Information for Veterans, Dependents and Reservists Veterans Services "VETERANS ARE OUR FIRST PRIORITY" Fall 1999
NEW GRANT
AVOID THE $50 LATE CHARGE
INTERESTED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT?
SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR RESERVE CALL-UPS
VOC REHAB
W.A.V.E.
WORK STUDY
ON THE HILL
NEW HEALTH PLANS FOR VETERANS
WHAT IS A VA HOME LOAN?
USF NOW HAS A FULL TIME ARMY RECRUITER
HEALTH CARE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
DOWNTOWN CENTER
MARINE CORPS PLATOON LEADERS COURSE
LOST MILITARY RECORDS
NEW FACES
DATA FROM ATLANTA
IMPORTANT!
VETERANS DAY
The Degree Completion Award, a new grant designed to help part-time students, will give each person who qualifies a three-credit course for free. It will be made available in the Spring. Letters will be sent to students who are receiving an award for Fall 1999, or to those who are less than full-time, even if they did not apply for aid.
For more information please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 974-4700.
If you received a deferment for Fall, deadline to pay is October 29th. Students will not be cancelled after this date but a $50.00 late fee will be assessed.
If you encountered a problem receiving your VA check, contact
Veterans Services in Tampa or your campus Veterans Services
Coordinator regarding a waiver of
the late fee.
The Office of the Police Corps provides up to $30,000 in scholarships to students who agree to serve for 4 years as a police officer after receiving their bachelor's degree. Twenty-three states are now participating in the Police Corps.
A student from any four year institution of higher learning majoring in any field of study may apply to any of the participating states. Scholarship is up $7,500 per year for four years and covers tuition, room and board, books and supplies. The student also receives $250 per week during the 16-24 week Police Corps training they complete after receiving a baccalaureate degree.
For more information see http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/opclee for active states and more information about the Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education at the U.S. Department of Justice.
The special provisions that applied to claimants who were ordered to active duty after August 1, 1990 due to the Persian Gulf War also apply to claimants who were ordered to active duty due to similar humanitarian/police actions such as the Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Haiti, and Kosovo situations. These provisions include:
Restoration of entitlement to those who discontinued training
and did not receive credit as a result of being:
1. Ordered to active duty, or
2. Reassigned, or
3. Required to perform increased amounts of work.
Restored entitlement will not be counted towards a person's
maximum combined entitlement of 48 months.
Extension of ending dates of the period of chapter 1606 eligibility
by the amount of time served on active duty plus four months.
Exemption from mitigating circumstances requirement for withdrawal
due to being ordered to active duty.
VOC REHAB
Beginning this semester, Phillip Garrett and Beth Clarke will be the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors/Case Managers for all Chapter 31 students at USF. Both case managers will be making site visits to the Tampa campus throughout the semester. You will be notified by mail of the dates of upcoming visits.
Effective this semester, Chapter 31 services will include paying for campus parking fees. If you have paid for a parking permit this term, please speak to your case manager for further information. Phillip Garrett can be reached directly at (727) 319-7939 . Beth Clarke can be reached at (727) 319-7938.
Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (W.A.V.E.) will allow students to send their monthly verification of attendance to the VA over the internet.
It will allow students to log into the website using an ID and Password. Information is presented to the student about their benefit claim. The student then verifies the information or fills in the changes. The program is expected to be in full implementation in February 2000.
Check out http://www.gibill.va.gov/
If you plan on continuing your work-study contract for Spring 2000 please remember to go to the Veterans Services office to complete a new contract in November. Please contact Yenira at 974-4032 for more information.
Positions Still Available
VetCenter is looking for help. If you are interested in a work-study
position in that office please contact Bill or Ron at (813) 228-2621.
ON THE HILL
The Commission on Service members & Veterans Transition Assistance, known as the Transition Commission is made up of 12 members appointed from citizens who have knowledge and expertise concerning veterans, military, and management matters.
The Transition Commission is concerned with veterans transition assistance and readjustment benefits programs. Its duties are:
Check out their recommendations on http://web9.whs.osd.mil.
As a result of the Veterans Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996, which eliminated confusing eligibility criteria to ensure that enrolled veterans receive all needed health care in the proper setting, the VA has begun its new plan. It features easier access to a broader array of services at VA health-care facilities throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Although most veterans must be enrolled to gain access to VA health care and participate in the plan, there is no deadline. There is a one-page application which must be filed either in person or by mail.
To receive an application form or more information about the VA's new comprehensive health-care benefits plan, veterans should call their nearest VA health-care facility or benefits office, or call toll-free, 1-877-222-VETS (8387). Once their eligibility is verified, they can begin receiving VA healthcare. The VA announced on September 22nd that, in fiscal year 1999, it will enroll all veterans who apply for care.
