Veterans and Veteran-Dependent Students
In-state tuition rates for active-duty service members and family attending public institutions
Concord University does not charge a member of the armed forces who is on active duty for a period of more than 30 days more than the school's tuition rate for residents of the state. Similarly, the service member's spouse and dependent children are entitled to the in-state tuition rate. In addition, if the service member, spouse, or dependent child pays the in-state tuition rate, Concord will allow the person to continue to pay such a rate as long as the individual is continuously enrolled, even if there is a subsequent change in the permanent duty station of the service member to a location outside of the state.
Readmission of Service Members
Voluntary or involuntary military service in the armed forces, including service by a member of the National Guard or Reserve on active duty, active duty for training, or full-time National Guard duty under federal authority, for a period of more than 30 consecutive days under a call or order to active duty of more than 30 consecutive days. This includes National Guard service.
Concord University will readmit a service member with the same academic status as he/she had when last attending Concord or accepted for admission to Concord. This requirement applies to any student who cannot attend school due to military service.
The student must notify the University of his/her military service and intention to return to school as follows:
- Notification of military service. The student (or an appropriate officer of the armed forces or official of the Department of Defense) must give oral or written notice of such service to the school as far in advance as is reasonable under the circumstances. This notice does not have to indicate whether the student intends to return to the school and may not be subject to any rule of timeliness. (Timeliness must be determined by the facts in each case.) Alternatively, at the time of readmission, the student may submit an attestation of military service that necessitated his/her absence from school. No notice is required if precluded by military necessity, such as service in operations that are classified or would be compromised by such notice.
- Notification of intent to return to school. The student must also give oral or written notice of his/her intent to return to the school within three years after the completion of the period of service. A student who is hospitalized or convalescing due to an illness or injury incurred or aggravated during the performance of service must notify the school within two years after the end of the period needed for recovery from the illness or injury. A student who fails to apply for readmission within these periods does not automatically forfeit eligibility for readmission but is subject to the school's established leave of absence policy and general practices.
Students should contact Concord's VA Certifying Official in the Office of the Registrar to provide notification of service and notification of intent to return.
Concord University will admit the student with the same academic status, which means:
- to the same program to which the student was last admitted or, if that exact program is no longer offered, the program that is most similar to that program, unless he/she chooses a different program;
- at the same enrollment status, unless the student wants to enroll at a different enrollment status;
- with the same number of credit hours or clock hours previously completed, unless the student is readmitted to a different program to which the completed credit hours or clock hours are not transferable, and
- with the same academic standing (e.g., with the same satisfactory academic progress status) the student previously had.
If the student is readmitted to the same program, for the first academic year in which he/she returns, Concord will assess the tuition and fee charges that he/she was or would have been assessed for the academic year during which he/she left the school. However, if his/her veteran's education benefits or other service member education benefits will pay the higher tuition and fee charges that other students in the program are paying for the year, Concord may assess those charges to the student as well.
If the student is admitted to a different program, and for subsequent academic years for a student admitted to the same program, Concord will assess no more than the tuition and fee charges that other students in the program are assessed for that academic year.
The cumulative length of the absence and of all previous absences from the school for military service may not exceed five years. Only the time the student spends actually performing service is counted.
If Concord determines that the student is not prepared to resume the program with the same academic status at the point where he/she left off or will not be able to complete the program, Concord will make reasonable efforts at no extra cost to help him/her become prepared or to enable him/her to complete the program. This includes providing refresher courses and allowing the student to retake a pretest at no extra cost. Concord University is not required to readmit the student if it determines:
- that there are no reasonable efforts it can take to prepare him/her to resume the program at the point where he/she left off or to enable him/her to complete the program, or
- that after it makes reasonable efforts (those that do not place an undue hardship on the institution), the student is not prepared to resume or complete the program.
"Undue hardship" means an action requiring significant difficulty or expense considering the overall financial resources of the school and the impact of such action on its operation.
Public Law 115-407, Section 103 - Veteran Benefits and Transition Act
For any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA, Concord University will not:
- Prevent their enrollment;
- Assess a late penalty fee;
- Require alternative or additional funding;
- Deny access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution, despite any other existing CU policies that might be in effect.
However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:
- Produce the VA's Certificate of Eligibility by the first day of class;
- Provide written request to be certified;
- Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies (see our VA School Certifying Official for all requirements).
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