VA Education and Training Benefits Overview:
ACI Learning allows students who are deemed covered individuals to attend classes using their GI Bill®, Vocational Rehabilitation, or Vet Tec benefits. Both GI Bill® and VOC Rehab are covered under Title 38 United States Code Section 3679(e). A covered individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits.
Required Documentation:
Covered individuals enrolling at ACI Learning will be required to provide a certificate of eligibility for proof of entitlement to receive educational assistance under Chapter 31 or Chapter 33 benefits. A certificate of eligibility, also known as a Statement of Benefits, can be obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs website and should be dated within 30 days of the student’s start date.
To proceed with the educational requirement before receipt of VA disbursement, covered individuals are required to:
Submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance no later than the first day of a course of education.
Submit a written request to use such entitlement in the form of an ACI Learning enrollment packet.
Provide additional information necessary for the proper certification of enrollment by the educational institution.
Basic Allowance for Housing:
ACI Learning is a Non-College Degree school and Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is only paid for actual class time attended.
Classes that are 40 clock hours will be paid at the full-time rate. Classes that are 20 clock hours will be paid at the ¾ time rate or higher, depending on location. Virtual campus students will be paid at the ½ rate for online classes.
Generally, the VA will pay around the 7th of each month for classes attended the previous month. ACI Learning is not able to answer inquiries on payment dates and times. We encourage all students utilizing VA benefits to call 1-888-GIBILL1 with any questions related to payment dates and times
For more information on BAH, please consult your enrollment paperwork.
Delay of Disbursement:
Delay of disbursement from the VA will not impose any penalty on the covered individual, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under Chapter 31 or Chapter 33.
If the VA disbursement is paid and there is a shortfall of funds, an additional payment in the amount of the shortfall will need to be made to the school in a timely manner and worked out between ACI Learning and the covered individual. This payment will only be equal to the original amount minus the VA disbursement received and no further penalty will be administered.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: I just received a class termination notice from the VA. What does this mean?
A: Do not worry! If you fully attended your course(s), termination is the VA’s way of saying that your class was reported as being completed. This is documentation of a successful milestone achievement and is not indicative of being canceled or removed as the result of having not attended class.
Q: My class was 40 hours total, but the email I got from the VA only certified me for 20 hours. Where are the other 20 hours?
A: The hours submitted to the VA are based on your weekly hours of attendance. For example, you are enrolled in a 40-hour course that spans two weeks. In this scenario, the VA enters 20 clock hours of class and applies them based on your weekly attendance. The 20 hours per two weeks is totaled at 40 clock hours by the VA.
Q: Where is my BAH?
A: Some funding sources require students to self-report their attendance every month. If your funding source requires this, please consult this FAQ for assistance. If you need further information on how to self-report or self-certify your VA attendance, please consult this resource.
Here is some information about how ACI Learning is required by the VA to certify VA enrollments:
As an NCD (non-college degree) school, we are legally required to certify students by clock hours and attendance. This means we are unable to submit classes to the VA until we verify that students have met these requirements.
Our School Certifying Official team is responsible for entering all students into the Enrollment Manager System and certifying class hours. This certification occurs the following Tuesday through Thursday for the prior week. Please understand that this is how the school is legally required to enter your enrollments into the VA system.
Generally, the VA will receive and review information from the Enrollment Manager System within 1-2 business days after it is entered by the school and will remit payments to students at the beginning of the following month. Please note that we are a third party and are not privy to BAH information regarding payment or dates.
We encourage all students utilizing VA benefits to call 1-888-GIBILL1 with any questions related to payment dates and times.
Q: If I do not pass my class, is my source of funding affected?
A: If a student is receiving tuition assistance through the VA and does not pass their course, funding may be affected. Some funding sources limit re-entry while others require additional forms of approval.
If a student would like to retake the course and continue in their program, alternate funding sources may be required. To receive assistance reviewing funding options, please contact Support through the chat bubble.