Veteran’s Benefits Procedures
Undergraduate students interested in, or in the process of, applying for admission to North Park University should indicate their veteran status on their application for admission. If you have submitted your application without this indication, please contact the Admission Office. Applicants to graduate or degree-completion programs should talk with their recruiters about their veteran status and how benefits may be applied.
In order to begin receiving benefits at North Park, veterans need to submit the following information to the VA Coordinator:
- A copy of their Certificate of Eligibility
- Veteran’s discharge paper (DD-214).
- Veteran’s Certification Form
The coordinator can be reached at (773) 244-6267 or via email. Students can apply for a Certificate of Eligibility online if they have not yet received one. Duplicate copies of the Certificate of Eligibility can be obtained from the VA by calling (888) GI-BILL1.
Each semester, you must fill out the Veteran’s Certification Form. This form will give the VA School Certifying Official the necessary information to certify enrollment with the VA each semester. This form must be filled out at the start of each term. If the form is not submitted by the end of the add/drop period (4th week of the semester), then a hold will be placed on the account, which will prevent the student from adjusting his/her schedule, registering for future terms, obtaining transcripts, and/or receiving his/her diploma.
VA Approved Program of Study
The VA will only approve benefits for courses that are required to complete the student’s VA-approved program of study, listed in the North Park University Catalog. The VA will not approve benefits for audited courses or for repeated courses that have already successfully been completed.
Course Changes or Failures
If a student receiving veteran’s benefits drops courses, receives a grade of W, fails a course due to unsatisfactory participation, or repeats courses that they have already successfully completed, this may result in a debt or reduced payment from the VA. The VA may hold students responsible for any overpayment of benefits and/or outstanding charges and balances due to North Park University. Students are responsible for alerting the Veteran’s Coordinator if they wish to repeat a course or make a change to their schedule after the start of the term.
Transferring Credit to North Park University
The VA requires schools to evaluate all prior credit earned for students using veteran’s benefits. Students have two semesters from the date of enrollment to provide the Records Office with official copies of their transcripts. If two semesters pass and a student has not provided transcripts, the student will no longer be certified with the VA for educational benefits until those transfer credits have been reviewed and posted to the student’s academic record.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students receiving veteran’s benefits must maintain satisfactory academic progress. Every semester, your academic records will be evaluated according to federal regulations. The first semester that you do not meet satisfactory academic progress standards, you will receive a warning notice. If you remain in an unsatisfactory status the following semester, your aid will be suspended. You will be contacted by the Financial Aid Office with instructions about how to get your benefits reinstated.
Leave Information
In the event that you are called up for active military duty or for military training, you must contact North Park’s veteran coordinator in the Office of the Registrar and provide a copy of your military orders. The Office of the Registrar will work with you and other campus offices to coordinate your leave of absence or withdrawal. Questions should be directed to the Office of the Registrar at (773) 244-5560.