Financial Aid - Veterans Instructions

Welcome! Thank you for choosing Caldwell College (Caldwell) to continue your education. It is our pleasure to serve you after the service you have provided for our country. We want to ensure that you get the most from your VA benefits. To help you understand the process and your responsibilities, we've prepared the following information. Please read it carefully as it contains important information that will affect your benefits.

Should you have any questions on enrolling at Caldwell, please feel free to contact Eric Mango in the Office of Financial Aid at (973) 618-3228, or email financialaid@caldwell.edu.

GETTING STARTED
1. Submission of Required Documents – You must submit one or more of the following documents to Caldwell. The documents required will depend on your status (ex: discharged service member, active reserves, dependent of disabled or deceased veteran). If you are not sure of your status, contact the Veterans Administration directly at the phone number or web site given below.
2. Application for Educational Benefits – The Application may be completed on the Veterans' Administration Web site, http://www.gibill.va.gov/. The Application is required for all VA students.
3. DD-214 (Discharge Papers) – It is required that a copy of the DD-214 be submitted to the VA Coordinator if you are receiving benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill. The DD-214 is not required for VA applicants under the following programs: Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits (Chapter 33), Vocational Rehabilitation program (Chapter 31), and dependents of disabled/deceased veterans (Chapter 35).
4. Visiting Students – A statement from your Home College’s VA Coordinator is required, stating that the course you wish to take at Caldwell College are applicable to your program of study at your home college.
PAYMENTS AND FINANCIAL ISSUES
1. Payment of Tuition and Fees depends on the Chapter of benefits you are receiving. All students are encouraged to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see if they are eligible for any Federal or State grants in addition to their Veteran Benefits. FAFSA’s can be completed at www.fafsa.ed.gov and questions regarding financial aid can be directed to Eric Mango in the Office of Financial Aid at (973) 618-3228, or email emango@caldwell.edu.
2. Do not assume that you are not eligible for financial aid. Student Loans are usually available to students who do not qualify for need-based aid. To ensure ample time for completion and processing of financial aid paperwork, all required documents should be submitted at least one month prior to the beginning of the semester you wish to enroll.
3. Students receiving benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) will receive payment of VA benefits directly from the VA, after Caldwell certifies your enrollment and the VA determines your eligibility. Please note that the process for the VA to determine eligibility may take from 6 – 10 weeks from the time your paperwork is received. Since the VA pays benefits directly to the veteran, students are required to pay tuition and fees at the time they register for classes.
4. The College will invoice the VA for tuition and eligible expenses for VA Vocational Rehabilitation students after all required documents are received by Caldwell.
5. Post 9/11 GI Bill students will have their tuition payment sent to the school from VA but will also receive direct payments for housing and books. (proration will apply for less than fulltime status and distance learning)
CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
1. Caldwell begins certifying VA students whose files are complete at the beginning of each semester. We will check on your enrollment throughout the semester to make sure you have not added, dropped, or changed classes as this could affect your VA benefits.
  1. If you make a change in your enrollment please notify Eric Mango in the Office of Financial Aid as soon as possible 973-618-3228.
2. Retroactive Certification – If you've first applied for VA benefits at Caldwell for the current semester, but previously attended Caldwell, we can retroactively certify you for your enrollment during the past year.
  1. For example, if you apply for benefits for the fall semester, and attended the previous summer and/or spring semester, we can certify you for those periods. However, we will not be able to certify you for the previous fall semester.
3. Certification for Degree Requirements Only – Please be advised that Caldwell can only certify you for courses that are required in your major course of study, remedial or refresher courses for degree completion. The VA will not pay benefits on any courses that don't meet the above criteria. The VA calculates the amount of your benefits based on the number of credits you are taking that satisfy degree or certificate requirements. This includes non-credit developmental courses. You are welcome to register for courses that are not required for your program of study, but the College cannot report these to the VA. To ensure that you register for qualified courses, it's highly recommended that you see your Academic Advisor each semester. Adult students can find their Advisor in the Office of Student Success. Traditional students’ advisors are located in different buildings depending on the student’s major. For help finding your advisor contact The Office of Student Success at 973-618-3374.
4. Repeat Courses – The VA will pay for a course you repeat if you've received a failing grade on your first attempt. If you receive a failing grade on the second attempt, the VA will not pay for another attempt. The VA also doesn't pay for courses you originally passed, but wish to repeat for a better grade.
CHANGES IN YOUR ENROLLMENT
1. If you change your enrollment or major concentration, you must notify the VA Coordinator (see contact information below) immediately:
2. Enrollment Verification- the VA requires that Montgomery GI Bill recipients verify your enrollment with them on a monthly basis by calling the VA at 1-877-823-2378 or visiting http://www.gibill.va.gov/resources/verify_attendance/ to the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE).
3. Change in Enrollment for Semester
  1. Add a course.
  2. Drop a course.
  3. Withdraw completely from the College.
  4. We are required to notify the VA of any changes in your enrollment. Changes in enrollment may increase or decrease your VA benefits. If changes are not reported to the VA in a timely manner, an overpayment may occur and you will be responsible for repaying the amount of the overpayment.
4. Change of Program/Major You must also report any change in your major or specialization to the VA Coordinator. The VA allows you one change without question. Subsequent changes may not be approved.
5. Future Semesters Continuous Enrollment – If you continue to enroll in each succeeding semester (not counting summer sessions), we will automatically certify you for eligible courses.
6. Break in Enrollment – If you "stop out" for one or more semesters (not counting summer sessions), and subsequently return to the College, you must notify the VA Coordinator in order to reactivate the certification process. Note: Since enrollment in a summer session is optional, non-attendance in the summer is not considered a break in enrollment. Therefore, if you are enrolled in the spring semester, and choose not to enroll for the summer, we will automatically certify you for the following fall semester when you enroll.
CONTACT INFORMATION
1. VETERANS ADMINISTRATION CONTACT INFORMATION
  1. For Questions On VA Benefits, Eligibility, and Payments:
    Phone: 1-888-442-4551
    http://www.gibill.va.gov/
    Regional Office:
    Department of Veterans Affairs
    20 Washington Place
    Newark, NJ 07102
2. CALDWELL COLLEGE CONTACT INFORMATION
  1. For Questions on Enrollment Certification, College Admissions, and Programs: Eric Mango-Financial aid Advisor/VA counselor
    Phone: (973) 618-3228
    E-mail: Emango@caldwell.edu

120 Bloomfield Ave. Caldwell, NJ 07006 - 973-618-3000