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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, and providing counseling services specifically for military-connected students. The MVSC is proud to assist those who have served our country and are committed to helping military-connected students and their 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 the center's website.

CERTIFICATION OF EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS

The Military and Veterans Success Center (MVSC) certifies attendance for students utilizing educational benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) while enrolled at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Students receiving VA educational benefits must make progress toward a degree as specified in this catalog under Satisfactory Progress and Academic Standing and Probation. Students receiving VA educational benefits must report any changes made to their schedule to the Military and Veterans Success Center. 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

Section 702 of the Veterans Choice Act, public schools that have VA-approved programs will receive GI Bill® payments only if they offer in-state tuition to eligible Veterans and dependents. Students receiving benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, the Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty (MGIB-AD), or Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), and Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program, will be eligible for in-state tuition rates. Section 702 of the Veterans Choice Act covers students only after discharge, not while the student is still on active duty or while the student is a member of the Active Guard Reserve (AGR)

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

Service members or reservists who have a break in attendance due to service requirements will be readmitted to the institution and academic program enrolled prior to the required service. No additional application or documentation is required. Please email admissions@utrgv.edu with your semester of enrollment.

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 award the credit, students must complete a Military Service Credit Request form and must provide proof of eligibility (i.e., DD214 or disability discharge documentation) to the MVSC.