1. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION AVECO 2016 Veterans Education Hybrid vs Distance vs Undergrad vs Grad

2. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Questions About Modality… 2 What is distance learning for VA purposes? Can a veteran take remedial classes online? Does someone have to live on campus for it to be resident training? Is there a difference between undergrad distance learning and graduate distance learning for VA purposes? What about resident graduate training? What is hybrid training for VA purposes? Certifying Examples and Wrapping it up!

3. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION 38 CFR 21.4267 Approval of independent study. A State Approving Agency may approve a course offered by independent study or a combination of independent study and resident training only if the course: (1) Is accredited; (2) Meets the requirements of 38 CFR 21.4253 (Accredited Course Regulations); and (3) Either: (i) Leads to a standard college degree; or (ii) For courses approved on or after December 27, 2001, leads to a certificate that reflects educational attainment offered by an institution of higher learning. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3672, 3675, 3680A(a)(4)). 3 Distance Learning for VA Purposes - Approval

4. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Distance Learning - Page 125 - says… – see Independent Study on page 126! Independent Study – Page 126 - A course or subject offered without any regularly scheduled, conventional classroom or laboratory sessions. For VA purposes, such courses or subjects must be accredited and lead to a standard college degree and consist of a prescribed program of study with provision for interaction either by mail, telephone, computer/Internet, or personally between the student and the regularly employed faculty of the university or college. A specific approval of these courses by the State Approving Agency is required in order for VA benefits to be authorized. 4 Distance Learning for VA Purposes - What’s The SCO Handbook Have To Say?

5. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Page 53 - Independent Study (38 CFR 21.4267) Independent study consists of interaction between the student and the instructor personally or through the use of communications technology without any regularly scheduled, conventional classroom or laboratory sessions. Communications technology includes mail, telephone, audio or videoconferencing, computer technology (on-line internet courses or e-mail), or other electronic means such as one-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communications devices. 5 Distance Learning for VA Purposes - Just A Little More From The SCO Handbook…

6. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Yes – but they can’t be certified for VA (trick question)! Why not? – 38 CFR 21.4267(g) Approval of Independent Study (g) Remedial and deficiency courses. Remedial and deficiency courses offered by independent study cannot be approved. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3672, 3675, 3680A(a)(4)) 6 Can a veteran take remedial classes online?

7. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION No The SCO Handbook says on Page 53: In-residence training for undergraduate students consists of regularly scheduled standard class sessions (at least once every two weeks). The total number of hours of classroom instruction (based on 50 minutes of instruction per hour) must equal, or be greater than, the number of credit hours awarded for the course multiplied by the number of weeks in the term. (continued on next slide) 7 Does someone have to live on campus for it to be resident training?

8. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION – EXAMPLE: A student is enrolled in a 3- credit course over a 16-week semester. The course must be scheduled for a total of 48 hours of class sessions and meet at least every other week. 8 Resident Training Example

9. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Resident Training Example – EXAMPLE: A student is enrolled in a 3- credit course over a 5-week term. The course must be scheduled for a total of 15 hours of class sessions and meet at least every other week. 9

10. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Resident Course Issues Courses approved as practical training or cooperative training are considered resident training. A student teaching course is considered resident. 10

11. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION More Resident Course Issues Flight training that is part of a standard undergraduate degree is considered resident training. Closed-circuit TV courses in-resident courses as long as they are in regularly scheduled classroom environments 11

12. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Any course (including hybrid or blended) that isn’t residence – VA regulations defining residence training can be found at (38 CFR 21.4267(d) and (e)). – If a course doesn’t meet the definition of residence training it is considered independent study by default 12 What is hybrid training for VA purposes?

13. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Review: Differences between Distance and Resident Distance is also called Independent Study Resident training requires: CONTACT HOURS = > CREDIT HOURS X WEEKS (and meet at least every two weeks) If it isn’t resident, it is distance by default Can’t certify remedial as distance Practical training, cooperative training, student teaching, and closed circuit TV are resident training 13

14. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION YES - You get to tell VA the full time requirement for graduate training when certifying. But wait! There’s more! 14 Any Difference between undergrad distance learning and graduate distance learning?

15. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION On Page 53 of the SCO Handbook, resident graduate training is defined as: In-residence training for graduate students consists of at least two regularly scheduled standard class sessions per term, research (either on or off campus), or a combination of both. 15 What About Resident Graduate Training?

16. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Certifying Resident and Distance Learning SCO Handbook, Page 52: – On the enrollment certification, resident training should be identified as “res”. Independent study, on-line and hybrid courses should be identified as “dist”. Do not add these hours together on the 1999. 16

17. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Your Turn! Is It Resident or Distance Learning? Chief Navy is registered at VA University seeking a Masters in Science in Knot Tying. The school requires four credit hours this semester to be full time. His current coursework involves working independently while writing a thesis. He meets with the professor for one class session every other week online through Skype to review his progress. Is he in a resident or distance learning modality of training? – RESIDENT! (SCO Handbook pg 53) 17

18. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION More Problems To Solve… Corporal Marine is seeking his Bachelor of Science in Catching Bad Guys from VA University’s ROTC program. He’s enrolled in 12 credit hours during a standard 16 week semester. He attends: – six credit hours completely online – another three credit hour class twice a week 1.5 class sessions online with instructor contact by email 1.5 class session in the classroom with the instructor on closed circuit TV – remaining three credit hours are his ROTC class and are in the regular classroom environment How should this be certified? 3 res and 9 dist 18

19. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Here’s another one! Major Airman is attending VA University full time seeking a Master of Science in Astrobiology. Her school requires nine credit hours to be full time. She’s registered as follows: – Three credit hours online with a regular full class session with the instructor on the first day of class and at midterm – Three credit hours independent research – Three credit hours internship for 20 clock hours per week through NASA’s Astrobiology Institute at NASA’s Ames Research Center How should she be certified? 9 res ! 19

20. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Last one – I promise! Sergeant Army is attending VA University for a Bachelor of Science in Enigmatology. She’s attending 12 credit hours on a standard semester. – 3 credit hours online – 3 credit hours 2 contact hours per week in the classroom 1 contact hour per week online – 3 credit hours internship for 8 clock hours OJT and 2 classroom contact hours per week – 3 credit hours traditional classroom instruction 6 res & 6 dist ! 20

21. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Why Are Class Schedules Important for Compliance Surveys? Sometimes, we see distance learning on the transcript in the degree area like this: We sometimes even see it on the student’s financial ledger: 21

22. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Why Class Schedules Are Important continued… We need actual class schedules to see contact hours and class locations to verify resident or distance learning: At this school, found sections ending with, “000” are always online and sections ending in, “00,” are always hybrid – TBD is always day & time for online or hybrid 22

23. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION 23 Wrapping It Up! QUESTIONS?