Military

We participate in a number of programs, including the Post 9-11 GI Bill® and the corresponding Yellow Ribbon Program, Federal Tuition Assistance, MN GI Bill®, and State Tuition Reimbursement, to name a few. To research the benefit(s) that fits your service, or family member’s service, contact the Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs’ military education benefit expert in the Duluth Area, who is available to help St. Scholastica students attending any campus.

Other Resources to Research Benefits

• va.gov
• Mymilitaryeducation.org
• Your Base’s Education Office
• Vocational Rehabilitation Department

Other Financial Aid Options

• St. Scholastica Guard and Reserve Scholarship (for new traditional campus students)

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

The Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) program provides financial support for our service members in the National Guard, reserves, or on Active Duty to pursue degrees that support their professional and personal self-development goals. The Department of Defense (DOD) funds FTA with each service branch processing their members’ application, acceptance into FTA, degree program and course approval, and financial payments. FTA payments are class-specific and, thus, requires paperwork prior to the start of the semester. We recommend all service members planning to use FTA obtain approval from their Education Office prior to enrollment at St. Scholastica.

Steps

1. FTA enrollment requests and degree plans must be submitted and approved by the service branch prior to the start of the semester.
2. Obtain a degree plan from advisement@css.edu or through Degree Works on Brightspace.
3. Submit a course schedule to the service branches’ portal and select the appropriate courses for payment.
4. St. Scholastica will then charge the branch the approved amount. The payment will show up on the student’s account.
5. St. Scholastica will report final grades to the service branch through their portal.

For additional information, follow the links below and/or email vetbenefits@css.edu.

• Marine Corps
• Navy
• Air Force

• Contact admissions@css.edu for personalized information about St. Scholastica, degree options, and program costs
• Apply to the College
• Once accepted, complete the Admitted Military Student Form. Jessica Johnston, military support services, will contact you with more information about our Center, procedures, and policies for VA benefit eligibility
• Apply for education benefits and submit paperwork for education benefits to vetbenefits@css.edu
• Meet with an academic advisor for a complete degree plan, available before enrollment, and course registration

As you consider all your education options, here are external resources to learn more about our outcomes.

• Tuition and fee information
• Consumer Information
• College Scorecard
• College Navigator
• Guard Scholarship
• Paying for College

Students Who Are Called into Active Military Service

Students Called into Active Military Service
Issued By: Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Effective Date: November 1990
Revised: May 1999, April 2000, July 2002, June 2019

Academic Record

Students who are called into active military service while enrolled in courses will be allowed to drop (no record) all courses for which they are then registered for the current 16-week term. If the active service is to begin in the third or later week of the term, they may choose to take an incomplete grade (“I”) for a course. Students who chose one of these options will have 10 weeks upon end of activation to complete the academic work. In the time being, incomplete courses or dropped courses due to activation will not affect academic standing; this includes academic probation and dismissal. Students are encouraged to work with an academic advisor on a plan for degree completion or transfer as applicable.

The students will dictate action for registered future terms; the College will drop or maintain enrollment based on their wishes.

For students who decide to continue academic pursuits during activation military service, all course sessions missed due to the performance of state or federal active military service must be counted as excused absences and must not be used in any way to adversely impact grade or standing in the course. (Chapter 284-H.F.No. 3274 – 190.502). Drill and regular trainings are considered active military service.

Students are to work with the Veterans Resource Center Coordinator to notify the school of how they would like to proceed with their academic record and future pursuits at St. Scholastica. The Veterans Resource Center Coordinator will request a copy of the active-duty notice and notify the Certifying Official if education benefits are involved.

The Veterans Resource Center Coordinator will notify faculty members. Students are also expected to communicate with faculty and consult with their academic advisor in a timely fashion to determine the best academic course of action. Faculty may request verification of activation from the Veterans Resource Center Coordinator.

Return to St. Scholastica

An activated student can decide to stop out of their entire enrollment at St. Scholastica. They may return to the college at any point, pending satisfactory academic standing.

