Inside this Month's Issue:

• Section 1 - Announcements:Spring 2023 Commencement Ceremony Information, Veterans Lounge Access and Monthly Enrollment Verification
• Section 2-Knowledge Article of the Month: Registration Readiness
• Section 3 – Calendar Check out these upcoming events!
• Section 4 - AU Veterans Spotlight: Meet our monthly spotlight, Rancier Gragirene!

Announcements

 

1. Commencement Ceremonies for Class of Spring 2023: American University is pleased to invite graduates from the Class of Spring 2023 the commencement ceremony on Friday May 12, 2023 and Saturday May 13, 2023. Registered graduates will gather in Bender Arena by school for traditional ceremonies featuring bagpipes, remarks from President Burwell and others, and stage crossing with individual graduate recognition. Check the Commencement site for updates and registration information and deadlines. Pre-registration will be required to participate.  
2. Military-Affiliated Graduates: The commencement program includes a section recognizing graduates joining the armed forces after graduation. Those currently serving on active duty, joining the armed forces, or authorized to wear military uniforms may wear formal dress uniforms in lieu of rental regalia. Since tickets will not be distributed to students who do not purchase regalia, you must complete the Spring 2022 Commencement Armed Forces Form to receive commencement ceremony tickets and a parking pass.

3. Attend the Cord and Stole Distribution Event on March 22. Mary Graydon Center Marketplace, 2:00-7:00 p.m. Veteran Cords will be available for pickup at this event!

4. Commencement Attire In order to walk in a commencement ceremony, you must wear a cap and gown designed especially for American University. Students not wearing the proper regalia will not be permitted to walk in the ceremony. The only exception is for active-duty service members and students joining the Armed Forces who have received permission from AU Commencement to wear their formal dress uniforms in lieu of academic regalia.

5. Veteran & Military-Affiliated Affinity Commencement Celebration! Come and celebrate your graduation while meeting other military-connected staff, faculty, student, and alumni at this affinity celebration. RSVP here! The red, white, and blue Veterans Cords will also be distributed at this time. When: Friday, April 28 | 6:00-8:30 p.m.Where: Washington College of Law Faculty & Staff Lounge

6. Do you need access to the Veterans Lounge? The Veterans’ Lounge is located next to AU Central – Veteran Services office in 201 Asbury building. The Veterans’ Lounge is designated for all military-affiliated students. For access, please email veterans@american.edu from your AU email. Access to the Veterans’ lounge is typically granted in 2-3 business days.

7. The monthly enrollment verification requirement is here!The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing a monthly enrollment verification requirement for Post 9/11 GI Bill® recipients. Effective December 17, 2021, students receiving these benefits must verify their enrollment at the end of each month. Those who fail to verify their enrollment for two consecutive months will have their Monthly Housing Allowance and kicker payments put on hold. If you want to learn more, you can read the Veterans Affairs’ blog post about these changes. Review the FAQs about this requirement here! Please remember that for the month of February 2023, the VA has automatically completed the verification requirement on your behalf.

 

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1. What is registration readiness?

Registration readiness is ensuring that a student is in good standing both academically and financially so that they can register for courses on their assigned registration date. For students using VA education benefits, this means submitting your Certificate of Eligibility, Request for Certification form and Yellow Ribbon application (if applicable) at the beginning of the preceding academic semester or term, so that VA education payments are dispersed in a timely manner. For any amount due that is not covered by VA education payments, it is important to pay this amount or form an alternative plan to pay the balance, i.e. financial aid and/or a university payment plan.

2. I was charged for health insurance but didn’t know about the waiver process. Why wasn’t I notified?

It is not part of the American University Veterans Services office protocol to identify and notify students who do not elect to waive their health insurance. However, our office does send out an email reminder at the beginning of the Academic Year in addition to posting reminders in both the Announcements section of our newsletter and on our social media pages. You will also receive multiple emails from our AU Central team regarding waiving health insurance at the start of each academic year.

3. I just registered for classes. What else do I need to do if I am using VA benefits?

For new students, there are two steps you need to take. The first is to submit your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to our office by sending it to veterans@american.edu. Once we verify your eligibility, we will give you access to the Request for Certification form. While you only need to submit your COE once, you do need to submit a new RFC for each new semester or term for which you are enrolled. For existing students, you just need to submit your RFC. Please be advised that we only need one RFC per semester/term. If you make a change to your schedule, do not submit a new RFC. Instead, send an email to veterans@american.edu noting the schedule changes. If you are eligible for AU’s Yellow Ribbon Program, a one-time application is required within the GI Bill year you would like to use Yellow Ribbon.

