Veterans Education & Transition Services

What is the Veterans Education & Transition Services (V.E.T.S.) Center?

The V.E.T.S. Center is working remotely in response to COVID-19. To schedule an appointment via phone or Zoom, please call 509-542-4390 or email%20us. We're available to support you!

CBC's V.E.T.S. Center provides support to military connected students like you in your transition to Columbia Basin College. The dedicated individuals who work in the V.E.T.S. Center will help guide you through your college journey so you have the best experience possible at CBC. The V.E.T.S. Center also works closely with the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure you have access to the benefits, care and services you need.

Check out our Facebook page for more details and access to exciting events!

V.E.T.S. Center Services
  • Access to a VA Psychologist
  • Academic advising
  • Education benefits certification
  • Assistance navigating the college system
  • Workshops tailored to veteran student success
  • Free popcorn on Wednesdays
  • Free coffee daily
  • Study space with computer lab
  • Access to community resources, employment connections and more!

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Getting Started Steps

  • 1. Apply for Admissions

    Use the online web admissions center.

  • 2. Submit Official Transcripts

    Sealed, official transcripts can be submitted to Hawk Central.

  • 3. Submit Official Military Transcripts

    All student veteran transfer credits (see "Military Transcripts" tab to the left) must be evaluated within two quarters of program start.

  • 4. Apply for VA Education Benefits

    • Apply as early as possible as it may take six weeks to receive a reply.
    • Bring your VA certificate of eligibility to the V.E.T.S. Office.
    • Submit the intake form.
    • Submit the tuition waiver, if applicable.

  • 5. Apply for Financial Aid/Scholarships

  • 6. Complete Getting Started Steps Online

    • Create student email.
    • Schedule your placement exam.
    • Complete SOAR.

  • 7. Visit the V.E.T.S. Center

    • Register for classes with the V.E.T.S. Director
    • Submit tuition waivers, intake forms, Certificate of Eligibility letter from VA, if needed.

  • 8. Submit copy of schedule and degree audit if using benefits

    You must inform the V.E.T.S. Center of your enrollment if using the GI Bill©.

  • 9. Contact Disability Support Services for  accommodations

  • 10. Pay Tuition

    • Unless using Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation or Chapter 33- Post 9/11 benefits.
    • Sign up for STEPP.
    • Tuition is FREE for students who are dependents using our 100% state tuition waiver.
    • If you are using the tuition waiver, it must be submitted prior to the first day of the quarter.

  • 11. Attend classes

  • 12. Check Academic Deadlines

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website. 

VA Education Benefits

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs has a number of regulations that must be followed if you are receiving benefits and we are required to monitor your progress to ensure compliance. The following information will help you understand your responsibilities and what is needed to keep your benefits flowing in a timely manner.

We will do everything we can to see that your benefits start when possible and continue without interuption. If you have any questions regarding your benefits or need assistance, please contact the V.E.T.S. Center or the Veterans School Certifying Official.

What Chapter are you?

Chapter 30

Regular active duty joined 7/1/85 to present

Chapter 31

Vocational rehabilitation: see your vocational rehab counselor for appropriate paperwork.

Chapter 33

Post- 9/11

Chapter 35

Dependents: parents, spouse or child of veteran; 100% service connected disabled or service connected death.

Chapter 1606

Guard/Reserve; not deployed.

Chapter 1607-REAP

Guard/Reserve; depolyed at least 90 consecutive days or more.

Other Benefits
  • Veterans Education Benefits (determine eligibility for educational assistance benefits): 1-888-4551
  • VA Regional Office (general information and services): 1-800-827-1000

Using Your Benefits

Here's what you need to know if you're using your GI Bill® while attending CBC!

Enrollment Certification

  • You must inform the V.E.T.S. Center of your enrollment by submitting a schedule and degree audit as soon as you sign up for classes, add or drop classes, or make any changes to your schedule and degree audit.
  • Failure to submit this information may cause a delay in your benefits.
  • The VA will only pay for courses that are required as part of a VA approved program at CBC.
  • Courses that do not apply to an approved program cannot be certified.
  • Allow two to four weeks for processing.
  • Allow six to eight weeks for the DVA to process initial enrollment claims and re-enrollments (30 days break in enrollment).
  • Once entitlement is established and the DVA makes an award, payment is authorized monthly based on information reported by CBC.

