WCSU Graduate Catalog 2023-2024

TUITION, FEES, FINANCIAL AID, AND VETERANS AFFAIRS

Student Expenses                              

As part of the Connecticut State System of Higher Education, Western Connecticut State University offers a high-quality education program at low cost. Details of the expenses follow. 

Application Fee: all new graduate students pau an application fee when filing an application for admission to the Office of Graduate Admissions. 

Tuition and Fees Per Semester (All rates subject to change)

The Office of Graduate Admissions does not guarantee that full-time study is possible each semester for all programs. Please check with the appropriate graduate program coordinator to obtain accurate information.

Tuition & Fees 2023 -2024 (full-time, part-time, intersession, and misc fees)

 

In addition to textbooks, students must furnish their own notebooks, writing implements and art supplies. Students also should be prepared to pay for field trips and regional study tours since these activities are an integral part of the education program.

Auditing a Class

Students who wish to audit a class pay the same tuition as those who are taking the course for credit. You may register online, in person, or through the mail.

Refund Policies

Refund Policy for Part-Time Students (applies to fall and spring semesters, also winter and summer sessions courses that are eight weeks or longer) Non-attendance does not entitle students to a credit on their tuition and fee bill, formal withdrawal through the Graduate Office is required.

Tuition refunds for part-time students will be issued on the following basis:

  • Withdrawal through the first week of classes:………………………………….100% refund
  • Withdrawal though the second week of classes:…………………………………60% refund
  • Withdrawal through the third and fourth week of classes:……………………40% refund

No refunds will be issued after the fourth week of classes. The registration fee is nonrefundable except when the university cancels a course.

Tuition and Fees Refund Policy for Full-Time Students (fall and spring semesters)

Nonrefundable fees include the application fee, admissions binder, and housing deposit.

To be eligible for a refund, a full-time student must formally withdraw from the university. Nonattendance of classes does not entitle you to a refund.

A refund of the tuition, university, and student activity fees, excluding the application fee and deposit, will be issued in accordance with the schedule below. The amount of the refund will be determined on the basis of the official date of withdrawal:

  • Up to the day before the first day of classes:…………………………….100% refund
  • Withdrawal through the first week of classes:…………………………….90% refund
  • Withdrawal through the second week of classes:………………………..60% refund
  • Withdrawal through the third and fourth week of classes:……………40% refund

No refunds will be issued after the fourth week of classes. The registration fee is nonrefundable except when the university cancels a course. These refund figures assume charges have been paid in full; if not, students who withdraw may actually owe a balance to WCSU.

Refund Policy for Courses Three to Seven Weeks in Length (applies to fall and spring semesters, also winter and summer session courses)

Tuition refunds for these classes will be issued on the following basis:

  • 100% of refundable term charges will be cancelled during the first 3 calendar days of the term;
  • 60% of refundable term charges will be cancelled during the fourth, fifth and sixth calendar day of the term;
  • 40% of refundable term charges will be cancelled during the seventh, eighth, and ninth calendar day of the term;
  • No cancellation of charges after the ninth calendar day of the term.

No refunds will be issued after the ninth calendar day of the term. The registration fee and online is nonrefundable except when the university cancels a course.

Refund Policy for Courses Less than Three Weeks in Length (applies to fall and spring semesters, also winter and summer session courses)

Tuition refunds for these classes will be issued on the following basis:

  • 100% of refundable term charges will be cancelled during the first 2 calendar days of the term;
  • 60% of refundable term charges will be cancelled during the third and fourth calendar day of the term;
  • No cancellation of refundable charges after the fourth day of the term.

The $60 Registration Fee, the $50 online fee are non-refundable only in cases where the university cancels the class.

No refunds will be issued after the fourth day of the term. The registration fee and online fee is nonrefundable except when the university cancels a course.

Board Fee Refund

This fee is refundable, upon withdrawal from the university, on a prorated basis. Full weeks will be used to prorate.

Procedures for Students Receiving Assistance under Title IV

Both full-time and part-time students who formally withdraw from the university and who are recipients of the Title IV funds should contact the Office of Financial Aid & Student Employment immediately at wcsufinancialaid@wcsu.edu to discuss the impact withdrawing will have on their financial aid award.

