Walsh College holds military service to our country in high honor and values the life experience veterans and service members bring to our educational community. Veterans with questions or in need of assistance can contact Walsh Veteran Services at veterans@walshcollege.edu. Students can also access information on veteran issues at our Veterans Services website, www.walshcollege.edu/veterans, or directly to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA)’s website, www.gibill.va.gov.
To apply to any Walsh College degree program, an online admissions application must be submitted. The admissions application fee is waived for all veterans and service members applying into a bachelor’s, master’s or non-degree program.
Every attempt will be made to process applications in time for accepted students to enroll in their intended semester of attendance. Admissions applications will be accepted until the beginning of a given semester. Applicants will be considered for admission when the Admissions office receives evidence of the achievement of minimum admissions requirements. Official admission to Walsh College will be granted only upon receipt of all official transcripts, although an individual may initially be admitted based upon a review of unofficial materials and contingent upon receipt of final transcripts and fulfillment of grade point average requirements.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to formally request official transcripts to be sent to Walsh College from all previous academic institutions, including military credit. Indebtedness or transcript holds at another institution may prevent processing of the admissions application and/or class registration. Veterans and service members are able to transfer in college credit from their military service. In order to apply military credits, a student must submit an official copy of their military transcript. Transcript services are offered through the American Council on Education. Acceptable transcripts are the Joint Services Transcript (JST), AARTS, SMARTS, CCAF, and Coast Guard Institute. Also accepted are DSST Examinations and CLEP Examinations. Official transcripts can be requested through https://jst.doded.mil/ and through www.airuniversity.af.mil/Barnes/CCAF/.
After receiving the applicant’s official transcripts, the Records and Registration office will evaluate the transfer of academic credits based upon all previous college coursework. SMARTS, CCAF, and CGI credits will also be evaluated. Credit hours categorized as L = Lower; U = Upper; and G = Graduate are accepted and may be reviewed for possible equivalent credit. Generally accepted transfer policies are practiced along with state and federal guidelines. Upon completion of the evaluation, a letter will be sent to the applicant reflecting the status of their application and admission to Walsh College.
An applicant may contact the Admissions office at any time during this process to inquire about specific policies and procedures or the status of their application. A newly admitted student may enroll in any semester within 12 months following admission to Walsh College. In most cases, failure to complete at least one course within the 12 months from admission will necessitate re-application.
Academic advisors provide support programs and services to assist veterans and military students to achieve their educational goals. Service members, veterans and their families (SMVF) should meet with their advisor regarding academic difficulties, questions about their academic program, or to seek tutoring assistance.
The academic Program Plan provided to students upon admission outlines the course of study at Walsh College based on the Catalog in effect at the time of admittance. Students may change programs of study, major, or degree to the newest catalog year. GI Bill® recipients must notify veterans@walshcollege.edu to ensure appropriate changes are made to their VA file. Students are encouraged to review their program of study each year. An advisor can confirm specific courses remaining for program completion and review the cumulative and major grade point averages to ensure that students are meeting the expected requirements.
For specific rate of pursuit information based on your individual situation, please contact the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) www.gibill.va.gov or by calling 800-442-4551.
Enrollment verification will be determined based on course-level enrollment (undergraduate or graduate) and classification based on number of semester credit hours taken.
A student who receives military orders (deployment, training, etc.) while already registered for a term must email veterans@walshcollege.edu. The student will need to submit a copy of the military orders and a request to drop or withdraw from the course(s). If the activation date of the order was unknown at the time the student registered, the tuition/fees can be refunded and the enrollment certification updated, if necessary. In order to have the tuition/fees refunded, the Late Withdrawal or Tuition Refund Exception form must be submitted to the Office of Finance and Accounting.
Walsh College understands that students may not be given much notice about a deployment or military order. In these situations, be sure to contact veterans@walshcollege.edu prior to deployment. This allows Walsh College to initiate processes to ensure benefits are maximized, out-of-pocket expenses are minimized, and the student’s academic record is not adversely affected.
If the student was deployed or activated and was unable to attend for 12 months or longer, the student needs to contact an academic advisor. The student has the option to move to the newest version of the academic program or stay on the same program they were on at the time of the deployment. If the Veteran opts to move to the newest program, all policies of the newest handbook and catalog will apply and the student may not switch back.
Walsh College has been approved by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity to offer training and education for veterans and other eligible persons under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational programs. In order to receive VA benefits, a student must be admitted to Walsh College as a degree or certificate-seeking student. All certification forms can be found at www.walshcollege.edu/veterans.
