Veterans support

Carl Sandburg College is proud to serve and provide an educational opportunity for students who have served or who are currently serving our country. We're committed to helping our veterans, military personnel and their dependents make an easy transition to college life. Students and prospective students are encouraged to speak to the coordinator of veterans and military services prior to enrollment each term.

 

To make an appointment with our veteran representative:

Use the contact information below to schedule an appointment with our veteran representative.

 

Contact information

Gabriel Sherwood
Coordinator of Financial Aid, Veterans & Military Services
309.341.5321
gsherwood@sandburg.edu
Fax: 309.344.2529
Located in Room E-101, Financial Aid Office

Summer 2024 Enrollment Certification : If you've enrolled for the Summer term and would like to use your GI Bill ® benefits, please complete the VA Certification Request 2024SU.

Spring 2024 Enrollment Certification : If you've enrolled for the Spring term and would like to use your GI Bill ® benefits, please complete the  VA Certification Request Form 2024SP.

Fall 2023 Enrollment Certification : If you've enrolled for the Fall term and would like to use your GI Bill ® benefits, please complete the  VA Certification Request Form 2023FA.


Student call to military duty

Carl Sandburg College students who are called to active duty in the armed forces will, upon their request, be given a 100% refund of tuition and fees for the current term if they provide the Records and Registration Office with: 

  1. A written request (letter or Schedule Change Form) to be withdrawn from classes at 100% refund 
  2. A copy of their official orders for a call to active duty

If the call to active duty comes after mid-term, the student may:

  1. Request to be withdrawn from classes at 100% refund.
  2. Try to complete courses in progress after consulting with the instructors.
  3. Request incomplete grades (I) after consulting with the instructors.
The service member will be offered the opportunity to continue in his/her program upon return from service duties.

 

Tuition for eligible veterans and families

In-district tuition will be charged to eligible post-9/11 veterans, spouse and/or dependent children and Montgomery GI Bill ® recipients regardless of residency. Contact the coordinator of veterans and military services at 309.341.5321 for more information. 

Forever GI Bill ® — Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017

The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, also known as the Forever GI Bill ®, is named after the American Legion national commander who wrote the original GI Bill ® language in 1944 and will allow more veterans to use the GI Bill ® and more time to use it. For more information, visit the  U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs - Forever GI Bill ®

 

VA PENDING PAYMENT COMPLIANCE POLICY

Compliance with 38 USC 3679(e)

Beginning August 1, 2019, and despite any policy to the contrary, the educational institution named at the bottom of this form will not take any of the four following actions toward any student using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill ® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while their payment from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs is pending to the educational institution:

  • Prevent their enrollment;
  • Assess a late penalty fee to;
  • Require they secure alternative or additional funding;
  • Deny their access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

  • Produce the VA’s Certificate of Eligibility by the first day of class;
  • Provide a written request to be certified;
  • Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies (see our VA School Certifying Official for all requirements).

Military tuition assistance

Each of the four service branches and the U.S. Coast Guard offers financial assistance for voluntary, off-duty education programs in support of service members' personal and professional goals. The program is open to officers, warrant officers and enlisted active-duty service personnel. In addition, members of the National Guard and Reserve Components may be eligible for TA based on their service eligibility. To be eligible for TA, an enlisted service member must have enough time remaining in service to complete the course for which he or she has applied. After the completion of a course, an officer using TA must fulfill a service obligation that runs parallel with — not in addition to — any existing service obligation. Each military branch has its own TA application form and procedures. 

 

Branch military tuition assistance (TA):

 

Any service member wishing to use tuition assistance must receive authorization from the service branch before enrolling in classes each term.

Return of tuition assistance: Military tuition assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded. Carl Sandburg College will return any unearned TA funds to the military service branch on a prorated basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. 

In instances when a service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, Carl Sandburg College will work with the affected service member to identify solutions that will not result in student debt for the returned portion. If the attendance will stop after mid-term, the service member will be given the choice of:

  1. Withdrawing with a 100% refund
  2. Completion of the course with instructor approval
  3. Take a grade of incomplete (I) with the ability to complete the course upon return


Unearned TA return policy

16-week course withdrawal

Before or during weeks 1-2 100% return
During weeks 3-4 80% return
During weeks 5-8 50% return
During week 9 (60% completed) 40% return
During weeks 10-16 0% return

 

Eight-week course withdrawal

Before or during week 1 100% return
During week 2 75% return
During weeks 3-4 50% return
During week 5 (60% completed) 40% return
During weeks 6-8 0% return

 

Elimination of 15-year limitation to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill ® Program

The law removes the time limitation for the use of Post-9/11 GI Bill ® benefits for individuals whose last discharge or release from active duty is on or after January 1, 2013, children of deceased service members who first become entitled to Post-9/11 GI Bill ® program benefits on or after January 1, 2013, and all Fry spouses. All others remain subject to the current 15-year time limitation for using their Post-9/11 GI Bill ® benefits.