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The Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment           

How to Apply for Financial Aid

To be considered for financial aid, a graduate student must be accepted to the university, have a processed and valid FAFSA on file by March 1, and be matriculated in at least six credits per semester. Visit wcsu.edu/finaid/graduate-financial-aid for more information on the financial aid process for graduate applicants.

Create an FSA ID at studentaid.gov – the FSA ID serves as your electronic signature and provides access to all financial aid related websites. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov and include the university’s school code 001380.

Applicants should make every attempt to utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA. If you are unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool because your taxes were recently filed or were not filed yet, you must update your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool once you have filed your taxes. Some individuals may not be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval due to other circumstances.

Maintaining Eligibility

What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?

Students receiving financial assistance under the federally supported Title IV Programs must comply with the following set of standards to be eligible for such assistance. Such standards are referred to as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and are measured on a per-term basis. SAP is an assessment of your cumulative academic record at Western Connecticut State University. This policy is separate and apart from other academic policies at the university.

There are three components measured and weighed in determining SAP to ensure successful completion of a degree within a timeframe consistent with federal regulations.

Students applying for financial aid must maintain status as a matriculated graduate or undergraduate. Matriculated students will be evaluated for Satisfactory Academic Progress based upon qualitative and quantitative standards, as well as a Maximum Timeframe standard.

Students who enroll in the Fresh Start program will only have the credits retained and new GPA as calculated by Fresh Start included in the determination of their SAP status for the re-entry term.

Financial Aid Programs Affected by Satisfactory Academic Progress

SAP is required for all Title IV funds, state, university, and some alternative loan programs, including, but not exclusive to the following:

  • Federal Pell and Supplemental Educational Opportunity (SEOG) Grants
  • Federal Loans: Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized; Direct Parent/Graduate PLUS Loan 
  • Federal Work Study Program
  • Roberta B. Willis Scholarship
  • Connecticut State University Grant
  • State scholarship and grant programs

How is SAP Determined?

Qualitative Measure

Grade Point Average (GPA) is the standard used to qualitatively measure Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students must meet and maintain the cumulative GPAs listed below:

Credits Earned Minimum Cumulative GPA Required
Undergraduate: 0-29 credits 1.7
Undergraduate: 30+ credits 2.0
Graduate 3.0

QuantitativeMeasure

Pace:  Matriculated undergraduate and graduate students must successfully complete two thirds (67%) of all cumulative credits attempted.  For a summary of how attempted credits are classified for SAP purposes, see the table below:

Counted as attempted Credits Not counted as attempted Credits
Courses with grades A-F earned Remedial Courses
Withdrawals- W, WF, WFP Audited Courses
Repeated Courses Courses never attended
Incompletes- INC, NG Dropped Courses
Transferred Credits Non-transferred credits
Pass/Fail Courses- P, FP Exams (i.e. CLEP)
Courses taken as a nonmatriculated student
Fresh Start Courses with grades > C-
Courses assigned RM/RP
No Grade (NG)

For clarification on abbreviations, view WCSU’s grading system.

Below is an example demonstrating how Pace is calculated for SAP purposes:

Previous Transfer Credits Attempted Fall 2023 Attempted Spring 2024 Total
30 12 15 57
  • The student has attempted a total of 57 credits across both semesters, including transfer credits.  In order to find out how many credits the student must have completed in order to meet the Pace standard, multiply 57 x 0.67 = 38.19  The student must complete and pass 38.19 credits to be in compliance with the Pace requirement of SAP.

Maximum Timeframe 

Undergraduate and graduate students may receive financial aid for attempted credits in their program of study that do not exceed 150% of the published credits needed to complete said program.

    • Example:  if a Bachelor’s degree takes a minimum of 120 credits to complete, multiply as follows to find 150%: 120 x 1.50 = 180  Therefore, a student in a Bachelor’s degree program may attempt up to 180 credits before s/he is considered noncompliant with the Maximum Timeframe standard.

This 150% credit rule is also applicable to students who have changed majors, or who seek a dual or second degree.

When is SAP calculated?

All financial aid recipients will be reviewed for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) at the end of each term once grades are posted.  Courses taken during the Winter and Spring Break intersessions will be included in the SAP calculations at the end of the spring semester payment period. 

The Office of Financial Aid & Student Employment will review each file in accordance with the qualitative, quantitative, and maximum timeframe measures described.

