A. No. When you audit a course, you take the class as a refresher for skills you already have. Guidelines for auditing courses can be found in the Gulf Coast Community College catalog. The VA will not pay for these courses. Educational benefits are paid only for credit classes.
A. If the drop changes your attendance status, the DVA will require repayment of any amount you have received for attendance in that class unless you have mitigating circumstances. If you feel you have a valid reason for dropping the class or withdrawing from all classes, you can write the DVA and ask that you be allowed to maintain your prevailing rate of pay up to the last date of attendance in the course(s). The new rate of pay would be effective the day after your last date of attendance.
If claiming mitigating circumstances, the DVA will require in-depth statements and supportive documents before allowing payment for a course from which you dropped or were dropped by the instructor. Mitigating circumstances the DVA accepts include:
- Illness or injury of the veteran
- Death, illness, or serious injury of a family member
- Relocation due to employment
- Work schedule conflicts
- Hardships
* Additional circumstances may also be considered, in writing, by the DVA.
A. Yes. Guidelines for independent study can be found in the Gulf Coast Community College catalog.
A. Most VA educational benefit programs allow students to take remedial courses. Students utilizing Chapter 1606 (Selected Reserves) benefits are allowed compensation for remedial level courses only if they have signed a six-year enlistment contract.
Remedial courses can only be certified if a need for the course is proven by a placement test or if the course is required as a prerequisite for another course required for graduation from your degree program.
A. Students pursuing associate level degrees are limited to the number of elective credit hours that can be certified for VA educational benefits. Generally, any course taken in excess of the requirement for that area is considered an elective.
Students pursuing associate degrees in technical areas are often required to take electives from certain discipline areas. These will be listed in the catalog under the outline for that program.
Any prior credit a student may have received, either from another institution or at GCCC before applying for educational assistance, is automatically counted towards that elective requirement. It is in your best interest to confirm electives with the VA Certifying Official before registering.