Activated students who return to CSS within three years after release from active duty will fall under particular readmission protections, including readmission:

• To the school and academic program, unless requests or agrees to admission to another program without a new, pending satisfactory academic standing at time of departure. Academic departments, particularly those with sequential curriculum, will make every effort to place students into a new cohort with which they may then advance through the program.
• At the same enrollment status (e.g., full-time)
• With the same number of credit hours completed
• With same academic standing (e.g., satisfactory academic progress status)
• With reasonable efforts to catch up. The institution must make reasonable efforts at no extra cost to students to help them become prepared, or to enable the student to complete the program.

If the degree for which a student was enrolled has since been discontinued, the student will meet with the Dean of the School for a teach-out path.

This includes reservists and National Guard Members.

Students will work with the Veterans Resource Center Coordinator with readmission processes and reactivation of their account.

Financial Aid

When students drop and/or withdraw from courses, a Federal Return of Title IV funding (R2T4) calculation must be performed. The calculation determines the prorated amount of all Title IV funds (Pell Grants, SEOG Grants, Direct Student Loans) which must be returned to the federal government. This R2T4 calculation does not change for students activated or relocated for military service. If, after they drop or withdraw from the term, and CSS refunds 100% of the tuition charges as per the refund policy, any refund must be used to repay disbursements from federal aid programs in accordance with the R2T4 calculation. Any previously awarded refunds for the affected term may also be altered based on this calculation.

The College of St. Scholastica will return any unearned federal tuition assistance (TA) funds on a proportional basis through at least the 60 percent portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending; this mirrors The College’s Withdrawal and Return of Title IV Funding (R2T4) Policy. When a Service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, the Veterans Resource Center Coordinator will work with the affected Service member to identify solutions that will not result in student debt for the returned portion. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the Veterans Resource Center Coordinator when they must stop attending classes and the rationale.

Other financial aid procedures will be dictated by the regulations of the source. This includes VA funding.

Post 9/11 GI Bill®, Yellow Ribbon and Chapter 31 Certifying and Awarding Policy

Created July 25, 2012, Updated Aug. 6, 2024
Owned by Trish Johnson, Director of Financial Aid

Pursuant to Public Law 111-377, The College of St. Scholastica is specifically designating the following funds for the sole purpose of defraying tuition and fees. Thus, these amounts are deducted from student’s total reported tuition and fees. The College reserves the right to add to this list as new funds are created. The list is reviewed before each semester begins.

• Academic Plus Program Award
• Access Awards
• Adv Nsg Edu Work Grant/Adv Nsg Edu Grant ANEW 2
• Alumni Referral Scholarships
• BA Completion Discount
• Benedictine Scholarships
• Benedictine 2nd Degree Schol
• BHC Facility Discount
• BSBA Discount
• Catholic Educators Discount
• Catholic Referral Scholarships
• Clinical Agency Discount
• Continuing Student Awards
• Cooperative Site Discount
• COVID-19 Saints Succeed Award (GEO)
• COVID-19 Saints Succeed Award (Trads)
• CSS Alumni Discount
• CSS College Readiness Scholarship
• CSS Credit Overload Discount
• CSS Degree Completion Award
• CSS Discount (Trad/GEO)
• CSS Inclusion & Diversity Scholarship
• CSS Military Guard/Reserve Scholarship
• CSSYES Scholarship
• CLEAN Recovery Award (traditional and GEO)
• First Class Scholarship
• Free Class Discount
• FYDP Scholarships
• Ge-naadamaagoyan – Native American Scholarship
• General Education Discount
• Horatio Alger Scholarship Match
• Leadership Award
• Legacy Award
• Meaningful Work Award 10% Discount
• Meaningful Work Award 15% Discount
• MN Dept of Education Student Support Personnel Workforce Pipeline School Social Work Grant
• Multiple Family Member Discount
• Music Scholarship
• Postgraduate Tuition Aid
• PTK Benedictine Scholarships
• Saints Award
• Saints Match Scholarship
• Saints Promise Scholarship
• Saints Succeed Scholarship
• Saints Succeed Award
• Senior Citizens Discount
• Sr. Mary Rochefort Community Scholarship
• Sr. Monica Laughlin Scholarship
• Sr. Tim Kirby Social Justice Scholarship
• St. Scholastica MOOC Discount
• Study Buddy Discount
• Summit Scholarships
• TAG Discount
• Tower Award
• Trio Scholarship
• Tuition Exchange Scholarship
• Tuition Remission
• We Believe in Saints Scholarship
• Youth Theology Institute Scholarship
• Zenith Music City Music Fest

The Post 9-11 GI Bill ® annual cap (Aug. 1, 2024- July 31, 2025) for the 2024-2025 school year is $28,937.09.