If all SAP standards are met, the student will be assigned a status of “SAPOK” and will retain financial aid eligibility for the next term.

Failure to Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress

If a student fails to meet one or more of the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards, a SAP Warning notification corresponding to the unmet standard(s) will be sent to the student via WCSU email.  At any time, students may also check their SAP status on their BannerWeb account

When an SAP Warning is administered, the student will still be eligible to receive financial aid for the immediate subsequent term, known as the SAP Warning term.  If, at the end of the SAP Warning term the student is meeting the previously unmet standard(s), then the SAP Warning status is lifted, and the student will maintain financial aid eligibility for the following term.

Students who fail to meet the SAP standard during the SAP Warning term will be ineligible for financial aid in the subsequent term or until such time as they again meet the requirements of SAP.

It is possible for a student to be placed on multiple consecutive SAP Warning terms if the SAP Warnings are issued for failing to meet two different standards.

Example: A student does not meet the Pace requirement for fall semester and is given a Pace Warning for Spring semester.  At the end of Spring semester, she is meeting the Pace requirement, but is not meeting the GPA requirement. The student will then receive a GPA Warning for the following fall semester, and will still be eligible for financial aid.

Students who do not meet the Speed/Maximum Timeframe standard of SAP will not be granted a Warning term.  These students will automatically lose financial aid eligibility but may file an appeal to have their aid reinstated.

Regaining Eligibility

Apart from successfully appealing, or enrolling in an academic plan, students who are disqualified due to low GPA or low-credit hour completion will regain financial eligibility once they achieve the required GPA or credit completion if they have not completed more than 150% of their program requirements.  Undergraduate students who are disqualified due to exceeding the 150% of the required units for their program will regain eligibility after they become a graduate student once the bachelor’s degree is posted.

SAP Appeal Process

SAP Appeals will be accepted within 14 days of the date of SAP status notification, but no later than October 1 (fall) or March 1 (spring), whichever comes first.

If, after one SAP Warning term, the student does not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria, s/he may submit an appeal for reinstatement of financial aid eligibility.  To request an appeal for reinstatement of financial aid eligibility, go to the WCSU Financial Aid Appeals Form and select Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal to proceed.

 

To request an appeal for reinstatement of financial aid eligibility, go to the WCSU Financial Aid Appeals Form on our website and select Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal to proceed.

Appeal Outcome and Academic Plan

If your appeal is approved the Office of Financial Aid & Student Employment will be notified. Please allow 3-5 business days for your financial aid application to be reviewed and processed. Once your aid offer is ready, you will receive a Financial Aid Offer notification to your WCSU email.

Students who fail to meet the standard will be ineligible for financial aid in the subsequent term or until they meet the requirements for SAP.

Some appeal approvals may be based upon a student’s enrollment/completion of an Academic Plan as developed by the SAP Appeal Committee.  The Academic Plan will outline specific academic conditions that must be met to maintain financial aid eligibility.

Financial Aid Withdrawal Policy

What is a Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4)?

Federal regulations require Title IV financial aid funds to be awarded under the assumption that a student will attend the institution for the entire period in which federal assistance was awarded. When a student withdraws from all courses for any reason, including medical withdrawals, s/he may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that he/she was originally scheduled to receive. The return of funds is based upon the premise that students earn their financial aid in proportion to the amount of time in which they are enrolled. A prorated schedule is used to determine the amount of federal student aid funds he/she will have earned at the time of the withdrawal.

Thus, a student who withdraws in the second week of classes has earned less of their financial aid than a student who withdraws in the seventh week. Once 60% of the semester is completed, a student is considered to have earned all their financial aid and will not be required to return any funds.

When is a Return of Title IV Funds Required?

If a student’s enrollment status changes for an entire term (i.e., official withdrawals and administrative withdrawals), the school must recalculate the student’s awards to determine the amount of aid s/he will have earned based on the date of withdrawal.

If a student does not begin attendance in all their classes, the school must recalculate the student’s awards based on the lower enrollment status.  For instance, a student registers for a full-time course load (15 credits) but only begins attendance in three classes (nine credits); in this case, the student’s awards must be recalculated based on the lower enrollment status (nine credits).

Timeline for a Return of Title IV Funds

The Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment must determine the amount of aid that was earned and how much was unearned; the unearned aid is returned to the U.S. Department of Education by WCSU on your behalf.  WCSU is required to recalculate Title IV Funds within 30 days from the date of withdrawal.  If funds need to be returned, WCSU is required to return funds within 45 days from the date of withdrawal.

