Getting Started with the Veterans Center
Welcome Military Connected T-Birds!
The SUU Veterans Center strives to support military-connected students across their academic journey by focusing on proactive support in student success, financial wellness, belonging, and career readiness. Whether using VA education Benefits or just needing resources available just for you, follow the links below to guide you through getting started at SUU!
Applying to SUU
- Prior to applying at SUU, find out if your desired degree is approved for VA educational benefits by visiting the GI Bill Comparison Tool to search for approved Education Programs
- Apply to SUU
- Confirm you have given SUU a valid email and be sure to check it often for important communications from the school and the Veterans Center
- Once you have been accepted, you have the option to defer your enrollment deposit by submitting the Deferment Application and stating that you are using VA education benefits
- Note: Chapters 31, 33, or 33TOE students that already paid their enrollment deposit will be reimbursed. Students that completed the deferment application will have the deposit included in their initial funding request to the VA.
Starting Your VA Education Benefits
These links include all of the information required to utilize your VA Education Benefits.
Registering for Classes
- If you have not attended college, your academic advisor will register you for 12 credits the first semester.
- It is important to make sure you fill out your TTQ so your academic advisor can register you for your first semester of classes based on the answers and preferences within that questionnaire. If you skip this section, all preferred courses might be full when your advisor registers you.
- Every following semester, you will be responsible for registering for your classes so please meet with your academic advisor to learn about degree planning and how to register for courses sometime within your first semester at SUU and reference the Veterans Center tutorial videos on how to register for classes using the different apps
- Utilize the Degree Works app located on the right side of your student portal under RESOURCES which is a great way to stay on track and ensure a timely completion of your degree. Your academic advisor uses the app to help create a whole degree plan with you of what courses you plan to take and when, all the way through to graduation. Or the Veterans Center has a tutorial video that teaches you how to create plans yourself. It is helpful to have all classes broken down by semester through to graduation which makes registration so much easier. It is also a VA requirement (if using VA education benefits) to have one saved that has all classes broken down by semester through to graduation.
- If using VA Education Benefits, you MUST CERTIFY YOUR COURSES WITH THE VA EVERY SEMESTER.
- Submit your VA Benefits application
- You must be logged into your student portal first so your class schedule will populate on the application
- Anytime you add or drop a course, please submit another certification application, CHECKING ALL COURSES again.
- If you have previously attended college and have more than 12 credits, or were in the Air Force, you will not be automatically registered for courses by your academic advisor. You can register on your own or meet with your academic advisor to learn about degree planning and how to register for courses. Reference the Veterans Center tutorial videos on how to register for classes using the different apps
- Utilize the Degree Works app located on the right side of your student portal under RESOURCES which is a great way to stay on track and ensure a timely completion of your degree. Your academic advisor uses the app to help create a whole degree plan with you of what courses you plan to take and when, all the way through to graduation. Or the Veterans Center has a tutorial video that teaches you how to create plans yourself. It is helpful to have all classes broken down by semester through to graduation which makes registration so much easier. It is also a VA requirement (if using VA education benefits) to have one saved that has all classes broken down by semester through to graduation.
- If using VA Education Benefits, you MUST CERTIFY YOUR COURSES WITH THE VA EVERY SEMESTER.
- Submit your VA Benefits application
- You must be logged into your student portal first so your class schedule will populate on the application
- Anytime you add or drop a course, please submit another certification application, CHECKING ALL COURSES again.
Credit for Military Training
- Members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard can request an official copy of their JST to be sent to the SUU Admissions Office. The VRSC can also order on behalf of the student
with just their SSN. Students must stop by or call the office to provide your SSN.
- You must create an account by clicking “Register” in the “Sign in to JST” box
- Members of the Air Force may order an official transcript to be sent to the SUU Admissions Office using CCAF'S transcript order form.
- An electronic copy of a CCAF is only available through Parchment.
Student’s will have their DD214 evaluated first, followed by the evaluation of their JST for additional credits.
Students who have active military service may be granted PE 1098 - Wellness Dynamics to fulfill the knowledge area requirement for social and behavioral sciences plus another 7 elective credits.
- Active Military Service requirements:
- Completed Boot Camp
- Completed 24 months of active service
- Honorable discharge or current orders
- National Guard or a Reservist requirements:
- Completed Boot Camp
- Completed 48 months of service
- Honorable discharge or current orders
If the student has other than honorable on their DD214, the VRSC will review and may request additional information from the student
Additional credit may be granted if specific requirements are met.
Credits may be awarded as elective credit. Certain credits may also be articulated as equivalent to SUU coursework, if applicable.
- Once the semester begins, the Veterans Center will upload the student’s JST to the electronic processing application system, where the student’s advisor will be assigned to review for possible credit articulation(s). Any and all credits found to be degree applicable (whether general or specific) will be sent for review to the respective Department Chairs for further evaluation.
- When the official review is completed, the student will receive ONE of the following notifications:
- Notification One (If there was nothing to be found applicable to the student’s degree): After the review of your JST it has been determined that you do not have courses from your time in service that are applicable to your degree. Once you approve your JST evaluation, it will move forward in the process and will be marked as completed by the Registrar. By that point, no other action will be needed on your part. Please let us know if you have any questions. –SUU Veterans Resource and Support Center
- Notification Two (If there were credits found to be applicable to the student’s degree): After the review of your JST, it has been determined that you have courses from your time in-service which can be applied to your degree at SUU. To understand what credits have been identified during your JST evaluation and how to apply them, you will need to meet with your academic advisor (advisor name) and a Veteran's Center representative. Once you have scheduled an appointment with your advisor, please email the Veteran's Center at veterans@suu.eduwith the time and date of your appointment. If you do not email the center with the appointment information, your JST process will be stopped from further processing. Please let us know if you have any questions. –SUU Veterans Resource and Support Center
- If the student was found to have applicable credit (whether general or specific) they will be notified three times throughout the semester until an appointment has been scheduled with their advisor. Failure to schedule and attend an appointment to discuss military credits will result in a VA certification hold placed on the student’s accountuntil the appointment has been completed.
- NOTE: These appointments are conducted to ensure the student is made aware of the applicability of adding credits to fulfill program requirements, possible financial and VA educational benefit implications, and other factors that may impact the student’s educational goals.
- Once a meeting has been completed:
- Students who have specific credits approved will have the ability to review their JST and place a checkmark in the box next to any approved courses they wish to add to their transcript.
- Students with general credits will work with their advisor to determine how many and what kind of general credits they will need to meet degree requirements and the advisor will annotate this in the application evaluation.
- The Registrar’s office will then apply your credits as stated on your evaluation application. Please allow five business days to process. You can view updated changes through your Degree Works or unofficial SUU transcripts.
ALL students who have their military transcripts evaluated will have the opportunity to review and approve the evaluationof their JSTs before the Registrar’s office completes it.
BE AWARE, credit is awarded solely at the discretion of SUU. Some departments at SUU will be unable to consider recommendations or approval for your specific major course requirements due to restrictive accreditation standards for those majors.
Once credits are added, they CANNOT be removed.
No. CCAF is for Air Force members only. Due to the training coming from what is considered an accredited university, ALL credits from a CCAF must transfer to the student’s transcripts. Most will transfer as elective credits.
If the student does not receive credits for degree applicable course(s), the student has the option to meet with the Department Chair(s) associated with said degree applicable course(s). The student must provide the Department Chair(s) with a copy of the syllabus provided to them during their time in service.
If you are using VA Education benefits to pay for school, it is a requirement to have them evaluated.
You can request a re-evaluation of your JST any time you change your degree. However, once credits are added to your SUU transcript they cannot be removed.