Students using any of these GI Bill® benefit chapters should visit www.va.gov for the latest information regarding eligibility. Once admitted, GI Bill® recipients must submit the Benefit Authorization Form along with their Certificate of Eligibility. The Benefit Authorization form must be submitted each term before the student’s enrollment can be certified with VA. Students who have used GI Bill® Educational benefits at another school prior to attending Walsh College must submit a Change of Program or Place of Training Form to VA by visiting www.va.gov.
A student attending another institution for approved college credit that will be applied toward a Walsh College degree program may have courses at both colleges apply toward GI Bill® certification. Both school certifications are combined to equal the student’s full rate of pursuit. The student must notify veterans@walshcollege.edu to request a Parent School Letter be sent to the secondary educational institution. Certification of enrollment at the other institution will apply only toward courses within the student’s declared academic program at Walsh College.
Once the student is admitted, registered, and has submitted all required documents (eligibility documents, Change of Program or Place of Training form, and Authorization form), the student’s enrollment will be certified with VA. Only courses that apply to the approved academic program at Walsh College can be certified for educational benefits.
It is the responsibility of each student receiving GI Bill® educational benefits to notify veterans@walshcollege.edu of any changes in enrollment, program status, address, or benefits. A student receiving these benefits is expected to maintain the same standards of academic progress as all other students. Walsh College is required to notify the VA when a student graduates or is dismissed. Walsh College is required to report reductions in enrollment (drop or withdrawals) to VA. The date reported to VA will be the day the drop request was submitted to Walsh College. Reductions reported could lead to an overpayment situation and a student debt to VA or Walsh College. If mitigating circumstances exist (death in the family, illness or injury, or unavoidable changes in employment, military service, or childcare, etc.), notify veterans@walshcollege.edu.
VA will pay for courses that were not successfully completed and are required to be retaken for graduation. VA will not pay for courses that were successfully completed and retaken for a higher grade.
Students must notify veterans@walshcollege.edu when they have exhausted their GI Bill® benefits.
Walsh College must follow all requirements detailed on the authorization form provided by the case manager through the Tungsten Network®. Any changes in enrollment or academic status must be reported by a School Certifying Official to the student’s case manager via email or through VA-Once. Chapter 31 recipients cannot be certified without a current authorization on file.
If eligible for housing under the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, housing payments are paid on the first of the month for the previous month’s housing. To obtain the full housing allowance a student must be enrolled in what the VA considers full time and in at least one resident course. To be eligible for any portion of housing, the student must be enrolled over half time each certified term. Housing amounts are prorated based on rate of pursuit. A student enrolled half time is not eligible for any housing payments.
In addition to rate of pursuit, a student taking all distance learning courses would be eligible for only 50% of the national average for BAH.
Students that provide documentation (TA Authorization Form, Veteran Readiness & Employment Authorization Form, or Certificate of Eligibility) verifying their use of Federal Tuition Assistance, Veteran Readiness & Employment or the GI Bill® to fund their education are granted a payment due date extension for the semesters they are certified/invoiced. Tuition and fee payments are extended until the first payment due date of the subsequent term (minimum of 90 days after invoice or certification processed). Walsh College will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from one of the above-mentioned programs.
Walsh College must review all tuition and fee payments made for a student receiving GI Bill® or Veteran Readiness and Employment funds.
If funding from outside sources is tuition and fee specific, Walsh College is required to submit the remaining tuition and fees after the funding is applied to the student account. These reduced tuition and fee amounts are reported to VA regardless of when funds are applied to the student account and could cause a debt situation with the VA. To confirm if funds received are Title IV funds, contact the Financial Aid office. For questions pertaining to this regulation, contact the Education Benefits Call Center at 888-442-4551.
Walsh College is an approved Yellow Ribbon school. This Yellow Ribbon funding is available to students who are 100% eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill®. If the student’s tuition and fees amount over the academic year will exceed the established cap set by VA, the student could be eligible to use Yellow Ribbon funding to cover costs in excess of the cap. When a student is certified for Yellow Ribbon benefits, Walsh College and VA split the cost of the tuition and fees that exceed the established cap. Contact veterans@walshcollege.edu for details.
A variety of funding opportunities are available for Walsh College students. Most of these scholarships are based upon academic achievement, minority status, academic program, and/or financial need. Walsh College has Veteran Scholarships and a grant specific for active duty and reserve members. See the Financial Aid and Scholarships section of the handbook for full scholarship details and opportunities.
There are Veteran Services available in surrounding counties. Walsh College strongly encourages veterans to reach out to their local County Veteran Services office for assistance with Veteran Benefits. Veteran Services offices help Veterans determine all benefits (burial, health, education, home loans, pension, disability, etc.) available to them. If there is no Veteran Services office in the county in which a Walsh student resides, they can go to the Oakland County Veteran Services office for assistance. For information on Oakland County Veteran Services office, please refer to their website: www.oakgov.com/veterans.