The amount of unearned aid will be returned to the U.S. Department of Education.  Because the institutional refund policy is different from the Financial Aid Return of Title IV Funds policy, any return of funds may result in a balance due to WCSU.  This is posted as a charge to your WCSU student account and must be repaid immediately.

Post-Withdrawal Disbursement

If you did not receive all the funds that you earned prior to your date of withdrawal, you may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement.  If your post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds, WCSU must get permission before it can disburse them by collecting a post-withdrawal Disbursement Permission form.  You may choose to decline some or all the loan funds so that you do not incur any additional debt.  WCSU may automatically use all or a portion of your post-withdrawal disbursement grant funds for tuition, fees, and room and board charges (as contracted with the school).  WCSU needs your permission to use the post-withdrawal grant disbursement for all other school charges.  If you do not give permission, you will be offered the funds; however, it may be in your best interest to allow WCSU to keep the funds to reduce your debt at the school.

When is a Return of Title IV Funds Not Required?

If you withdraw from one or more courses during a semester but remain enrolled in classes, a Return of Title IV Funds is not required.  Withdrawing from one or more courses can, however, affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress and, in turn, your financial aid eligibility for future semesters.  Please see our Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

Student Employment

Student employment is an integral part of the university and of university life for many students. Student labor benefits the institution in almost every academic and administrative department on campus. The student’s employment can be related to their program of study and/or interests and work schedules can be arranged around the student’s academic schedule.      

WCSU employs approximately 800 students during the academic year. The types of positions available are as diverse as the students themselves. A list of position announcements can be found on the Financial Aid website – wcsu.edu/finaid/student-employment.     

To be eligible, students must be matriculated in a minimum of 6 credit hours at the university. Students are paid bi-weekly with an hourly rate of pay contingent on the difficulty of position and the experience of the student.

There are two major funding sources for the student labor force at Western Connecticut State University: the Federal Work Study Program and Institutional Payroll.    

The Federal Work Study Program is a federally funded program based on demonstrated financial need; work experience is not the qualifying factor. A Federal Work Study award is based on available funding and not guaranteed year to year.     

The Institutional Payroll is state funded and is available to all students; it is not based on a student’s financial need. Students are employed based on the needs of each department, availability of funds, and the student’s experience in specific areas.      

All federal and state funds are subject to federal and state regulations as mandated. 

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships provide on-campus, extracurricular, hands-on learning experiences and stipends to graduate students. Assistantships are not scholarships (which are awarded independently of any expectation of corresponding activity), and they are not work/study appointments (which provide hourly wages for usually non-educational work).

Graduate Assistant positions are available to well-qualified, matriculated GRADUATE STUDENTS in institutional activities that are academically relevant to the student’s program of study. Requirements to be met for these positions are:

·         Graduate student matriculated in a Graduate program

·         GPA of 3.00 or higher

·         Graduate student registered in the current semester

Graduate Assistants may not be employed by any other employment category of the university.

Stipends awarded to Graduate Assistants range from $1200 to $4800. An award from $1200 to $2400 is considered a half­ time assistantship and does not exceed 10 hours of work per week. An award above $2400 and up to $4800 is considered a full-time assistantship and does not exceed 20 hours of work per week.

In addition to a stipend award, full-time graduate students (enrolled in nine credits or more per semester) have the following fees waived:

·         State University Fee

·         University General Fee except for that portion attributable to student accident insurance

·         Student Activity Fee

If you are interested in applying for a Graduate Assistantship at WCSU, you may speak to your Graduate Program Coordinator who can direct you to the faculty who supervise our Graduate Assistants. 

Graduate students need to complete the forms below and submit it to the Graduate Program Coordinator or the faculty member supervising the position for which they are applying.

·         Graduate Assistant Application (Fillable PDF)

Faculty and staff hiring a graduate assistant need to submit the Graduate Assistant Appointment form below along with the completed Graduate Assistant Application to Jennifer Cunningham in the office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at cunninghamj@wcsu.edu.

