Frequently Asked Questions

Our office is located at the RRCC Lakewood campus near the East Entrance in Room 1005.

Drop-in appointments are accepted when there is staff member availability. Scheduling an appointment is advised. Email us at veteran.services@rrcc.edu  if you are unable to find any convenient times.

No, the staff in Military and Veteran Services are all employees of RRCC. We can act as liaison with VA, but are not employed by them nor able to act in any official VA capacity.

The Veteran Lounge is specifically for currently serving and veteran military RRCC students.

We do not currently participate in this honor society.

Follow the VA Education Benefits – Step-by-Step guide. Contact us with any issues or concerns.

Your classes MUST be required and needed for your declared program. There are a few exceptions, like developmental English and Math classes, but they require additional documentation and have other rules. Please contact us if you are taking any classes outside of your degree plan. 

The best tool for identifying what classes are needed for your program is DegreeCheck. You can access DegreeCheck on the Dashboard of The Rock.

• Classes not needed for your declared major -   
  • Repeat classes if you successfully completed the class at RRCC or a previous institution
  • Developmental courses that are not 100% on-campus (Classroom Based is only applicable instructional method)
  • Developmental courses without placement test scores to justify them

If you settle your schedule (no changes), there are no problems with your registration, and you submit your certification request by the first day of the semester, we will certify your classes within 30 days of the semester start. We aim to submit them as early as possible, but we process them in the order received. The earlier you do your part, the earlier we can do ours.

• If you are eligible for 100% of your tuition and fees to be paid by VA, they usually pay by the end of the semester. Make sure to submit your certification requests by the full semester drop date to avoid late fees.
• If you aren't covered for the full 100%, you need to arrange payments before the full semester drop date. If you haven't paid your share or established a payment plan by then, late fees will apply.
• Your first Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) or Subsistence Allowance (SA) is typically received after the first full month of classes. For example, the Fall semester starts late-August. The first full month of classes is September so the first payment would be October 1st. This may be delayed if you are certified late.
• The VA will send payments directly to you. It's up to you to ensure your balance due is paid. You need to pay your balance due or set up a payment plan by the full semester drop date to avoid late fees.
• Your first monthly payment is typically received after the first full month of classes. For example, the Fall semester starts late-August. The first full month of classes is September so the first payment would be October 1st. This may be delayed if you are certified late.
• How much BAH will I get? 
• CH 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® or CH31 Veteran Readiness and Employment beneficiaries
• CH 30/1606 Montgomery GI Bill® or CH35 Dependent Education Assistance beneficiaries
• The housing payments for VA education benefits are called Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for CH33 and Subsistence Allowance (SA) for CH31. Both are calculated based on the student’s rate-of-pursuit which takes into account the number of credit hours taken, the modality (online and in-person), and the dates of the classes.
• MHA is “based on” the BAH E5 plus dependents rate. See the GI Bill® Comparison Tool for more information.
• SA rates are dependent on your situation. Contact your VR&E Counselor for details.

Come see us. We are here to help with not only your education benefits, but also college life. Simple issues can usually be resolved by email, phone, or drop-in appointments. More complicated issues may require an appointment. Reach out, we are here to help.