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Veteran Resource Center

Welcome to the Veterans Resource Center at Forsyth Tech! The Veteran Resource Center is designed to provide support services and referral resources for student veterans and their dependents to assist them in meeting their educational and career goals.

The reintegration from military to civilian life and the transition into a college environment can be challenging. Forsyth Tech is sensitive to the special needs of veterans and supports them through our Veteran Resource Center. The Center offers veterans a range of services to ensure academic success, including personal, confidential counseling; academic advising; new student orientation; access to a Student Success Coach; and veteran benefits information. Here, veterans can even find a quiet place to study or take a break. If you’re a veteran, we invite you to visit our Veteran Resource Center. We stand ready to serve you!

Title 38 USC 3679(e) Compliance

It is our institutional policy to allow an individual to attend or participate in a program of education if the Chapter 31 or Chapter 33 Beneficiary provides the school with a “Certificate of Eligibility” (COE).

Recruiting, Marketing, and Advertising

It is our policy to prohibit the use of commissions, bonuses, or other incentive payment programs for employees or contractors based on securing the enrollments or financial aid of our service members.

It is our policy to refrain from high-pressure recruitment tactics that serve to secure enrollments or financial aid to our service members.

Tuition Assistance (TA) funds are a source of financial aid for active-duty military students. TA funds are a unique, distinct source of financial aid available to eligible service members. Our service members may use this aid prior to using all other aid if they so choose. You must apply for TA prior to enrolling. It is recommended that you complete the process of requesting tuition assistance at least thirty (30) days prior to your Forsyth Tech class start date.

Please understand it is our policy that our VA support personnel direct eligible service members to receive TA benefit approval from an Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within the Military Service prior to enrolling. Forsyth Tech supports this requirement in order to facilitate the student’s ability to utilize this benefit as a first method of payment.

Apply for TA

Students must first create an account on their portal and gain approval from their service branch. Military members should follow the prompts detailed on their appropriate TA service portals to sign up for Tuition Assistance.

Service Branch	Help Line
Air Force	877-596-5771, Option 7
Army	877-272-1330
Marine Corps
National Guard Air Force Portal Army State Portal	Air Force: 877-596-5771 Army: 877-272-1330
Navy	877-838-1659

Note: Reserves should select the appropriate branch portal.

Financial Matters

Paige Lee is the primary school certifying official here at Forsyth Technical Community College. As a member of the financial aid department and the veteran’s resource center, she is qualified to assist servicemembers regarding their access to veterans’ education benefits and financial aid alongside a full staff of qualified financial aid professionals. As the primary SCO, she completes annual training for school certifying officials (SCO), as required by the Department of Veterans Affairs. She also participates in continuous learning and improvement financial aid sessions, alongside all staff in the financial aid department in regular intervals. Paige’s most recent credentials are listed below and she is designated to provide students with an explanation surrounding the following:

Available financial aid, including Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.
A description of the differences between private and federal student loans to include terms, conditions, repayment and forgiveness options.
Disclosure of Forsyth Technical Community College’s student loan Cohort Default Rate (CDR), currently 3.9%, the percentage of its students who borrow, currently 15%, and how its CDR compares to the national average. National Cohort Default Rates PowerPoint Presentation (ed.gov)
Explaining that students have the ability to refuse all or borrow less than the maximum student loan amount allowed.

It is Forsyth Technical Community College policy to disclose the institutional and national Cohort Default Rate (CDR) annually upon availability.

Our veteran students are eligible for tuition assistance (TA) benefits and should apply for these benefits prior to enrollment. It is also our policy to return any unearned TA funds on a proportional basis that at least the 60% point of each term for which these benefits were provided. The SCO and the business office will collaborate to ensure this is managed accurately for students. TA funds are returned directly to the military service and not the service member. The institution will return 100% of these funds to the appropriate military service provided the service member hasn’t begun attendance, and specifically in the course(s) TA covers. Returns will also be made for courses canceled by the institution.

You can find additional information regarding VA education resources and financial aid, including contact information at the links below:

Veterans’ Information – Forsyth Tech

Financial Services Staff – Forsyth Tech

Apply for Financial Aid – Forsyth Tech

Guide to Financial Aid (forsythtech.edu)

Forsyth Tech’s Net Price Calculator

Accreditation & Credentialing Requirements

Forsyth Technical Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Forsyth Technical Community College.