·         Graduate Assistant Appointment Form (Fillable PDF)

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OFFICE OF VETERAN AFFAIRS

The Veterans Affairs Coordinator assists Veterans, members of the Selected Reserve and military-connected families in transitioning to higher education and is responsible for certifying the enrollment and changes in enrollment for students eligible for Veteran education benefits. The Office of Veterans Affairs is located on the Midtown campus in Old Main, Room 101 with office hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All current/former service members and family members are encouraged to contact the Office of Veteran Affairs in order to ease the transition into WCSU.

VA Education Benefits & Important Student Policies/Guidelines

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs offers many benefits to advance the education and skills of Veterans and service members. Spouses and family members may also be eligible for education and training assistance. To learn more about each program listed below, apply for education benefits, restore your education benefits, change your GI Bill® School or GI Bill® Program of Study, please visit https://www.va.gov.

  • Chapters 30: Montgomery GI Bill®
  • Chapter 31: Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E)
  • Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Veteran)
  • Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Dependent)
  • Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Yellow Ribbon Program)
  • Chapter 35: Dependents’ Educational Assistance
  • Chapter 1606: Selected Reserve Educational Assistance

Matriculation: A student can be certified, for VA purposes, as a non-matriculated student for up to two semesters. The student can be certified beyond two semesters only if they are admitted to WCSU as a degree seeking student. The two-semester limit does not apply to a “guest student” taking courses at WCSU that will be applied their program of study at another school.

Course Applicability: Only courses that satisfy degree requirements may be certified for VA purposes. If a student takes a course that does not fulfill a program requirement, including audited courses & repeating courses successfully completed, it cannot be certified.

Enrollment Status: An undergraduate student must register for a minimum of 12 credit hours of degree seeking courses, whereas a graduate student must register for a minimum of 9 credit hours of degree seeking courses in order to qualify for full time housing allowance benefits with the VA during the fall and spring semesters.

Satisfactory Academic Progress: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations require that all students receiving VA educational benefits meet the University’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standard and the University’s academic standing policy as stated in the University catalog. Students who are dismissed will be reported to the VA and subsequent enrollments will not be reported to the VA until the student is reinstated or re-admitted to matriculated status. The enrollment of students who appeal their academic dismissal and who are allowed to attend in a non-matriculated status during the appeal process will not be reported to the VA. Should the appeal be successful, the student’s enrollment will be reported retroactively to the VA for the enrollment period to which the appeal applies.

VA Educational Benefits and Repeated Courses:  Repeating courses completed in a previous semester or accepted and applied as transfer credits may affect eligibility for receipt of educational benefits. Students who are receiving VA educational benefits will only receive payment for repeated courses if the initial grade did not meet institutional or programmatic requirements, whichever is more stringent.  A student may retake a course to obtain a higher grade as outlined in the Course Grade Replacement Policy, however, benefits will not be paid if the initial course received a passing grade. Students who wish to obtain information on how repeat courses may affect their VA educational benefits should contact the School Certifying Official.

VA Pending Payment Compliance: In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), this school adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. This school will not:

  • Prevent the student’s enrollment;
  • Assess a late penalty fee to;
  • Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
  • Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.
  • However, to qualify for this provision, such students will be required to:
  • Provide Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility (or its’ equivalent) or for Chapter 31, VA VR&E’s contract with the school on VA Form 28-1905 (or its’ equivalent) by the first day of class.
  • Note: Chapter 33 students can register at the VA Regional Office to use E-Benefits to get the equivalent of a Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility. Chapter 31 students cannot get a completed VA Form 28-1905 (or any equivalent) before the VA VR&E case manager issues it to the school.
  • Provide written request to be certified;
  • Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies.

Tuition Waivers:  In addition to the federal benefits offered by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans and Air/Army National Guard members who meet certain criteria may be eligible to receive a tuition waiver at WCSU after any federal tuition benefit received. The tuition waiver does not apply to other college costs such as books, fees, parking, and room and board and eligibility is not retroactive. For more information regarding eligibility requirements and how to apply, please visit https://www.wcsu.edu/veterans.

