VA/DoD Educational Programs

Students intending to use their Department of Veteran Affairs educational benefits must provide a recent copy of their VA issued Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and complete and submit the VA Enrollment Form to the Office of Veteran Services prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student is planning on attending.   Covered individuals attending Carroll College, under either Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or Chapter 33, Post 9/11 GI-Bill® benefits, will not be imposed a penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or be required to borrow additional funds because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her tuition and fee obligations to the institution due to delayed disbursement funding from the VA.   Students using VA educational benefits must complete, on an annual basis, both the Military Educational Benefits Questionnaire and the VA Certification Application.

The following applies to all students using VA educational benefits.

• VA issued tuition and fee payments are paid directly to Carroll College.
• Housing and book stipends are paid directly to the student.
• All room and board charges are the responsibility of the student and payment arrangements for these charges should be coordinated directly with the Business Office prior to the start of the semester.
• The VA does not cover the costs of obtaining a parking pass, except for students attending under the VA Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Ch. 31) benefits.
• All VA benefit enrollment certifications are processed after the add/drop period (1^st week of classes).Pursuant to VA rules and regulations, students must be enrolled in school for a full month before receiving any housing stipends.Therefore, we strongly recommend you make contingent financial arrangements to accommodate the VA’s processing timeline.
• Students using VA educational benefits are required to consult with and obtain the approval of the Director of Veteran Services before making any changes to their class registrations or program declarations.
• The VA will only pay for courses required for your degree objectives and will not pay for auditing a course or payment for any course for which the grade assigned is not used in computing requirements for graduation. This includes repeats of grades of “D” or better including transferred credit (unless a higher grade is required) and withdrawals. This does not apply to repeats of required courses, which you have failed.
• Carroll College will evaluate all previous education and training and maintain a written record for every veteran or eligible person which clearly indicates that appropriate credit has been given by the school for previous education and training, with the training period shortened proportionately. The record will be cumulative in that the results of each enrollment period (term, quarter or semester) will be included so that it shows each subject undertaken and the final result, i.e., passed, failed, incomplete or withdrawn.

Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (YRP) is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. Only individuals entitled to the maximum benefit rate (based on service requirements) may receive this funding. Therefore, you may be eligible if:

• You served an aggregate period of active duty after September 10, 2001, of at least 36 months;

•     You were honorable discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability and served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001;

• You are a dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® based on a veteran’s service under the eligibility criteria listed above. The VA will determine eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, and issue a Certificate of Eligibility. The Certificate of Eligibility will advise you if your service meets the requirements for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Carroll College is proud to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program (YRP) under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (authorized under title V of Public Law 110-252) subject to the terms, conditions, and representations provided in the YRP Agreement and applicable VA regulations.

• Carroll College agrees to provide contributions to eligible individuals who are eligible for the YRP regardless of the rate at which the individual is pursuing training (i.e., full-time versus less than full-time), during the academic year.
• Carroll College is unlimited in the number of students that participate in the YRP and total YRP contribution amounts.This applies only to students who are currently 100% eligible for the Post 9/11 GI-Bill®.Additionally, students must have remaining entitlement benefits to participate in the YRP.
• Carroll College agrees to provide tuition and fee contributions on behalf of a participating individual during the current academic year and all subsequent academic years in which the participating individual remains eligible for the YRP, if the individual maintains satisfactory progress, conduct, and attendance according to the regularly prescribed standards of Carroll College.
• Pursuant to VA regulations, any third party payments that are tuition and fee specific will be applied first towards the costs of tuition and fees.The remaining balance will then be billed to the VA for payment under either the Post 9/11 GI-Bill® or the YRP.
• Carroll College, VA and YRP funding will not exceed the total cost of tuition and fees.
• It is the student’s responsibility to provide a VA issued updated Award Three Letter to either the Carroll College Financial Aid Office, or the Office of Veteran Services for confirmation of remaining benefits each semester.

Graduate Students (Masters of Social Work Program) - Yellow Ribbon Program

• Currently, Carroll College is accepting two recipients of the Yellow Ribbon Program in the Masters of Social Work Program (MSW) per academic year.   Students must remain eligible to receive benefits under the Post 9/11 GI-Bill® at 100% to remain eligible to receive Yellow Ribbon benefits for the MSW program.  The Master of Accountancy Graduate Program (MACC) does not have seats available for Yellow Ribbon Program recipients.  Yellow Ribbon Program benefits for the MSW program will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Please contact the Office of Veteran Services for more information regarding the Yellow Ribbon Program for the MSW program.  