Yellow Ribbon

The Yellow Ribbon Program gives additional aid above the annual cap for those who qualify for 100% Post 9-11 GI Bill® with remaining months of eligibility. Per our Yellow Ribbon Program Agreement with the VA, Yellow Ribbon Awards will be granted to a maximum of 125 undergraduate students and 20 graduate students on a first come-first serve basis. (Note: We have never turned away eligible students. That is, we have never reached this maximum.) Again, this benefit is only for those who qualify for 100% Post 9-11 GI Bill®. The VA determines eligibility for the Yellow Ribbon Award and months of entitlement. Once Post 9-11 GI Bill® months are used, Yellow Ribbon Award eligibility ends. No Yellow Ribbon money from the school will be paid until the student demonstrates they have remaining months of Post 9-11 GI Bill®.

We do not have a separate application process for a Yellow Ribbon Award. A submitted Certificate of Eligibility listing 100% eligibility to our Certifying Official, with eligible months remaining, for the Post 9-11 GI Bill® is sufficient. The Financial Aid Office will request students provide either Certificate of Eligibility or a Statement of Benefits each semester to verify the months remaining on Post 9-11 GI Bill® eligibility.

For those under the Yellow Ribbon Award eligibility, the yearly max CSS contribution is $12,000 for undergraduates and $5,000 for graduates. The VA matches the amount the school contributes, up to these amounts. The amount students receive depends on eligibility and their cost of tuition, fees, etc. during eligible months following the policy above. The VA will not pay for tuition covered under other aid that is set as tuition-specific (i.e. aid listed above). The Yellow Ribbon Award amount will be listed on the student’s bill and Financial Aid Award Letter.

Participation Policy: Title 38 USC 3679(e)

Owned by Jeri Collier, Registrar and School Certifying Official

Students using Post 9-11GI Bill® (Chapter 33) and Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E – Chapter 31) are allowed to attend and participate in the course of education without penalty while The College awaits payment from the VA. The College will not impose any penalty (including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or require borrowing additional funds) on any covered student because of the student’s inability to meet their financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under Chapter 31 or 33.

To be covered under this policy, the student must be able to submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Ch 31 or 33 (ex – a “certificate of eligibility,” “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) website, e-Benefits screenshot, or a VAF 28-1905 form for chapter31) and plan to use the benefit for the set term.

These protections end on the earlier of the following dates:

1. The date on which payment from VA is made to the institution
2. 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility

Unearned FTA (Federal Tuition Assistance) Refund and Schedule Policy

The College of St. Scholastica will return any unearned federal tuition assistance (TA) funds on a proportional basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending; this mirrors the College’s Withdrawal and Return of Title IV Funding (R2T4) Policy.

The College of St. Scholastica prorates refunds based on the week of the term when the student withdraws. The refund percentages shown below are based on the date of official withdrawal as determined by CSS. These refund percentages are also used when students drop or withdraw from individual classes throughout the semester, which would impact the tuition/fees charged. Note: classes meet Monday-Friday.

Refund table for 16-week classes

• Dropped during the add/drop period of the course or before (certified by Registrar) 100% Refund
• Weeks three and four: 75% Refund
• Weeks five and six: 50% Refund
• Weeks seven – eight: 25% Refund
• Week 9: 25% Refund (60% complete week 9)
• Week 10: no refund

Refund table for eight-week classes

• Dropped during the add/drop period of the course or before (certified by Registrar): 100% Refund
• Week two: 75% refund
• Week three: 50% refund
• Week four: 25% refund (60% complete week 4.8)
• Weeks five and after: No refund

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Questions can be directed to Jessica Johnston at jjohnsto@css.edu.

For all St. Scholastica student policies, please see the St. Scholastica Student Handbook, Code of Conduct and Policy Library.