A VA home loan, which is one of the benefits within the GI Bill, is a mortgage for a primary residential dwelling for active duty military personnel or veterans that have been discharged or are retired. This mortgage is guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is a guaranteed mortgage meaning that the Department of Veterans Affairs will pay twenty-five percent of the amount borrowed for the home, if the veteran fails to meet his or her commitment to pay the loan. If this should occur, the home is foreclosed and the veteran is required to move. The veteran loses any rights to or equity in the home. The mortgage is made by an independent mortgage company or bank, and payments are made to that mortgage company or bank, not the Department of Veterans Affairs.
There are some similarities and differences between a VA home loan and an FHA home loan. VA and FHA home loans are both backed by our Federal Government. The VA loan is administered by the Department of Veteran Affairs and the FHA loans is administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Veterans and active duty personnel may receive a home loan that is 100% of the value of the property he or she is purchasing. No down payment is required. When a home is purchased with an FHA home loan the buyer is required to make a minimum contribution to the transaction of 3%. Therefore, a veteran could buy a $100,000 home for no money down, while a person using an FHA loan would be required to make a minimum contribution of $3000. However, with both programs, the buyer has the freedom to make as large a down payment as they desire. Both programs require the person acquiring the mortgage to pay for closing costs.
The FHA home loan requires both an upfront Mortgage Insurance Payment and a monthly mortgage insurance payment. With a VA loan there is no mortgage insurance of any type. However, there is a VA Funding Fee that can be financed with the mortgage. This funding fee is used by the VA to administer the program and is only 2% to 3% of the loan amount unless the veteran has a service related disability. If there is a service related disability the funding fee is waived.
As you can see, the VA home loan program is a tremendous opportunity provided to those among us who answered the call of their nation. It is a small way for the nation to say thank you.
Beginning in October, 1999 Home of Record Mortgage Company
will be offering to USF veterans and active duty personnel, the
chance to learn and ask questions about their GI Bill and exactly
how they might go about buying a house. You will also learn
why owning a house is so much better than renting! These opportunities
will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings every second
and fourth week of the month. We have found that small groups,
with a limited number of people attending, are the most productive.
Therefore, we are asking that you call Home of Record and let
us know which workshop you would like to attend. These consultations
are absolutely free and without obligation. You can register
with Phil Prescott or David Grabau at Home of Record, (813) 655-1822.
The Tampa North Recruiting Station at 2788-A E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, has recently assigned a full time Army representative to the USF campus. Sergeant First Class Markus Bates, a Military Intelligence Analyst, will be the primary liaison between USF and the Recruiting Command. Along with SFC Bates posting to USF comes several new incentives for the first time enlistees. The Army is currently offering up to $50,000 through the Army College Fund for continuing education. Additionally, new enlistees can receive up to $12,000 in enlistment bonuses for select job skills. Most college students can also participate in the Army Loan Repayment Program which will pay off up to $65,000 of Federally insured student loans. Veteran soldiers have become a hot commodity to the Army and is actively seeking veterans wishing to return to active duty.
USF has also become one of the newest members of the Army's Concurrent Admissions Program (CONAP). CONAP allows students to be enrolled in college while concurrently serving on active duty. This allows soldiers to apply all their college credit they earn while on active duty to a college or university of their choice. Currently there are approximately 1300 colleges and universities throughout the United States participating in the CONAP program. Allowing soldiers to attend college while on active duty utilizing their 75% tuition assistance, combined with the CONAP program will ensure a seamless transition of all credit acquired on active duty to their college transcripts. Participation in all Army education programs will help ensure that all individual educational goals can be attained. For more information on Army educational benefits, training programs in over 250 jobs skills or other opportunities please contact SFC Bates at (813) 971-7090.
The following is from the Occupational Outlook Quaterly, Spring, 1999 issue. The health services industry is projected to grow twice as fast as the national economy. The demand is so great that there is a shortage of health care providers in some communities. This shortage translated into opportunities for students and professionals willing to work where they are needed most.
The Department of Health and Human Services offers two scholarships nationwide for health care students who commit to working in medically under served areas. The National Health Services Corps Scholarship is available to students studying to be physicians, physician assistants, dentists, dental hygienists, nurse practitioners, or nurse-midwives. In exchange for each year of tuition, fees, and monthly stipends they receive in school, program graduates work in medically under served areas for one year. After two years of service the Service Corps will repay previously incurred school debt.
A similar program for nursing students is also available. The Undergraduate Education of Professional Nurses Grant Program provides tuition, fees, and a stipend to nursing students pursuing associate, diploma, or bachelor credentials. Upon graduation, these students work in medically under served areas for at least one year.
