VETERAN SERVICES

Contact Veteran Services                              

Brett Burtis
bburtis@sheridan.edu

Sheridan: M, T, Th, F. Whitney Bldg, Room 125. Hours 0800-1700
Gillette: Wednesday. Tech Center, Room 105B. Hours 0930-1600

Sheridan College (including Gillette College)
PO Box 1500
3059 Coffeen Ave.
Sheridan, WY 82801

1-800-913-9136 ext 2720
307-674-6446 ext 2720
Fax 307-674-7205

To be certified by the school click on the icon below,                  
print, complete and turn in at Veteran Services Office.

Quicklink to FORMS

New Information

5/2/12:  The Sheridan College Veterans Center is now open for student use.  Stop by and study, relax, or use the computer lab.
3/8/12:  Updated information on SC and GC veteran clubs.
3/8/12:  Stay up to date with important information using NWCCD Veterans Facebook page.  Like us!
1/30/12:  FREE tutoring for placement tests from Montana Veterans’ Upward Bound – see Admissions Process or Resources.
1/30/12:  WY National Guard Association Scholarships for 2012 School Year – see VA & State News below or Resources.
1/30/12:  State propterty tax or vehicle registration exemption – see VA & State News below.
1/20/12:  Sheridan Vets Club holds its first meeting – see Veterans Club.

Mission

Creating veteran success through:
- Administration of education benefits to all veterans and their eligible dependents.
- Assistance during the transition to college.
- On-going support services.

School Announcements

- Student Education Plan (SEP) required for Spring 2012
The VA requires the college to use and maintain a SEP to guide students in their academic planning towards a degree.
Click the link to see what one looks like:  Student Education Plan.  Advisors have been made aware.  Make sure you ask about one, and get the original or a copy to the Veteran Services Office.

- PRIORITY REGISTRATION COMES TO SHERIDAN AND GILLETTE COLLEGES STARTING IN SPRING 2012!
Outlined below is the process we will follow in instituting veteran priority registration:
   1. Veteran must meet in person with an advisor and complete any necessary placement exams.
2. Advisor and veteran review educational plan and complete a paper registration.
3. Veteran delivers registration form to the Records Office.
4. Records Office will process the veterans’ registrations the afternoon prior to registration opening for other students.

- Spring 2012 registration opens November 29. Check in with your advisor before registering and register early to get the classes you want. Submit your Request for Veteran Certification at the same time.

- No break pay.  You won’t get benefits over Christmas break.  That means your Jan and Feb payments will be half of normal since Dec and Jan only have classes for half of each month.  Plan now for this disruption in your GI Bill.

- 2012-2013 Military Order of the Purple Heart Scholarship applications due by Feb 14, 2012.  Descendents are also eligible.  Check out qualifications here.

- Check out Robert, Rolf, Brett, Dr. Young, and Caleb at this year’s Marine Corps Ball.

VA and State News

* – State Property Tax or Vehicle Registration Exemption (1/30/12)
Apply at your County Assessor’s office between January 1st and the fourth Monday in May, each year.  A recent change to the law allows for a streamlined renewal process.  Once you provide documentation to establish your initial eligibility, you may call the County Assessor’s office during this time period and renew your exemption.
Who qualifies? Veterans must be residents of Wyoming three or more years prior to claiming the tax exemption and must have a DD Form 214 or equivalent from their branch of service. Additionally, one of the following must apply:
*Served in the Armed Forces during:
   - World War II (Dec. 7, 1941 – Dec. 31, 1946); or
-  Korean War (June 27, 1950 – Jan. 31, 1955); or
-  Vietnam War (Feb. 28, 1961 – May 7, 1975); or
*Must have served overseas during an armed conflict and received an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or equivalent; or
*Be a disabled Veteran with a compensable service-connected disability as certified by VA or a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. VA or DOD agency disability letter required.
*Be the surviving spouse of a qualifying Veteran who resides in Wyoming and did not remarry.
The exemption applies to taxes on a Veteran’s primary residence lowering the assessed value by $3,000. The $800 cap was removed in 2007. Veterans who reached the previous cap have new eligibility and they should reapply for this important benefit.
Applying exemption to vehicles:
If the exemption is not used on property, it may be applied to a vehicle’s licensing fee (not sales tax). More than one vehicle may qualify, but the total exemption shall not exceed $90. The vehicle(s) must be titled to the Veteran before qualifying. Leased vehicles do not qualify.

- Reminder of Housing Allowance Changes (1/3/12)
The Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) payments you receive for the Post-9/11 GI Bill are based on the military’s Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for an E-5 with dependents.  Department of Defense adjusts the military BAH rate every calendar year (or January 1) based on changes to housing costs across the country. Rates can either go up or down.

Public Law 111 – 377 (the Veterans Educational Assistance Improvement Act of 2010) amended the effective date for the adjustment of the MHA you receive under the Post-9/11 GI Bill from the beginning of the calendar year (January 1) to the beginning of the academic year (August 1). Therefore , if the BAH increased for your area, you will not see an increase until your September 2012 payment for training pursued in August.  If the BAH decreases for your area, your MHA amount will not decrease unless you change schools or have more than a six-month break in training.

- View Your Post-9/11 GI Bill Entitlement and Enrollment Information in eBenefits! (1/3/12)
An update to eBenefits was released that allows Post-9/11 GI Bill students to view their entitlement and enrollment information. eBenefits enrollees, who have a Premium account, can now view their VA education benefit enrollment information.

Once logged in, key information is displayed such as your Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility date, your delimiting (or end) date, the amount of entitlement used, and the amount of remaining entitlement. It will also display your enrollment history.

The eBenefits – Homepage is your primary starting point. Instructions to establish a Premium account are located here. Remember, eBenefits is a secure access point for information on all your VA benefits.

- VA for VETS
VA for Vets is an initiative that provides a gateway for VA jobs, career services, coaching and reintegration support.

- Ch 33 Tuition and Fees
Starting in Fall 2011, Ch 33 only pays for net in-state tuition and fees.  WUE and out of state students are not charged in-state tuition.
- WY Veteran License Plate Stickers now available.