4. I registered for 12 credits. Is that enough to qualify for VA benefits? Is there a credit limit?

Yes. For undergraduate students, 12 credit hours is considered full-time status. For graduate students, 9 credit hours is considered full-time status (4 credit hours in the summer). For our Law students, 12 credit hours is considered full-time (6 credit hours in the summer) and our Term students must be enrolled 6 credit hours per term. While there is not a set credit limit, there is a cap to the amount of VA benefit payments that a student is eligible for depending on their benefit program (Chapter 33, Chapter 31, etc.) as well as a Yellow Ribbon cap. Please refer to our knowledge base to find more information concerning payment of VA benefits.

5. Is there anything else I need to do to receive the yellow ribbon program funding?

Yes. To apply for Yellow Ribbon Program funding, you must submit the Yellow Ribbon Questionnaire by the end of the GI Bill year in which you would like to use funding. You will then receive a letter via email from the Veterans Services team confirming your approval as a Yellow Ribbon program participant.

6. I keep getting emails about my balance that is due. Should I be worried?

Yes and no. There is a difference between a “Stop” and a “True Stop” concerning financial restrictions on student accounts. A “Stop” can be removed once our office confirms that your VA benefit payment will cover the cost of your Tuition and Fees that are overdue. A “True Stop” cannot be lifted by our office, since we would anticipate that VA benefit payments will not cover the remaining balance on your account. Additionally, our office tracks and works to remove “Stops” at least 48 hours prior to registration for student accounts that are anticipating payment from the VA.

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March is Women's History Month!

March celebrates and commemorates the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women throughout American history. One aspect of Women’s History Month that we want to highlight is the role and impact of women Veterans and Active Service Members. In June of 1948, Congress passed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, which formally allowed women to serve and be a part of the military. This year, 2023, will mark 75 years since women have been formally allowed to serve and over 200 years of service in general, a remarkable accomplishment that is cause for celebration! American University Veterans Services want to recognize and applaud all the hard work and dedication that women Veterans and current service members have given to serving this country. To learn more about the strong women that served or are serving this country, visit these websites: 

https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/womens-history-month/ https://www.uso.org/stories/3005-over-200-years-of-service-the-history-of-women-in-the-us-military 

https://www.va.gov/womenvet/ 

https://www.womenshealth.va.gov/materials-and-resources/facts-and-statistics.asp 

March 2023 Calendar

Don’t miss these important deadlines and upcoming events!

March 6, 2023: Schedule of Classes for Summer and Fall published.

March 6, 2023: New VA system Enrollment Manager to launch 

March 7, 2023: Summer registration open house for VA Education beneficiaries! Drop by to learn more about how your VA Education benefits might be impacted by taking Summer 2023 courses and discuss your options with an expert!

March 12-19, 2023: Spring break; no classes, university offices open Monday through Friday

March 24, 2023: Last day to withdraw from a spring class or change a grade option (end of 10th week). No refund at this time! Withdrawn classes impact VA Benefits. Please contact us with questions.

March 27, 2023: Summer registration begins & Fall priority registration for graduate students begins.

March 28, 2023: Graduate Veterans Webinar for admitted and current students for a refresher of VA Education Benefits processing (register here)

March 30, 2023: Last day to apply for spring graduation. Apply through Eagle Service!

March 30, 2023: Fall priority registration for undergraduate students begins.

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AU Veteran Spotlight

Meet Rancier Gragirene!

Rancier Gragirene is from Miami, Florida and is currently studying Political Science at the School of Public of Affairs (SPA). He will graduate with his bachelors from SPA in 2024. Rancier recently joined the VA Work Study team in the Veterans Services office as part of the Communication/Social Media Outreach team. Prior to starting his educational career at American University, Rancier served 5 years in the Army. He enlisted in the United States Army in 2018 as a Multichannel Transmission Systems Operator-Maintainer. He was stationed at Fort Drum, NY in 2019 in an S-6 shop. He deployed in 2020 to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel where he was the Foreign Military Advisor working with many NATO allies such as Romania, Bulgaria, and Australia on communications. He deployed again in 2022 to Kuwait/Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve where he was the head of the Network Operations office while deployed. Rancier was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant in 2023. He is looking forward to taking advantage of the many opportunities at American University and the D.C. area. 

“We, the staff of American University Veterans Services, are so honored and delighted to have Rancier as part of our VA Work-study team! He comes to work each day with drive and fresh new ideas that push our communication outreach strategy to the next level. I look forward to seeing all that he will achieve while he is at AU and beyond. Thank you for all your hard work Rancier!” -Dymeah Casey, Assistant Direct Veterans Services

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