Certification Process

All students who receive Federal VA Educational Benefits MUST do the following to have their enrollment certification submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs. For state-funded programs, such as the Alabama GI Dependent Scholarship or the ANGEAP (Alabama National Guard Education Assistance Program), please click here.

1. All students receiving federally funded Veterans Educational Benefits must submit a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to the JSCC Office of Veterans Affairs. These benefits include Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill®, Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill® – Selected Reserve, and Chapter 35 Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA). To obtain your COE, please visit How to Apply for the GI Bill® | Veterans Affairs.

Students using Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) benefits must have their VR&E Counselor submit an official authorization directly to the JSCC Office of Veterans Affairs. Failure to provide the required documentation will prevent certification of educational benefits. For more information regarding the Chapter 31 VR&E program, please visit Eligibility for Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment.

2. Students must have a complete Admissions file on file with Jefferson State Community College. To complete an application, please visit Get Started Today! Apply to Jefferson State.

3. All prior credit for transfer students must be evaluated before enrollment certification can be submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Students must request official transcripts from every college or institution they have previously attended, even if no courses were completed. This includes traditional colleges and universities, non-credit institutions (e.g., ITT Tech, Fortis, Virginia College), trade schools, and vocational programs such as CDL or cosmetology training.

All transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to the Jefferson State Registration Office, either electronically to [email protected] or by mail to the address provided below. If the institution cannot provide a standard transcript—such as in the case of some truck driving or cosmetology schools—a letter of attendance or official record may be submitted via U.S. mail.

4. The Department of Veterans Affairs requires that Service Members and Veterans submit transcripts of their military training and experience for evaluation and potential awarding of college credit. Please follow the instructions below to request your military transcripts:

  • Army, Marine Corps, Navy, or Coast Guard:
    If you have served or are currently serving in any of these branches, request your transcripts through the Joint Services Transcript (JST) service. This applies to all Veterans, Active Duty, Reservists, and National Guard members.
    Important: Do not download and email your transcript. Instead, select the “Request Official Transcript” option after logging in. Access JST here: https://jst.doded.mil/
  • Air Force or Space Force:
    If you have served or are currently serving in the Air Force or Space Force, request your transcripts through Parchment, which processes records from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) at Air University. This also applies to all Veterans, Active Duty, Reservists, and National Guard members. Access CCAF here: CCAF Transcript

5. Students are required to speak with the Veteran & Military Affairs Coordinator or an academic advisor to ensure the courses the student is registered for are required for the major on file in Admissions and are included in the current degree plan. *The VA will not cover courses that are not required for the student’s major.

6. If a student wishes to change their schedule before the start of the term, or during the assigned add/drop period in each semester, they are required to contact the Veterans & Military Affairs Coordinator to update their schedule if they have already submitted their Request for Certification of Educational Benefits for to the JSCC VA Office. Schedule changes could impact the payment of benefits.

7. Once all required documents have been submitted to the Jefferson State VA office, verified, and payment has been received (if applicable), the student’s enrollment certification will be submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

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