Out-of-State Residency Reclassification:  In accordance with Section 702 of the Veterans Choice Act, certain out-of-state Veterans and their dependents may be eligible for in-state tuition and fee rates at WCSU.  Covered individuals include:

  • A Veteran using VA educational benefits under the Chapter 33: Post-9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (MGIB-AD), or Chapter 31: Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), who lives in Connecticut (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in WCSU after being discharged from a period of active-duty service of 90 days or more. Please note: Section 702 of the Veterans Choice Act covers you only after discharge, not while you are still on active duty or while you are a member of the Active Guard Reserve (ARG).
  • A spouse or child using transferred VA educational benefits under the Chapter 33: Post-9/11 GI Bill® or Chapter 35: Survivors and Dependents Assistance (DEA) program who lives in Connecticut (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in WCSU after the transferor’s discharge from a period of active-duty service of 90 days or more.
  • A spouse or child using VA educational benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship who lives in the state in Connecticut (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in WCSU after the servicemember’s death in the line of duty following a period of active-duty service of 90 days or more.

For more information or to reclassify residency status, please contact the WCSU Veteran Affairs Office.

Military Tuition Assistance (TA)

What is Military Tuition Assistance (TA)? Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is a benefit paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force and Coast Guard and can only be used while the student is in the service. TA is not the same as the GI Bill. The GI Bill is for Veterans and their dependents and is administered from the Veterans Administration.

What Will Military Tuition Assistance Cover? Congress has given each service the ability to pay the cost of the tuition expense, up to $250 per semester hour, not to exceed $4,500 per fiscal year (October 1 – September 30th). Please note: The total amount of student TA cannot exceed the total amount of tuition. This money is usually paid directly to the institution by the individual services. TA may be used for fall and spring semesters only. You may not use TA at WCSU for summer or winter sessions. This policy only applies to this type of educational benefit and does not apply to Veterans or those using Veteran benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill ®.

How Do I Use My Military Tuition Assistance? Prior to registering for classes at WCSU, you should consult with your unit or base Educational Services Office (ESO) in order to receive firsthand guidance and information regarding your service’s TA requirements. TA is administered and paid from each service’s own funds. The eligibility requirements, application steps, and processing procedures vary from branch to branch. Your unit or ESO will confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements and will review your branch’s application procedures. You must have the required authorization from your branch before you can use your TA education benefit. Please note: It is the service member’s responsibility to complete and submit TA applications no later than 14 days prior to the start of the semester. Once you have arranged for your TA with your unit or ESO, you may enroll in a course.

Return of Unearned Military Tuition Assistance (TA): Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, they may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally approved. To comply with the Department of Defense (DoD) policy, Western Connecticut State University will return any unearned TA funds on a prorated basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were approved. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending. All unearned TA funds will be returned directly to the Military Agency of the DoD and not the service member. After 60% of the semester has passed, TA will not be evaluated for a return to the DoD.

The return of TA funds may result in a balance due on the student account. However, in instances where a Service member stops attending due to a verifiable military service obligation, Western Connecticut State University will work with the affected Service member to identify solutions that will not result in student debt for the returned portion.

Institution’s Schedule for Return of Unearned TA 60% completion point is shown in bold print

16-Week Course Withdraw Submitted:

Before or during Week 1-2: 100% Return

During Week 3-4: 75% Return

During Week 5-8: 50% Return

During Week 9-10: 40% Return (60% of Course Completed)

During Week 11-16: 0% Return

8-Week Course Withdraw Submitted:

Before or During Week 1: 100% Return

During Week 2: 75% Return

During Week 3-4: 50% Return

During Week 5: 40% Return (60% of Course Completed)

During Week 6-8: 0% Return

For courses that have durations differing from those listed above: Unearned TA funds will be returned on a prorated basis, depending on the length of the course. To determine the amount of TA that needs to be returned, the institution will determine the date the withdrawal was submitted, and then divide that by the number of days in the term to determine the percentage of TA that was earned by the student.

Example: The student enrolled in a course that’s duration is 30 days. The withdrawal was submitted on the 14th day. The institution would perform the calculation to determine how much TA was earned by the student’s attendance (14 divided by 30 equals 46.6%. 47% of the TA authorized was earned by the student, which means 53% of what was authorized will be returned to the DoD).

Leave of Absence Due to Military Deployment

The faculty and staff at WCSU value the service of those students in the armed forces and have created a dedicated Leave of Absence policy for these students being activated. To be eligible, students called to active duty must present a copy of their orders to the Office of Veteran Affairs as soon as possible. The office will notify the instructors and the appropriate offices about their activation.