Changes in Student Status

If you are using your education benefits from the DVA, you are requried by law to keep the college VA School Certifying Official informed of periods of enrollment, audits and withdraws, change of degree programs, address change, change in dependents applicable to those eligible for Chapter 34/30 (VA Form 22-686c) and course substitutions.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

  • If you are receiving DVA education benefits, you are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress according to published standards established and enforced by CBC.
  • This requries maintaing a 2.0 GPA and keeping a pace of progression above 67% (pass 2/3 of classes enrolled in).
  • CBC's Standards of Progress and Performance have been approved by the appropriate State Approving Agencies (SAA) and accepted by the DVA.
  • Title 38, United States Code, Sections 1674 and 1724 requires that education assistance benefits to veterans and other eligible persons to be discontinued when the student ceases to make satisfactory progress towards completion of his or her training objective.
  • Therefore, the CBC V.E.T.S. Office will discontinue certification and will inform the DVA of this action.

Audits, Withdraws, Non-Required Courses and Repeats

  • The law prohibits payment for auditing a course or payment for any course for which a grade assigned is not used in computing requirements for graduation.
  • Includes repeats of grade of "D" or better (unless a higher grade is required), withdraws and courses not applicable to your declared degree objective. This does not apply to repeats of required courses which you have failed.
  • If you are not sure, please visit the Financial Aid webpage before repeating a course.

Below College Level Courses

Below college level English or mathematics courses are authorized only when the need for training has been established by accepted testing methods (ALEKS test scores). These classes must be taken in person, not online, if using benefits.

  • Chapter 30 & 32 Participants: The student's entitlement will be charged for pursuit of these types of training.
  • Chapter 35: Effective 08/01/1989 any eligible person under Chapter 35 is entitled to benefits for pursuit of remedial and deficiency courses without a charge to entitlement for the first five months of full time pursuit of a program (or the equivalent in part time educational assistance) consisting of such courses.
  • Chapter 1606: Effective 10/01/1990 remedial and deficiency courses are payable. Entitlement is charged.

Payment Rates

The following payment rates are effective as of October 1, 2019. For additional payment rate information, please visit the Rate Tables. 

Training Time Schedule

11 Week Sessions Fall, Winter, Spring:

Training Time                      Total Credit Hours

Full-time                                 12 credits or more

3/4 time                                  9 to 11 credits

1/2 time                                  6-8 credits

Less than 1/2                         Tuition/fees < $466

8 Week Session Summer Only:

Training Time                      Total Credit Hours

Full-time                                    8 credits or more

3/4 time                                     6-7 credits

1/2 time                                     4-5 credits

 

 

Mobilized/Recalled

If you have been called to active duty and will not be able to attend CBC, please contact the V.E.T.S. Center. They will take the necessary steps to ensure your VA benefits and enrollment issues are handled properly. Please provide the College with a copy of your orders before you leave.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available on the official U.S. government website at GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available on the official U.S. government website.

Department of Defense Tuition Assistance

Service members should speak with their respective Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within their Military Service prior to applying and enrolling at CBC.

Military Transcripts

CBC recognizes learning acquired in the military by accepting the credit recommendations of the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. In addition, you may earn credits awarded by institutions listed in the ACE National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Program and the Directory of the National Program on Non-collegiate Sponsored Instruction, provided that the courses are at college level.

Only those courses actually listed in these directories which have been approved for a specific period of time, and correspond to the actual time you completed the course, will be acceptable as college credit. Other non-collegiate training will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

  • Credits will be evaluated only from official transcripts requested by the student from the American Council on Education's Registry of Credit Recommendations from the organization that provided the training.
  • Military credits will be evaluated only from official military documents.