For more information about these and other federal scholarships, call the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (301) 443-4776 or check out their website http://www.hrsa.dhhs.gov/bhpr/dsa/dsa.htm
About 200 businesses, public administration and management information systems graduate students have opted to avoid rush hour and take their nighttime courses at the University of South Florida's new Downtown Center located in the Tampa Port Authority headquarters on Channelside Drive. The first 18 courses being are offered as a convenience for professionals.
The Platoon Leaders Course-PLC program is open to all full-time Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. Selected applicants will attend Officer Candidates School (OCS) and undergo an intensive 6 week or 10 week evaluation of their leadership potential. All OCS training takes place during the summer. The PLC program is an internship that can lead to a future as a Marine Officer. Upon successful completion of OCS and graduation from college all officer candidates will be offered a commission as a Second Lieutenant.
The following was taken from the North Tampa 334 News.
The Veterans Administration has reported discovering 10 million duplicates of the 20th Century Military Records. These were thought to have been destroyed in their fire.
If you need records that you were told were burned in that fire, you may contact the:
Veterans Personnel Records GSA
9700 Paige Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132
We would like to introduce the new employees in the Veterans Services Office.
Both Yenira Tossas and Pamela Turley worked in the Office of the Registrar. Yenira is the new Program Assistant and VA Work Study Coordinator. Pamela is the new Senior Clerk.
Although new to the Veterans Services Office they are knowledgeable
with USF policies and procedures as well as OASIS.
The following is statistical data from the Atlanta RPO:
During the Fall enrollment period their normal processing time is 45 to 60 days.
For statistical purposes their average processing time includes those cases which are processed automatically by Enrollment Certification Automated Processing (1 to 2 days) and manually by claims adjudicators (50 to 60 days).
Type of Case Cases Pending
Original App. 358
Supplemental
Enrollment 17,263
Phone Inquiries Month of Oct.
Received & Answered
in the Atlanta RPO 17,552
Received in Atlanta RPO
& Not Answered 3,358
Type of Claim Average Days for Oct.
Original
Application 26
Supplemental
Enrollments 23
Apprentice/
OJT Enrollments 50
Students that were certified for VA benefits for Fall 1999
and the Spring 2000 and whose benefits for the Fall 1999 were
discontinued, must come in to our office and request to be recertified
for the Spring 2000 semester.
In honor of Veterans Day we have included the following websites:
http://members.aol.com/veterans/warlib69.htm
Activities for Veterans Day
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/acts4vd.htm
Arlington National Cemetery
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/eagle.htm
The United States Flag
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/Flagdisp.htm
Gun Salutes
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/halfstaf.htm
The Origins of Memorial Day
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/memday.htm
The National Cemetery System
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/ssbanner.htm
The Story of Taps
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/taps.htm
The Origins of Veterans Day
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/vetday.htm
Vets & Department of Veterans Affairs
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/vetsva.htm
VA National Cemetery System
http://www.va.gov/cemetery/index.htm
Celebrating America's Freedoms
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/CAIndex.htm
VA Public Affairs
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/OPAIndex.htm
Veterans Day MD VA DC Local Events
http://www.va.gov/pubaff/vetday98/stdir.htm
1998 Veterans Day National Committee
Veteran Organizations
http://www.va.gov/vso/cwv.htm
Veterans Of Foreign Wars
http://www.vfw.org/
Vietnam Veterans Of America
http://www.vva.org/
Amvets
http://www.amvets.org/
Blinded Veterans Association
http://www.armynavy.net/
Non-commissioned Officers Association
http://www.va.gov/vso/ncoa.htm
The American Legion
http://www.legion.org/
Military Order Of The Purple Heart
http://purpleheart.org/support.htm
Pearl Harbor Survivors Association
http://www.va.gov/vso/mca.htm
Women's Army Corps Veterans Association
http://www.va.gov/vso/wacva.htm
Paralyzed Veterans Of America
http://www.pva.org/
Legion Of Valor
http://www.trea.org/
Congressional Medal Of Honor Society
http://www.awod.com/gallery/probono/cmhs/
Disabled American Veterans
http://www.dav.org/
The Retired Officers Association
http://www.va.gov/vso/plav.htm
American G.I. Forum
http://www.neta.com/~1stbooks/forum.htm
Jewish War Veterans Of The Usa
http://www.penfed.org/jwv/home.htm
American Ex-prisoners Of War
http://www.va.gov/vso/agsm.htm
Fleet Reserve Association
http://www.nasdva.com/
Veterans Of World War I Of The Usa
http://www.va.gov/vso/vww1.htm
United Spanish War Veterans
http://www.va.gov/vso/uswv.htm
USF is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative
Action Institution.
remember the veterans,
who fought so bravely
To protect our precious freedom!