- Overall accreditation and programmatic accreditation information can be found at Accreditation – Forsyth Tech and at the bottom of State Authorization and Complaint Resolution – Forsyth Tech
- Conditions required to obtain credentials along with any programmatic accreditation information and state requirements can be found at https://www.forsythtech.edu/courses-programs/degrees/health-technologies/ and at the bottom of State Authorization and Complaint Resolution – Forsyth Tech and Accreditation – Forsyth Tech

Academic Counseling & Post-Graduation Job Opportunities

Transcripts and Credit Assessments

The Admissions & Records Office may require an official transcript from a high school, an adult high school diploma program, a High School Equivalency (GED)/HiSET/TASC program, or a college or university that is regionally accredited through an accrediting agency approved by Forsyth Tech to meet prerequisites and/or other requirements when registering for courses. Questions regarding the accreditation of online high schools may be directed to the director of Admissions. Applicants who have earned the GED certificate in North Carolina are requested to have a transcript certifying high school equivalency/scores sent to the Admissions Office. Transcript requests for servicemembers may require all transcripts based on requirements from varying VA education benefit programs. Credit assessment is completed on a per-student basis and also in conjunction with our college transfer and planning capabilities.

Educational plans for service members are housed in their personalized portal and work in conjunction with the administrator portal. Both students and faculty use this portal in the planning and registration process for students and service members alike for consistency. This portal is used to track progress toward graduation and program completion.

Forsyth Tech discloses articulated credit transfer agreements and policies regarding transfer credit to students, including service members. Students can compare this disclosure to their plan in their portal to ensure their plans show alignment. Articulated transfer credit information can be found at https://www.forsythtech.edu/courses-programs/degrees/college-transfer-program/college-transfer-planning-and-admissions/ and Articulated Courses – Forsyth Tech

Student Support and Veteran’s Staff

Paige Lee is our VA School Certifying Official (SCO), and has a full page dedicated to the VA services she provides in addition to her FA knowledge and contributions URL: https://www.forsythtech.edu/students/how-to-pay-for-college/financial-aid-101/ Paige Lee is qualified and trained on both fronts, in financial aid title IV programs and VA benefit certification to service students and service members. She has a bachelor of business administration.

Cherise Velez, MS, LCAS-A is a licensed mental health counselor and trained academic counselor. She holds a Masters’s degree in mental health rehabilitation counseling and is henceforth qualified to assist veterans with registration and additional student support services, including mental health counseling to students and service members.

Erica McMahon, MS, CSC, Director of Accessibility Services holds a Master’s in rehabilitation counseling, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a vision specialist in rehabilitation certificate and is qualified to provide accessibility support services to students, including service members.

Beth Mitchell, MS, GCDF, Director of Career Services, is a Global Career Development Facilitator with a Masters degree in Human Sciences and over 15 years experience in workforce development. Career services, such as resume development, interview preparation, training on using LinkedIn and AI for job search, and salary negotiations are free services for students and service members.

Walt Braxton, Coordinator of Veteran Services, is a US Navy Veteran and Human Services Professional. He is an experienced Mental Health Specialist with a history of providing exceptional support services to all students, including service members and their families.

Re-Admission

It is our policy, in accordance with Chapter 2, Volume 3 of the FSA Handbook, if the student is readmitted to the same program, for the first academic year in which he returns, the school must assess the tuition and fee charges that he was or would have been assessed for the academic year during which he left the school. However, if his veterans’ education benefits or other service member education benefits will pay the higher tuition and fee charges that other students in the program are paying for the year, the school may assess those charges to the student as well.

Getting Started

Apply web page https://www.forsythtech.edu/students/apply

The application and admission process for veterans is more involved than for typical students. The VRC is eager to guide you so you don’t miss any opportunities specific to veterans.

Before you apply, however, we encourage you to call, or email us. (Ask for a work study or staff assistant)

We will:

Walk you through the application
Explain the GI Bill, including benefits and
Guide and assist you and your family in applying for these
Put you in contact with your academic program of
Connect you with Forsyth Tech admissions and financial aid

**Official correspondences are sent to your Forsyth Tech student email account, so please be sure to check your account often. Important notices affecting your time-sensitive benefits are often disregarded by students because they forget to check their email!

Apply Today!

There are multiple types of aid for qualified students that include grants, loans, and work-study. For more information check out the Financial Aid webpage

As a student veteran, you and eligible dependents are entitled to certain benefits and are eligible to participate in certain programs. If you are qualified and wish to use your Veterans Educational Benefits you must be admitted to a state-approved degree or certificate program and complete the appropriate documentation. Contact the VRC office on your campus for assistance.

More Information on VA Benefits Here

Community Veterans Benefits Information

Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office Federal Building,

251 N. Main St.

Winston-Salem, NC, 27155

1.800.827.1000

Campus Resources

Forsyth Tech Cares

Forsyth Tech Cares is a comprehensive approach for connecting students, staff, and faculty to the resources and support services they need. We will be able to provide critical support by answering questions, connecting them to emergency financial assistance, and making sure they are doing okay mentally and emotionally.

If you are struggling, we want to help. Please let us know what assistance you’re looking for by completing the form below or calling 336-734-7195 and an FT Cares team member will reach out to you in 48 hours.

More Information on Forsyth Cares