/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/2022-2023/Student-Policies-local.json

/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/2022-2023/Student-Policies.json

Military and Veterans Student Support, Benefits and Policies

MILITARY AND VETERANS SUCCESS CENTER

The Military and Veterans Success Center (MVSC) assists students in certifying education benefits, advocating for services, developing projects to unite the university with our local community, providing counseling services specifically for veterans, and promoting student involvement through the Student Veterans of America National Organization. The MVSC is proud to assist those who have served our country and are committed to helping military students and their military families start or continue their education. The goal at UTRGV is to provide an academically challenging environment to help you succeed in the next phase of your professional life. A list of services provided by the MVSC is available on center website.

CERTIFICATION OF EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS

The Military and Veterans Success Center (MVSC) certifies veterans to receive educational benefits for attendance at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Students receiving Veterans Affairs (VA) educational benefits must make progress toward a degree as specified in this catalog under Satisfactory Progress and Academic Standing and Probation. Students receiving educational benefits must report any changes made to their schedule to the Military and Veterans Success Center. Students who do not report changes in their schedule may be subject to repayment by the VA. Enrollment changes impact VA Educational Benefits and can create an overpayment with the department of Veterans Affairs and the institution, please visit the MVSC for additional information.

ESTABLISHING RESIDENCY FOR TUITION PURPOSE

Effective August 1, 2019, it is no longer mandatory to grant in-state tuition to students holding a competitive scholarship. UTRGV has modified its policy to comply with these amendments to the Veteran Benefits and Transitions Act 2018. Students utilizing the VA Educational Benefits under Texas Education Code Section 54.058 (k) and (I) will need to complete the Intent to Establish Residence in Texas form. 

ABSENCE FOR ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE

Under certain circumstances, a student who is required to participate in active military service is excused from scheduled classes or other required activities and will be allowed to complete an assignment or exam within a reasonable time after the absence. The excused absence is permitted only if the student will not miss more than 25% of the total number of class meetings or the contact hour equivalent (not including the final examination period) for the specific course or courses in which the student is enrolled at the beginning of the period of active military service.

WITHDRAWAL FOR MILITARY SERVICE

A student who withdraws as a result of being called to active military service may choose:

1. To receive a refund of tuition and fees for the semester;
2. If eligible, to be assigned an incomplete (I) in each course; or
3. At the instructor’s discretion receive a final grade in courses where he or she has completed a substantial amount of coursework and has demonstrated sufficient mastery of the course material.

READMISSION AFTER MILITARY SERVICE

Readmission guidelines for a student who withdraws to perform active military services are as follows. These guidelines apply to a student who withdraws from an institution of higher education to perform active military service as a member of the U.S. armed forces or the Texas National Guard, except that this section does not apply to a student who withdraws from an institution solely to perform one or more training exercises as a member of the Texas National Guard. For any academic term that begins after the date a student is released from active military service but no later than the first anniversary of that date, the institution of higher education from which the student withdrew shall admit the student, without requiring re-application or charging a fee for readmission, if the student is otherwise eligible to register for classes at the institution.

On readmission of the student under this subsection, UTRGV shall:

1. Provide the student any financial assistance previously provided by the institution to the student before the student’s withdrawal if the student meets current eligibility requirements for the assistance, other than any requirement directly affected by the student’s service, such as continuous enrollment or another similar training requirement.
2. Allow the student the same academic status that the student had before the student’s withdrawal including any course credit awarded to the student by the institution.
   
   UTRGV requires reasonable proof from a student of the fact and duration of the student’s active military absence.

MILITARY CREDIT

In accordance with Texas Education Code Section 51.3042, eligible former members of the armed forces admitted as an undergraduate student or readmitted as an undergraduate student (after having withdrawn to perform military service) will be given course credit:

1. For all physical education courses, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley requires for an undergraduate degree and
2. For additional credit hours, not to exceed 12, to satisfy any elective course requirements for the student’s degree program for courses outside the student’s major or minor.

To be eligible, a veteran must have graduated from an accredited public or private high school or a high school operated by the U.S. Department of Defense, and be honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces after completing two years of service or discharged because of disability. To receive credit, a DD-214 verifying eligibility must be provided to the Office of Admissions. Students must also submit a Military Service Credit Agreement.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley follows the guidelines established by the American Council on Education’s Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the armed services to assess potential transferability of Military Occupational Specialties.

Acceptable forms of documentation include:

• AARTS Transcript (Army ACE Registry Transcript)
• CCAF Transcript (Community College of the Air Force transcript)
• SMART Transcript (Sailor/Marine ACE Registry Transcript)
• Form DD-214 (Report of Separation)
• Form DD-295 (Application for the Evaluation of Learning Experience During Military Service)

To be considered official, any of the credentials above (except Form DD-214) must be sent to The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley directly from the issuing agency. Students/applicants may submit an original DD-214; a certified copy will be made for office use and the original returned.
Credentials (except form DD-214) should be sent to:

Office of Admissions

1st Floor Student Services Bldg.
1201 West University Drive Edinburg, Texas 78539

The Tower, Main 1.100
1 West University Boulevard Brownsville, Texas 78520

Unlike college or high school transcripts, submission of military credentials for potential transfer credit is optional and is neither required for undergraduate admission nor subject to admission deadlines. But any credit awarded counts toward admissibility, so official documents should arrive as early as possible.