The length and dates of the activation may vary, and students are encouraged to discuss their options available to them with their instructors. Students may not be eligible for incomplete grades if the activation is prior to the midpoint of the term or if the nature of the course prohibits the student from working independently. The final determination of the student’s eligibility and deadline for any incomplete grades is left to the discretion of the instructor.

For activations longer than 3 weeks, students may:

  1. Withdraw from all courses and request of Military Leave of Absence.
  2. Work with instructors and determine if an incomplete grade is appropriate.
  3. Take the course as a Pass/Fail pursuant with the Pass/Fail policy.
  4. Any combination of the above.

Students who have been issued an incomplete grade during a long-term activation should understand that the work missed while on active duty must be completed within the time limit established by the instructor and will be within 3 months of the end of the activation. Work not completed by the established deadline may result in a failing grade for the course.

For activations less than 3 weeks, instructors should treat the student’s absence as excused absences. Students must work with their instructors to ensure that any missed work is completed in a timely manner after returning from activation.

All students who are being activated for more than 3 weeks must complete a Leave of Absence Form and return it to the Graduate Office prior to leaving the institution. This allows students to return to the university under the program requirements when they left and return without reapplying for admission. This Leave of Absence is good for one year but may be extended if the student’s active duty status is extended. Students who take a Leave of Absence and do not return after their activation must complete the readmissions process with the Graduate Office.

Readmission for Military Servicemembers

Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) acknowledges that students may be temporarily unable to attend classes or be required to suspend their studies in order to perform military service. WCSU encourages such students to resume their education once a military service obligation has ended and adopts this policy to ensure the timely readmission of such students.

In accordance with federal regulations, 34 C.F.R. § 668.18 and the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the university will promptly readmit servicemembers who seek readmission to a program that was interrupted due to a uniformed service obligation.

Eligibility:

This policy shall apply to:

  1. Servicemembers who are unable to attend classes for more than 30 consecutive days; and
  2. Servicemembers who are unable to attend classes for less than 30 days when such an absence would result in a withdrawal from the university.

A student is eligible for readmission under this policy if, during an absence, the student performs uniformed service, voluntary or involuntary, in the Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserve, active duty, active duty for training or full-time National Guard (under federal authority). The cumulative length of all absences for uniformed service (service time only) must not exceed five years.

Notification:

A student must provide oral or written notice of a uniformed service obligation to the Office of Veteran Affairs as far in advance as possible, unless precluded by military necessity. Such notice does not need to indicate when the student will return to the university.

The student must also give oral or written notice of his/her intent to return to WCSU within three years after the completion of the period of service. Immediately upon the student’s return to school, the student must provide notice that he/she may be entitled to the tuition and enrollment benefits outlined in this policy. The returning student may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Notification under this section must be provided, by the student, to the Veterans Affairs Coordinator, Kelly Visokay via email at visokayk@wcsu.edu or at (860)837-8840.

Tuition and Fees:

A returning student must be charged the same tuition and fees in effect during the last academic year the student attended, unless veterans’ education benefits or other servicemember education benefits will pay the amount in excess. For subsequent academic years, the returning student may not be charged tuition and fees in excess of what other students in the program are charged.

Readmission Requirements:

A returning student will be permitted to reenroll in the next class(es) scheduled in the same academic program, unless the student requests a later date of reenrollment or agrees to a different program. A returning student will be readmitted into the same academic program the student was enrolled in prior to the military service obligation. If the exact program no longer exists, the student must be admitted to the program that is most similar, unless the student requests or agrees to admission to a different program. Returning students will be reenrolled with the same enrollment status, number of completed credit hours, and academic standing as the last academic year of attendance.

If the university determines that a returning student is not prepared to resume the program or is unable to complete the program, the university must make reasonable efforts to enable the student to resume or complete the program at no additional cost to the student. If such efforts are unsuccessful or place an undue hardship on the university, the university is not required to readmit the student.

In accordance with federal regulations, returning students who receive a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge from the Armed Forces (including the National Guard and Reserves) are not eligible for readmission under this policy. However, servicemembers who receive dishonorable or bad conduct discharge may remain eligible for readmission even though they will not be entitled to the benefits outlined in this policy.

Still Have Questions? Feel free to email WCSU’s Office of Veteran Affairs Coordinator at visokayk@wcsu.edu or call (203) 837-8840 for more information and/or for any additional questions you may have.