REAP eligibility credited toward Post-9/11 GI Bill ® Program

Members of the Reserve who established eligibility to educational assistance under the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) before November 25, 2015, and lost it due to the sunset provision may elect to have that service credited towards the Post-9/11 GI Bill ® program. 

Monthly housing based on campus student attends the majority of their classes

The law requires the monthly housing allowance (MHA) under the Post-9/11 GI Bill ® program to be calculated based on the ZIP code of the campus where the student physically attends the majority of classes, rather than the location of the institution of higher learning where the student is enrolled. This applies to the first enrollment in an educational program on or after August 1, 2018. Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg ZIP code is 61401 and in Carthage is 62321.


Obtain military transcript

Students who need to obtain a military transcript can request it at Transcripts for Military Personnel.  Students can request transcripts to be sent directly to Carl Sandburg College. 

 

Federal educational programs

  • Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill ®
  • Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill ®
  • Chapter 31 VA Vocational Rehabilitation
  • Chapter 35 Dependents Educational Assistance Program (DEA)
  • Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill ® — Selected Reserve
  • Chapter 1607 Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)

    GI Bill ® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Learn more about education benefits offered by the VA.

State-affiliated educational programs

Illinois Veterans Grant (IVG)

  • This program provides payment of tuition and certain fees at an Illinois public two- or four-year college or university. The grant is available to qualified Illinois veterans or military service members with at least one year of active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and who have served honorably. Veterans must have been residents of Illinois six months prior to entering the services and must have returned to Illinois to reside within six months of leaving the service. Students need to be enrolled in one or more credit hours to participate.
  • Qualified veterans may receive IVG benefits for the equivalent of four academic years of full-time enrollment, which is measured in eligibility units. Recipients may accumulate up to 120 eligibility units.
  • The Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) application is available online as an interactive application via the Student Portal. The online application has many benefits, including program information that is available at your fingertips, online edits which prevent errors, elimination of mailing time and immediate confirmation that your application has been received at ISAC. 

Illinois National Guard Grant (ING)

  • This program provides payment of tuition and certain fees at an Illinois public two- or four-year college or university. A student must be inactive status with the Illinois Army or Air National Guard and have served for at least one year to be eligible for the ING Grant.
  • ING Grant benefits for an academic year are determined based on the number of credit hours for which the qualified applicant is enrolled.
  • Recipients who have completed less than 10 years of active duty ING service may accumulate up to 120 eligibility units and recipients who have completed 10 years or more of active duty ING service may accumulate up to 180 eligibility units.**
  • The Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant application is available at isac.org.


MIA/POW Scholarship

  • The state of Illinois provides an education scholarship for the dependents of veterans who are either Missing In Action (MIA), a Prisoner of War (POW), died while on active duty, are 100% disabled due to service-connected disabilities or died as a result of a service-connected disability. The scholarship application and information on eligibility and documents needed are found at  MIA/POW Benefits.

Carl Sandburg College Standards for veterans' satisfactory progress

Carl Sandburg College students who are receiving federal educational benefits through the Veteran's Administration (VA) must make satisfactory progress to continue receiving benefits. This applies to Illinois Veteran's Grant (IVG), National Guard (NG), Chapter 30, 31, 33, 35, 1606 and 1607 benefits.

VA satisfactory progress requires the student to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater after their first semester of attendance. Students who fall below a 2.0 GPA will be placed on Warning. Students on Warning will have one semester to raise their cumulative GPA so that it satisfies the requirement. Students who do not satisfy the cumulative GPA after the warning period will be placed on Carl Sandburg College VA Dismissal and will no longer qualify for VA educational benefits.

Students will go back to satisfactory status when their cumulative GPA rises to 2.0 or above. Students placed on Carl Sandburg College VA Dismissal may file a written appeal to reinstate their benefits for an additional semester. Appeals are to be completed by the student and returned to the coordinator of veterans & military personnel student Services in the Financial Aid Office. Appeals will be reviewed by the Veterans Satisfactory Progress Committee within 30 calendar days. Students are encouraged to file their appeals early to avoid disruption in benefits.

Financial Aid shopping sheet

The Financial Aid Shopping Sheet is designed to help you assess the total cost of attending Sandburg. Using a simplified format, the sheet presents information about available financial aid, net costs and how much you should expect to pay out of pocket. This information should be used to help compare financial aid packages offered by different institutions.

Access the shopping sheet using mySandburg after financial aid has been awarded aid for the current academic year. 


How to access the shopping sheet 

  1. Log in to mySandburg.
  2. Select Self-Service.
  3. Go to Financial Aid.
  4. Click on Financial Aid Self-Service.
  5. While the mouse is on the Financial Aid tab, a menu will appear.
  6. Click on Federal Shopping Sheet.
  7. Select the current school year.


The figures noted in the shopping sheet are based on estimates; specific costs may differ from the information provided.


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