Military and Veterans’ Educational Benefits
Roanoke College is approved to offer GI Bill® educational benefits by the Virginia State Approving Agency. Students who may be eligible for veteran or GI benefits should contact the Veterans Administration to confirm and obtain a Certificate of Eligibility. Prospective students seeking admission to Roanoke College and planning to utilize veteran benefits are encouraged to inform the Registrar’s Office early in the admissions process. Students should submit a Certificate of Eligibility to the Registrar’s Office. The following contains crucial details related to educational benefits for military/veterans.
Admissions Information - Military Credit
Roanoke College recognizes and considers transfer credits for courses completed by our military service members, as indicated on the Joint Services Transcript and endorsed by The American Council on Education. This includes coursework completed at community colleges and on military bases.
CLEP Examinations
Transfer credits will be considered for CLEP (College Level Examination Program) on an individual basis for examinations if Roanoke College offers a comparable course.
No student may accrue more than eight units of credit through Advanced Placement tests, College Level Examination Program tests, International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examinations, and/or Credit by Examination.
Students who are called to active military service
Roanoke College, in compliance with federal and state laws, accommodates full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students called to active military service in any branch of the United States armed forces. Undergraduate and graduate students under such circumstances should provide their orders to the appropriate college officials: Assistant Vice President for Academic Operations and the School Certifying Official. These officials will follow Roanoke College's procedures to enable the student to temporarily step away from studies without financial or academic penalties. Please refer to billing section below.
Admitted students called to active military service before their first semester at Roanoke College can defer their status for up to five years. For those called during an enrolled semester, completing the term is possible if the absence is short; otherwise, a military leave of absence can be considered. Details for these options are outlined below.
Semester Completion Options: A student needing to be away from campus due to active military service for a short period, typically no longer than two weeks, will work with the Assistant Vice President for Academic Operations and their faculty members to create a plan for completing missed work.
If an undergraduate student is called to active military service after the eighth week of a term, or a graduate student is called having completed over 50% of their coursework, they may request NG “no grade assigned at this time” from instructors, allowing them to stay enrolled until the term's end, following the college’s NG policy. Students in good academic standing, earning a passing grade in at least one class, can maintain NGs for up to 12 months. Failure to complete within this period results in withdrawal from those classes, with a grade of W on the transcript.
Alternatively, if both the student and instructors agree that sufficient work has been completed, final semester grades will be assigned when the student is called to active military service. Any remaining classes not completed or graded as NG will be withdrawn, with a grade of W on the transcript (pending review of faculty).
Military Leave of Absence Option: If a student is called to active military service and cannot complete the current semester, they can choose a military leave of absence for up to five years from the term selected for the leave. Upon withdrawal, tuition for the term will be refunded 100%. However, it's important to note that for students receiving federal financial aid funds, the college must adhere to specific federal guidelines and calculations. This process determines the amount to be returned to the federal aid programs, which is then credited to the student's account. Similarly, if the student is receiving Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) benefits, the college is obligated to return funds to the Veterans’ Administration in accordance with their regulations.
For students with refunded tuition, institutional and state aid for that term will be cancelled. These funds may be available for future semesters, following proper application and qualification procedures. Room and Board refunds are calculated on a daily pro rata basis from the official military leave of absence date.
If a student takes a military leave of absence before the last day to drop classes in a term, no grades will appear on the transcript. After this deadline, the student will receive "W" grades on the transcript, along with a notation stating, "Withdrew, effective date (Military Service)." Students called to active military service during an enrolled term are advised to consult the Assistant Vice President for Academic Operations for academic guidance. Additionally, a meeting with the Director of Financial Aid is recommended to understand the impact of a military leave of absence on financial aid.
Reinstatement: An admitted undergraduate student at Roanoke College called for active military service before their first semester can defer their admission for up to five years. During the deferment, they must contact the Office of Admissions annually about their intended start term. Enrolling in other credit-bearing courses at another institution during deferment is not allowed. If credits are earned elsewhere, the student must reapply as a transfer student to Roanoke College.
For students returning from military leave, contacting the Assistant Vice President for Academic Operations and the School Certifying Official initiates the reinstatement process. If they return within five years and notify the college within three years after completing military service, they are reinstated with the same academic status without reapplying as outlined in the Higher Education Opportunity Act. For the first academic year only, upon readmission, the student will receive the same tuition and fee charges as were originally assessed during their term of military leave of absence.
If a program is discontinued during the military leave, the student should work with the Assistant Vice President for Academic Operations on an appropriate reinstatement program. Questions about Roanoke College’s policy can be directed to registrar@roanoke.edu.
Billing
The Business Office and Office of Financial Aid will assess charges, refunds, and attendance costs following college policy, Federal Student Aid Handbook, and SCHEV’s Virginia Tuition Relief, Refund, and Reinstatement Guidelines.
Roanoke College does not impose any penalty, including assessing late fees, denial of access to classes, libraries, or school facilities, or require the student to borrow additional funds due to the inability to meet their financial obligations to the institution as a result of delayed payments for education assistance under Chapter 31, 33, or 35 unless the student is less than 100% covered.
Grievance Policy
The Virginia State Approving Agency (SAA) approves education and Virginia training programs. Our office investigates complaints of GI BILL ® beneficiaries. While most complaints should initially follow the school grievance policy, if the situation cannot be resolved at the school, the beneficiary should contact our office via email at saa@dvs.virginia.gov” “GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.