armed Services. In order to support these students, we pledge to make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals who must be absent due to military obligations.

Students who need to interrupt their studies during a semester already in progress or for a future semester can protect their matriculated status for up to one full year by applying for a leave of absence.

A student wishing to apply for a military leave of absence should first see his or her department chair to determine eligibility and to approve the semester of return, or discuss options for completing coursework through reasonable accommodations.

Per , Students taking a leave of absence or withdrawing because they have enlisted with, or been called to active duty by, the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard will have all tuition and fees refunded if they have received no academic credit.  In the case of part-of-term courses completed, the student would be required to choose between no academic credit for such coursework, or no tuition and fee liability.

A student approved for a leave of absence during a semester will be subject to the same policies regarding financial aid and liabilities for tuition, fees, and refunds, as a student who withdraws.

To obtain a Military Leave of Absence, students must submit a copy of their military orders along with a completed Leave of Absence to the Student Records and Financial Services Office.  Students who are granted a Military Leave of Absence but do not return within a year must file an Application for Readmission with the Admissions Office in order to re-enroll.

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• Locate a New York State Veterans Counselor near you by phone 1-888-VETSNYS (1-888-838-7697).
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  Annual scholarship awarded to a current military veteran or honorably discharged veteran or parent, sibling, child or grandchild of a current or honorably discharged veteran. Applicant must submit a 750 - 1,000 word essay. The essay topic is: "The American Military's Place in Preserving Freedom for the United States."