Isakson & Roe

Isakson and Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020

On January 5, 2021, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 was enacted. The law will have a transformative effect on the mission of Education Service to provide ready access to, and timely and accurate delivery of, education benefits to Veterans, Servicemembers, and their families, as well as further enable VA to empower GI Bill beneficiaries to achieve their vocational and career goals.

This new law features 32 provisions that impact the administration and oversight of GI Bill benefits including new requirements for enrollment verification, expanded restoration of entitlement opportunities, the sunsetting of the Montgomery GI Bill, and substantial changes to our oversight of GI Bill-approved schools and other education-related issues.

Isakson and Roe (PDF) (va.gov)

Resources

College Policy on acceptance of transfer credits including military credits.

Military Credit

Taft College will grant credit to veterans for active military service. The maximum service credit allowed is 6-8 semester units – 4 units for having completed basic training, and 2 units for each of the first 2 years of service. Students who have the basic training and 1 or 2 years of service combined credit will be used for the Health Education (Lifelong Learning) requirement.

Credit is also granted for educational work completed in the various service schools in accordance with the recommendations of the American Council on Education. The maximum education credit is 12 units. This credit will be applied to help meet the requirements for graduation but is subject to acceptance by any other college to which the student transfers.

Students can earn a maximum total of 18-20 units for military credit. Duplicate credit will not be given in both high school and college. If a veteran uses service credits to complete high school graduation requirements, these same units may not be used to fulfill college graduation requirements.

Credit for Prior Learning

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) is college credit awarded for validated college-level skills and knowledge gained outside of a college classroom. Students’ knowledge and skills might be gained through experiences such as:

  • Military training
  • Industry training
  • State/federal government training
  • Apprenticeships, internships, work-based learning, or other industry-based experiential learning
  • Validated volunteer and civic activities (for example: Peace Corps)

For veteran and active-duty students, we are utilizing the recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE), paired with the service member’s Joint Service Transcript to crosswalk military education that aligns with courses offered here at Taft College. Credit for Military Service/Training Students interested in Credit for Prior Learning using Joint Service Transcripts shall receive credit as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) 111 Directory and approved by the appropriate discipline faculty of the college under the following circumstances:

  • The student shall complete the Credit for Prior Learning assessment petition available in the Counseling or Records Office
  • Official transcripts must be on file in the Academic Records Office. These may include Joint Services Transcript (JST), Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART), Army and American Council on Education Registry Transcript Service (AARTS), Community College of the Air Force (CCAF), Coast Guard Institute (CGI), DANTES/USAFI, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Transcripts (DLIFLC), Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), DLPT Examinee Results, DA Form 330 Language Proficiency Questionnaire, or verified copies of DD214 or DD295 military records.
  • Credit course equivalency shall be determined by the faculty of the appropriate discipline.

VA Monthly Enrollment Verification

Enrollment verification (PDF) is a new requirement for Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) students to verify every month that they are still enrolled in the same courses or training that the school-certified to VA. It’s not about verifying that students are attending classes, but whether the student’s certified enrollment has changed.

Requirements for In-State Tuition

Students eligible for GI Bill educational benefits including the including the Montgomery GI Bill–Active-Duty program (Chapter 30), the Veterans Readiness and Employment program (formerly called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment) (Chapter 31), or the Post-9/11 GI Bill program (Chapter 33) are exempt from paying nonresident tuition regardless of when the veteran separated from the military.

Members of the Armed Forces of the United States are eligible for in-state tuition or nonresident tuition exemption in accordance with California Education Code, Section 68074, 68075, et seq., and AB 81 (VACA Act). Armed Forces of the United States means Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and the reserve components of each of these forces, the California Army National Guard, the Air National Guard, the California State Military Reserve, and the California Naval Militia.

Prohibition of automatic enrollment certification

Veteran students and students using VA educational benefits at Taft College are not certified automatically. Students must request to be certified for each term they wish to use their educational benefits.

Absence due to Military Service

MILITARY WITHDRAWAL (MW) grades are given to students who are called up to active duty in the military. Upon presentation of orders, an ‘MW’ grade is awarded for each class for which you are enrolled, regardless of when you stopped attending. ‘MW’ grades are nonevaluative and do not count in computing the grade point average, nor are they used in calculating progress probation/dismissal. Upon returning from active duty, you are considered a continuing student with no break in attendance. You retain original catalog rights and resume the same level of priority registration.

Designated Campus Employees for Military Affiliated Students

Lisa Brettschneider, School Certifying Official
Located in the Administrative & Student Services building in Academic Records
661-763-7756
[email protected]

Vicki Jacobi, Veterans Counselor
661-763-7719
[email protected]