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 Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill

DoD Voluntary Education Programs
(TA Assistance)

Carroll College is proud to be a participating partner in the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Voluntary Educational Program.  As a participating member, Carroll College has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the DoD.  The purpose of the MOU is to articulate the commitment of Carroll College to ensure that fair, equitable, transparent, policies and procedures exist in an effort to deliver the highest level of service to military-connected students. The effective DoD MOU term is 7/22/19-6/13/2024.

The MOU is broken down to four categories of compliance, below is a description of each category and Carroll’s corresponding policy or procedure to support the directive. 

1.  Recruiting, Marketing, & Advertising

Have policies in place compliant with program integrity requirements consistent with the regulations issued by ED [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. This applies to the educational institution itself and its agents including third party lead generators, marketing firms, or companies that own or operate the educational institution. 

A. The Carroll College Office of Admissions is a member of, and follows and adheres to the National Association for College Admission Counseling Code of Ethics and Professional Practices. The Counseling Code of Ethics and Professional Practices Policy regarding commission, bonuses, or other incentivized payments based directly or indirectly on securing enrollments or federal financial aid (including Tuition Assistance Funds) to any persons or entities engaged in any student recruiting, admission activities, or making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance can be found in Section I.B.2a-b (page 3). The complete policy can be found at https://www.nacacnet.org/globalassets/documents/advocacy-and-ethics/cepp/cepp_10_2019_final.pdf

B.  Carroll College commits to refrain from high-pressure recruitment tactics such as making multiple unsolicited contacts (3 or more), including contacts by phone, email, or in-person, or engage in same-day recruitment and registration for the purpose of securing Service member enrollments. 

C.  Carroll College encourages Service members to speak with their Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within their Military Service prior to enrolling the student in the institution.  The Carroll College Business Office requires documentation of Tuition Assistance (TA) approval prior to the start of each semester. 

2.  Financial Matters

Before offering, recommending, arranging, signing-up, dispersing, or enrolling Service members for private student loans, provide Service members access to an institutional financial aid advisor who will make available appropriate loan counseling.

Carroll College will make sure to have a financial aid officer that is trained on the following:

A.  Providing a clear and complete explanation of available financial aid, including Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. 

B. Describing the differences between private and federal student loans to include terms, conditions, repayment, and forgiveness options. 

C.  Disclosing the educational institution’s student loan Cohort Default Rate (CDR), the percentage of its students who borrow, and how its CDR compares to the national average.  If the educational institution’s CDR is greater than the normal average CDR, it must disclose that information and provide the student with loan repayment data. 

D.  Explaining students’ rights to refuse all or borrow less than the maximum student loan amount allowed. 

3.  Accreditation and Credentialing Requirements

Carroll College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accreditation body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and/or the Secretary of the Department of Education.  The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is located at:  8060 165^thAvenue NE, Ste. 100, Redmond, Washington 98052-3981.

Carroll College is authorized to offer post-secondary degree programs in the State of Montana as required by the Montana Code Annotated and the Board of Regents Policy effective 8/13/14.

For additional accreditation information, please refer to Accreditation section of the Carroll College Catalog. 

A.  Maintain accreditation by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the Department of Education (ED), approved for VA funding, and certified to participate in federal student aid programs through ED under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. 

B.  The educational institution will obtain the approval of their accrediting agency for any new course or program offering, provided such approval is required under the substantive change requirements of the accrediting agency. Approval must be obtained before the enrollment of a Service member into the new course or program offering.

C.  Degree requirements and evaluated educational plans will meet educational requirements for credentialing in stated career field and graduates of a program will be eligible for relevant professional license or certification. Educational institutions will disclose any conditions (state or agency limitations) or additional requirements (training, experience, or exams) required to obtain relevant credentials.

4. Academic Counseling and Post-Graduation Job Opportunities

Carroll College will disclose general degree requirements for the Service member’s educational program (evaluated educational plan) to the member and his or her Service before the enrollment of the Service member at the educational institution.

Degree requirements in effect at the time of each Service member’s enrollment will remain in effect for a period of at least 1 year beyond the program’s standard length, provided the Service member is in good academic standing and has been continuously enrolled or received an approved academic leave of absence. Adjustments to degree requirements may be made as a result of formal changes to academic policy pursuant to institutional or departmental determination, provided that:

(a) They go into effect at least 2 years after affected students have been notified; or Educational institutions will disclose general degree requirements for the Service member’s educational program (evaluated educational plan) to the member and his or her Service before the enrollment of the Service member at the educational institution.

