Veterans and Service Members Readmissions Policy

Readmission Eligibility Requirements

Delaware Technical Community College students who interrupt their studies to perform service in the United States military are subject to separate readmissions procedures. Students who withdraw, take a leave of absence, or otherwise leave their studies at Delaware Tech on or after August 14, 2008, in order to serve in the U.S. Military, are subject to these readmission procedures if they meet the following conditions:

The student served in the U.S. military for a period of more than thirty (30) consecutive days and provides appropriate documentation to prove such service to the Veterans and Service Members Counselor at his or her campus of enrollment.
The student gave advance written or oral notice to the Veterans and Service Members Counselor at his or her campus of enrollment. A student is not required to indicate whether he or she intends to return to Delaware Tech upon completion of military service in the advance notice. Furthermore, the advance notice need not come directly from the student, but rather, can be provided by an appropriate officer of the United States Armed Forces or official of the United States Department of Defense. Advance notice is not required if it is precluded by military necessity. In such cases, the requirement for advance notice can be fulfilled by the student’s filing of an attestation that the student performed military service at the time the student seeks readmission.
The student’s cumulative length of absence from Delaware Tech to perform U.S. military service, including all previous absences to perform U.S. military service and only the time the student spent actually performing military service did not exceed five (5) years. The five-year length of absence period does not include any service:
1. That was required, beyond five (5) years to complete an initial period of obligated service; or
2. During which the student was unable to obtain orders releasing the student from a period of service in the U.S. military before the expiration of the five-year period through no fault of the student; or
3. That the student was ordered to or retained on active duty.
The student must have notified the Veterans and Service Members Counselor at the campus within three (3) years of the end of the U.S. military service of his or her intention to return to Delaware Tech. However, a student who is hospitalized or recovering from an illness or injury incurred in or aggravated during the U.S. military service must have notified the Veterans and Service Members Counselor within two (2) years after recovering from the illness or injury of his or her intent to return to Delaware Tech.
The student did not receive a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge or have been sentenced in U.S. court-martial proceedings.

Students should contact the Veterans and Service Members Counselor at the campus of their enrollment to determine their eligibility for readmission under this Policy.

Readmission Procedures

Students who meet all of the above conditions (“eligible students”) shall be promptly readmitted to Delaware Tech at the same academic status as the student had prior to leaving for military service.

Promptly Readmitted
Promptly readmitted means that the College will readmit the eligible students into the next class or classes in the service member’s program beginning after the service member provides notice of his or her intent to reenroll, unless the service member requests a later date of readmission in writing to the Coordinator of Veterans and Service Members (not to exceed the time frame outlined in section I.3). A later date of admission may also be imposed on the service member for unusual circumstances, such as the time period required to prepare the service member to resume his or her course of study at the College.
Same Academic Status
Same academic status means that the College readmits the service member:
1. To the same program to which he or she was last admitted by the College unless the student requests or agrees to a different program. In the event that the program to which the student was last admitted is no longer offered, the College will readmit the veteran to a course of study that is most similar to the program that was discontinued.
2. At the same enrollment status that the student last held at the College, unless the student requests admission at a previous enrollment status.
3. With the same number of credit or clock hours completed by the student, unless the student is readmitted to a different program to which the credit or clock hours are not transferable.
4. With the same academic standing (e.g. with the same satisfactory academic progress status) the student had at the College immediately prior to leaving for military duty.
College placement test fees and placement test policies may be waived upon a review of the veteran’s previous test(s) and submittal of military service documentation submittal to the campus Veterans and Service Members Counselor.
Tuition and Fee Responsibilities
For the first academic year in which the eligible student veteran returns to Delaware Tech, that student who is readmitted to the same academic program must also be readmitted with the same tuition and fee charges the student was or would have been assessed for the academic year in which the student left for military duty unless any increase of the prior amount is covered by the student’s service member educational benefits. Should that veteran be readmitted to a different academic program in his/her first academic year upon return, the student may be charged the same tuition and fees as others in that academic program. Likewise, in all subsequent academic years and for any program in which the student was readmitted, the member of the armed forces may be charged the same tuition and fees as the others in the student’s program.

If the veteran has an outstanding balance from previous year(s), the veteran must pay the balance by the end of the first semester s/he returns. If the balance is not paid by the end of the returning semester, then the College’s business office will place a hold on his/her account (and s/he will therefore be blocked from class registration) until the debt is paid.
Program Preparation
Should the eligible student’s academic department determine that the member of the armed forces is not prepared to resume the program with the “same academic status” at the point where the student left off, or will not be able to complete the program, the College will make reasonable efforts at no extra cost to the student to help the student become prepared or to enable the student to complete the program including, but not limited to, providing refresher courses or placement testing at no charge to the veteran. If a veteran requests reinstatement preparation, then student will be referred to his/her program advisor who will discuss available options and route the student to the appropriate academic department for possible program preparation actions. The determination of possible program preparation actions is decided by the academic department which offers the course. If program preparation is not deemed necessary by the academic department, but the veteran feels preparations are necessary, then the veteran bears any financial burden preparation necessitates.

The veteran will be awarded any program preparation at no extra cost for those eligible students who require such preparation as determined by the relevant academic department. This includes any additional fees (supplies and or books) that may be required for program. In the event that program preparation is completed through a course, the veteran should return to the Veterans and Service Members Counselor to coordinate costless course registration and book/supply purchasing with the business office and with the Delaware Tech bookstore. The veteran will not be charged a registration fee if the program preparation course is the only course the veteran registers for during that semester. If the program preparation is completed through a course and the veteran is receiving VA benefits, the course will be certified through the VA for reimbursement. If the veteran is receiving VA benefits but is not awarded VA benefits which cover 100% of the tuition and fees, the veteran will not be responsible for the remainder of the bill. The veteran may request that the course not be certified through the VA for reimbursement. In such cases, the student will not be charged for the course.

Once the veteran has met with his/her program advisor, the advisor will update the veteran’s Student Educational Plan (SEP). If program preparation is deemed necessary by an academic department, the academic department will note this in the veteran's SEP. The notation should include how the preparation will take form, evaluation of preparation results, and any dates by which preparation must be complete.

If the student does not complete the program preparation adequately within the amount of time designated by the academic department, then the veteran is then responsible for completing such program preparation without financial assistance from the College. This may delay timely reentry into the student's program.
Denial of Readmission
Veterans who do not meet the eligibility requirements set forth in the above are not entitled to be readmitted pursuant to this Policy. In addition, the College is not required to ultimately readmit the eligible student veteran on his or her return if:
1. After reasonable efforts by Delaware Tech, the College determines that the student is not prepared to resume the program at the point where he or she left off.
2. After reasonable efforts by Delaware Tech, the College determines that the student is unable to complete the program; or
3. The College determines that there are no reasonable efforts the College can take to prepare the student to resume the program at the point where he or she left off or to enable the student to complete the program.