Please select one of the following entities that provide military transcripts based on your branch of service:

The VA policy indicates that all veteran student transfer credits (including military) must be evaluated within two quarters of program start. After the third quarter, if you don't submit all transcripts, you will be decertified for the use of the VA education benefits.

Veteran Tuition Waiver

Eligible Veterans and National Guard members may receive a 25% reduction in tuition while attending CBC. A copy of the eligible veteran's DD-214 (member 4) is required to verify benefit status. Documents can be submitted to the V.E.T.S. Center.

You may be eligible if you:

  • Are a Washington State resident (per RCW 28B.15.013)
  • Are an active or reserve member of military or naval forces, or a National Guard member called to active duty
  • Served in active federal duty under either Title 10 or Title 32 of the U.S. Code
  • Served in a war or conflict fought on foreign soil or in international waters, or served in support of those that were (serving on foreign soil or in international waters)
  • Were discharged and received honorable discharge, or any other discharge if the sole reason is due to gender or sexuality.

  Tuition Waiver

Veteran Spouse and Child Tuition Waiver

CBC shall waive all tuition and fees for a child, spouse or domestic partner of an eligible Veteran or National Guard member who:

  • Is a Washington State resident (per RCW 28B.15.013)
  • Became totally disabled (determined by the VA at 100%) as a result of active federal military or naval service
  • Is determined by the federal government to be a prisoner of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA)
  • Lost his/her life as a result of active federal military or naval service
  • If discharged from service, has received an honorable discharge or any other discharge if the sole reason for discharge is due to gender or sexuality

As a dependent of an eligible Veteran, you may be eligible if you:

  • Are a Washington State resident (per RCW 28B.15.013)
  • Have credits remaining from use of this waiver that are within the 250 quarter credit limit, or the equivalent of semester credits
  • Are the child of the eligible veteran that is age 17 to 25
  • Are the spouse of the eligible veteran and have not remarried or registered in a subsequent domestic partnership
  • Are the spouse of the eligible veteran and are within the 10 year time frame

  Spouse/Child Waiver

Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon Program program allows CBC to partner with the VA to fund tuition and fee expenses that exceed the tuition and fee amounts payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®.

You can benefit from the Yellow Ribbon Program if:

  • Your charges exceed the tuition and fee amounts payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and you are enrolled at a participating school, additional funds may be available to you. CBC will determine the amount you are eligible for and the VA will match that amount.
  • You are an out of state student or attending a private school. You may be eligible to receive additional funds to help cover unmet costs.

To see the current national cap, please visit the GI Bill® website.

Yellow Ribbon Form

Other Important Forms

Student Forms

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website. 

Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL)

We have a VA Psychologist on the CBC campus every Tuesday to help with mental health, study skills, and connect to VA Healthcare. Learn more about VITAL on the Department of Veterans Affairs website.

Dr. Kellie R. Reynolds PhD., LP is the Clinical Psychologist that visits our campus every week. View a brief introduction of who she is and the role that she plays with Veterans, as well as a mindfulness exercise to help you relax.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Visit the Department of Veterans Affairs to access and manage your VA benefits and health care.

VA's Ask a Question

Get answers to commonly asked questions on the Ask a Question portion of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Search VA Forms

Search and access all VA related forms using the Search VA Forms feature of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

GI Bill® Website

Learn about the GI BIll and how it affects your education on the Education and Training area of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

GI Bill® Comparison Tool

Learn about education programs and compare benefits by school using the GI Bill comparison tool.

Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs

To get information on Washington State specific benefits, services and programs, visit the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.

Student Veterans of America

For support, scholarships and more visit the Student Veterans of America.

TA Decide

For assistance in making informed decisions on school and education programs, visit Tuition Assistance (TA) Decide.

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VocRehab)

For access to services to help with job training, employment accommodations, resume development and job seeking skills, visit the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) area of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Jonathan M Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center

Health care services are available to veterans living in eastern Washington, Oregon and western Idaho at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center.

My healthevet

Manage your health care with the My healthevet portal.

The GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA are available at the official U.S. government website.

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