Per DoD MOU paragraph 4.c.(1)

Per DoD MOU paragraph 4.c.(4)

(b) In instances when courses or programs are no longer available or changes have been mandated by a State or accrediting body, the educational institution will identify low or no cost solutions, working with affected Service members to identify substitutions that would not hinder the student from graduating in a timely manner.

Carroll College will disclose its transfer credit policies and articulated credit transfer agreements before a Service member’s enrollment. Disclosure will explain acceptance of credits in transfer is determined by the educational institution to which the student wishes to transfer and refrain from making unsubstantiated representations to students about acceptance of credits in transfer by another institution.

In addition to providing degree requirements, Carroll College will provide to Service members who have previous coursework from other accredited institutions and relevant military training and experiential learning an evaluated educational plan that indicates how many, if any, transfer credits it intends to award and how these will be applied toward the Service member’s educational program. The evaluated educational plan will be provided within 60 days after admission to the educational institution in which the individual has selected a degree program and all required official transcripts have been received.

Designate a point of contact or office for academic and financial advising, including access to disability counseling, to assist Service members with completion of studies and with job search activities.

(1) The designated person or office will serve as a point of contact for Service members seeking information about available, appropriate academic counseling, financial aid counseling, and student support services at the educational institution.

(2) The point of contact will have a basic understanding of the military tuition assistance program, ED Title IV funding, education benefits offered by the VA [Department of Veterans Affairs], and familiarity with institutional services available to assist Service members.

(3) The point of contact does not need to be exclusively dedicated to providing these services and, as appropriate, may refer the Service member to other individuals with an ability to provide these services, both on- and off-campus.

Carroll College has designated a trained compliance official to oversee and administer educational benefits as sanctioned under both the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration.  This official is located in the Office of Veteran Services and is a component of student support services under the umbrella of the Saints Success Center.  The Office of Veteran Services is located in Borromeo Hall, room 109.     

Have a readmissions policy for Service members that:

(1) Allows Service members and reservists to be readmitted to a program if they are temporarily unable to attend class or have to suspend their studies due to service requirements.

(2) Follows the regulation released by the Department of Education (34 C.F.R. 668.8) regarding readmissions requirements for returning Service members seeking readmission to a program that was interrupted due to a Military service obligation, and apply those provisions to Service members that are temporarily unable to attend classes for less than 30 days within a semester or similar enrollment period due to a Military service obligation when such absence results in a withdrawal under institution policies. A description of the provisions for U.S. Armed Forces members and their families is provided in Chapter 3 of Volume 2 of the Federal Student Aid Handbook.

Deployment Policy for Students Called to Active Military Service

Academic Grades

Mobilization or activation during a regular semester will result in the complete withdrawal of the student from the college without penalty or a punitive grade.

If the mobilization or activation of a student occurs after the last permissible day to withdraw from the college, the student may choose to withdraw or request an incomplete grade. Under this circumstance, normal Carroll College policy for the award of “Incomplete” grades will apply. These instances will need to be individually contracted and approved by the course instructor/ faculty member, and filed in the Office of the Registrar. The student will not receive a refund for these courses and/or applicable fees.

Student Re-enrollment

Students mobilized or activated while enrolled in Carroll College will have priority placement upon return. The college will make every attempt to place these students back into their academic study track, as closely as possible to the same place the student occupied before they were mobilized or activated. Any readmission application fee will be waived for these students.

Student Account

If the student chooses to fully withdraw from the college, course tuition and fees will be pro-rated and reduced based on federal and institutional aid refund policies outlined in the Carroll College Catalog.

If the student withdraws before 60% of the semester has been completed, Federal Financial Aid and charges will be pro-rated in accordance with the policy as outlined in the Carroll College Catalog. If the student withdraws after he/she has completed 60% of the semester, no Financial Aid or charge adjustments will be necessary.

I. Federal Aid:

Financial Aid is pro-rated for students who withdraw from the college. Federal Financial Aid will be returned in accordance with the Federal Financial Aid return policy:

Federal Financial Aid is pro-rated based on Federal Title IV Regulations: See Return of Federal Title IV Funds Policy.

Note: Federal loan disbursements the student has earned, based on the pro-ration, will enter repayment when a student withdraws from school. Students may contact the loan servicer to postpone payments on their loan accounts.

II. Institutional Aid (Scholarships and Grants):

If the student has received institutional scholarship and grants prior to mobilization and chooses to withdraw from the college, the scholarships and grants will be refunded in accordance with the institutional aid policy outlined in the Carroll College Catalog.

Please note that receiving a refund of tuition and fees from Carroll College may result in a repayment to the Department of Veteran Affairs for any education benefits received during that time.