Short-Term Absences Due to Military Service Obligations

Students who 1) are called to Military Service for 30 days or less and 2) do not believe a Military Leave of Absence is necessary, should notify their instructors as soon as possible to make arrangements to complete missed coursework and should provide Documentation of the required Military Service upon request. College faculty and staff will do their best to accommodate students, but depending on the nature of the class and the length and timing of the absence, the student may not be able to remain enrolled in the course. If an instructor does not believe a student will be able to successfully complete their course based on the absence, the instructor must communicate with the student as early as possible in the academic term and the Director of Enrollment Services. Students may contact Enrollment Services or the academic dean that oversees the student program of study.

Military Leave of Absence

1. Students called to Military Service should request a Military Leave of Absence from the college unless they are able to make arrangements to complete their coursework for credit.
   1. Students should contact their instructors and the Director of Enrollment Services (written or oral) of their Military Leave of Absence as far in advance as is reasonable under the circumstances. Notice can be made by the student or an appropriate U.S. Armed Forces officer or Department of Defense official. Notice does not need to include a statement of intention to return to the college.
   2. Advance notice of a leave of absence due to Military Service is not required if precluded by military necessity, such as students’ service in operations that are classified or would be compromised by such notice. However, the student will still need to withdraw from classes or request another type of leave of absence from the college following standard college policy in order for the college to properly document the student’s cessation of enrollment. The student will also complete the Exception to the Refund form as well.
2. Upon receiving the student’s notice the Director of Enrollment Services, will review the notice, initiate the Military Leave of Absence, and notify Financial Aid, Student Accounts and the Veteran Affairs (VA) School Certifying Official [SCO].
   1. Financial Aid will review the student’s eligibility for financial aid funds received before the time of withdrawal and inform the student regarding current financial aid status and any actions required to defer loan repayments based on Military Service requirements.
   2. Student Accounts will process all refunds.
   3. The SCO will terminate Veteran Education Benefits certification and inform the student regarding current benefits status and any actions required to repay the VA.

Refunds

1. Refunds are granted to students who are unable to complete the remainder of the academic term and who provide advance notice and Documentation to the College of their Military Leave of Absence. Students must follow Military Leave of Absence procedures under the military  leave of absence section to initiate the refund. Students will receive a 100% refund of tuition and fees charged for the term from which they withdraw, but will be charged for non-fee expenses already incurred.
   1. For students receiving Tuition Assistance or Veteran Education Benefits (other than Yellow Ribbon), tuition and fees will be refunded directly to the payee.
      1. A portion of the refund may be sent back to the DoD for tuition assistance programs depending on the date of withdraw.
   2. For students receiving Veteran Education Benefits, the VA School Certifying Official will terminate certification effective the date the student withdraws. Withdrawals after the drop deadline will be submitted to the VA under Mitigating Circumstances.
      1. If the VA approves Mitigating Circumstances, then the student is only responsible to repay the VA for expenses the student incurs and payments the student receives after the withdrawal date. The college will refund the VA once the student receives a VA debt letter and provides the letter to the college.
   3. For students receiving Yellow Ribbon or other tuition remission benefits, each school will reverse tuition charges for their respective students. For Yellow Ribbon recipients, the school will work with the VA Certifying Official to determine if the tuition payments should be refunded to the VA.
2. If the college determines it is appropriate to award academic credit for work completed during the term, the student shall not receive a refund for the portion of the course of study for which academic credit is awarded.

1. Military Readmission Requirements. Service Members and their Family Members wishing to reenroll at the college after a leave of absence due to Military Service (a “Military Readmission”) must notify the college of their intention to resume their course of study. Subject to the criteria set forth below, the college will promptly readmit such students with the same academic status as the student had when the student last attended the college or was last admitted but was unable to attend due to Military Service.
   1. Notice of Intent to Return.
      1. Except as otherwise provided herein, notice of intent to return must be provided to the college:
         1. Within 3 years from the time the student is discharged from Military Service or is placed on inactive duty following the period of Military Service that required the leave of absence; or
         2. For students who are hospitalized or convalescing due to an illness or injury incurred or aggravated during the performance of Military Service notice must be provided to the college within 2 years after the end of the period needed for recovery from the illness or injury. ii. Notice should be provided orally or in writing to the academic dean and the Office of Military and Veteran Services.
   2. Cumulative Length of Absence.
      1. With limited exceptions, the cumulative length of all leaves of absence due to Military Service from the college has not exceeded 5 years. Only the time the student spends actually performing Military Service is counted.
   3.  Documentation. At the time of application for a Military Readmission the student must provide Documentation establishing that: 1) The student has not exceeded the cumulative length of absence. 2)  Student eligibility for readmission has not terminated due to:
      1. Separation from the Armed Forces with a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge;
      2. Dismissal of a commissioned officer by sentence of a general court-martial; or
      3. Separation of a commissioned officer from the Armed Forces by reason of a sentence to confinement adjudged by a court-martial or a sentence to confinement in a Federal or State penitentiary or correctional institution. iii. Students who did not provide written or oral notice to the college of their leave of absence due to Military Service prior to their withdrawal must, at the time they seek a Military Readmission, submit Documentation attesting that they served in a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces that required their absence from the college.
2. Failure to Meet Military Readmission Criteria.
   1. Students who fail to meet the criteria set forth above may still be eligible for readmission to the college, but are subject to the college’s established leave of absence policy and general practices.
   2. Students who choose, at the conclusion of Military Service, to enroll in different courses of study/programs than those they were enrolled in at the time of withdrawal from the college must complete the regular admission and enrollment process.
   3. Students who have been away from the college on Military Service for more than 5 years (including all previous absences for military service requirements after initial enrollment but including only time spent actually performing Military Service) and who are not otherwise eligible for Military Readmission may petition their academic deans for consideration of a Military Readmission.
3. Military Readmission Benefits
   1. Students will have access to the same or substantially similar course of study/program as they were enrolled in at the time of the withdrawal due to Military Service.
   2. Students will be granted the same enrollment status, credit hours and academic standing that they had at the time of the withdrawal due to Military Service.
   3. Students will be charged the same amount of tuition and fees for their first academic year after Military Readmission as they were charged in the academic year during which the student left the college due to Military Service obligations.
      1. However, if military or Veteran Education Benefits will cover the difference between the tuition and fee amounts currently charged to other students and the amount charged during the term of withdrawal, the college may charge the amounts currently charged to other students.

Centralia College intends to abide by the DoD guidelines banning certain inducements, commissions and high-pressure recruitment tactics intended to secure the enrollment of current military service members. The College must not provide any inducements to any individual or entity to secure the enrollment of current military service members or obtain military provided tuition assistance. Inducements include any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, transportation, lodging, meals, or other item having a monetary value of more than a de minimis amount. The College must also refrain from providing any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment 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. The College must prohibit the use of high-pressure recruitment tactics such as making multiple unsolicited contacts (3 or more total), including contacts by phone, email, or in-person, and engaging in same day recruitment and registration for the sole purpose of securing military service member enrollments.

Definitions Service Member – a member of the Uniformed Services, consisting of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Services.

Violations Any violation of these guidelines or procedures by staff or faculty could lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.