The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is committed to facilitate the transition of veterans from military to university life and provide continuous support to their ongoing academic success. We are available to assist veterans, guardsmen, reservists, spouses, and dependents with their military education benefits.
The Office of the University Registrar works with the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as other federal and state agencies to provided educational assistance to those who have served our country.
If you have questions regarding your VA benefits or how we can help you, please contact David E. Williams at 501-686-6499 or by email at vaservices@uams.edu or come by our office in CHP Building 2, Suite 100.
Veterans Certification
Veterans and Military Benefits are certified on a per semester basis. Students must complete the UAMS Veteran Affairs – Student Certification and Data Form before the beginning of each semester (Fall, Spring, and/or Summer).
UAMS is required to notify the Department of Veteran Affairs of any of the changes listed below to prevent delays in receipt of benefits
• Credit Level or Grading Option Change
• Change of Program
• Change in Enrollment
• Term of Graduation
• Academic Probation or Dismissal
• Leave of Absence
Using Your Benefits At Another School:
If you would like to take courses at another college to meet requirements for your degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, you may do so by having an approved Parent Letter sent from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to the school in which you wish to take classes. Students may also combine their credit hours, if they wish to increase their benefits if they are taking courses at more than one school at the same time. In order for the VA Certifying Official to send a letter to your other school, you will need to fill out a UAMS Parent Letter Request Form.
Veteran or Active Duty Non-Resident Tuition Waiver Programs
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences offers an Active Duty Military Non-Resident Tuition Residency Exception and a Veteran Non-Resident Tuition Residency Exception. Each Non-Resident Tuition Exception has specific criteria. Please review each policy below.
- Active Duty Military Non-Resident Tuition Residency Exception
- Veteran Non-Resident Tuition Residency Exception
Applicants must submit a completed Veteran and/or Active Duty Non-Resident Tuition Waiver Application to the UAMS Office of the University Registrar.
Apply for Benefits
It is recommended that all veterans review the VA Military. For comprehensive VA Education Benefits counseling, send an email inquiry, or call the VA at 1-888-442-4551. If you have questions pertaining to payment, availability of benefits, or approvals, please call the regional VA Office at 1-800-827-1000.
VA Chapter Benefits
Make sure to familiarize yourself with the VA Chapter of Benefits you are using. The more you know, the more you can benefit.
Chapter 30 (Montgomery)
Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment Program)
Chapter 33 (Post 9/11)
Chapter 35 (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program)
Chapter 1606 (Montgomery Selected Reserves)
UAMS VA Student Overpayment information
Student – Debt process for reducing hours!
When you enroll in school and take classes, you enter into an agreement with the school to pay for your classes and the associated fees. VA pays the tuition and fees to the school on your behalf when the School Certifying Official (SCO) certifies that you are enrolled in classes. By law, you are responsible for any debt incurred while receiving benefits under Post 9/11 military benefit. VA is required by law to recoup any debt.
If you decrease your training time (i.e., drop classes, leave school, etc.) and we have already processed a payment for tuition and fees, an overpayment will occur. When the School Certifying Official (SCO) notifies VA Regional Processing Office (RPO) of a change, a debt is created against your account at the institution. The school will then issue a hold on the students’ account for tuition and fee repayment. Any remaining amount for this debt outside of tuition and fees, are the student responsibility.
● If the school refunds money directly to the VA, we will credit your benefit account any amount the school refunds.
- School will receive 2 letters when a debt to VA has been established.
- First letter will state why this debt was created and how much will be repaid back to VA.
- Second Letter from VA will be the official debt letter from Debt Management
- Student will also receive a letter stating whether BAH and book stipend is to be repaid as well. If the student has a been for any other benefit (Ch 30, Ch 35, Ch 1606) you will receive the same type of letter to repay your stipend.
- Any student using VR&E (Ch 31) will receive notification from their VA counselors.
A decrease in your credit hours could also result in changes to your housing allowance and books & supplies stipend. If VA has already issued you a payment for the term a debt will be created on your account.
You are responsible for keeping track of your tuition and fee account balance and payments. Visit your schools’ financial office regularly to review your account, ensure the charges are correct and that payments and refunds are processed correctly, contact your SCO to ensure the certification information they send to us matches your schedule.
Please contact the Debt Management Center if you receive a debt notification from the VA. The Debt Management Center is the authoritative source of debt collection information. You can reach them at 800 827-0648 or e-mail them atdmc.ops@va.gov.
If a student has a mitigating circumstance to report if reducing hours!
If a student drops a course or withdraws from school after the drop period and receives a non-punitive grade, VA will reduce benefits effective the first day of the term unless mitigating circumstances are found. Mitigating circumstances are circumstances beyond the student’s control that prevent the student from continuing in school or that cause the student to reduce credits.
Examples are:
- An illness or injury afflicting the student during the enrollment period.
- An illness or death in the student’s immediate family.
- An unavoidable change in the student’s conditions of employment.
- An unavoidable geographical transfer resulting from the student’s employment.
- Immediate family or financial obligations beyond the control of the claimant that require him or her to suspend pursuit of the program of education to obtain employment.
- Discontinuance of the course by the school.
- Unanticipated active military service, including active duty for training.
- Unanticipated difficulties with childcare arrangements the student have made for the period during which he or she is attending classes.
When a student terminates or reduces after the drop period and a non-punitive grade is assigned, mitigating circumstances are an issue. If mitigating circumstances are needed and adequate evidence of mitigating circumstances is not received with the Notice of Change in Student Status; VA will not pay for the course or courses in question.
If the student has already been paid for the course or courses, VA will create an overpayment (subject to the 6-credit hour exclusion) from the beginning of the term, quarter, or semester. If you know what the student’s mitigating circumstance is, concisely describe the circumstance in remarks.
Information About VA Military Benefits Overpayments and Debts
When an account has an overpayment or debt you can expect us to take the following steps to collect the debt:
- The Regional Processing Office (RPO) that processed your payment will send a letter to you and/or your school explaining the debt and amount. The letter also indicates that you will receive further communication from the Debt Management Center (DMC) Note: Make sure the address we have for you is up to date.
- Debt payments processed at RPOs are electronically transmitted to the DMC for the collection process. It generally takes 30 days for DMC to establish an account receivable in your name. Note: After you receive a debt notification letter from DMC, all payments should be sent to DMC.
- You will receive an initial debt notification letter including your rights and obligations regarding the debt. You have 30 days to contact DMC and repay the entire debt, establish a repayment plan, or request a waiver of debt. If you haven’t contacted DMC within 30 days, we will begin to offset the debt amounts from future VA Military Benefit payments. Note: If you did not contact DMC within 30 days of receiving the initial letter, additional notification letters will be sent from DMC explaining collection efforts and what will be expected.
- Credit reporting agencies are notified approximately 90 days after initial notification of the debt if appropriate arrangements are not made.
- Debt is referred to the Department of the Treasury Cross Servicing approximately 90 days after initial notification of the debt if appropriate arrangements are not made.
- Debt is referred to Department of the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) 120 days after initial notification of the debt if appropriate arrangements are not made.
If at any time during this process, you contact DMC to dispute the debt, request a waiver, or fulfill your debt obligation, the steps listed above are either suspended or amended.