Frequently Asked Questions

Veteran Services Office

WHAT SHOULD I DO TO GET STARTED AT LAVC?

  • If you plan on using your VA benefits, apply online to receive confirmation about your eligibility: https://www.vets.gov/education/apply/
  • Apply to become a student at& LAVC: logon to http:www.lavc.edu and select “Apply online.” The Admissions office will email a student ID # and instructions about obtaining a registration appointment
  • Request Transcripts: If you have attended college(s) outside the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), the transcripts must be sent directly to LAVC Admissions Office from each institution attended. (Hand-delivered are not considered official.) 5800 Fulton Ave. Valley Glen, Ca. 91401. NOTE: You will only be certified the first semester without official transcripts. VA Certification requests will not be processed unless you provide an updated Student Educational Plan (SEP) as proof of counselor official transcript evaluation
  • Financial Aid: applying for financial aid is highly recommended as it will not affect VA benefits.
  • Update your Change of Program/training form if you are changing school or/and benefits
  • Complete the POC:
  • Attend the New Student Veterans Orientation *see the New Students page for more information

For additional information, please contact the LIVE Chat Veterans Services Help Desk

WHAT DOCUMENTS DO I NEED TO SUBMIT TO THE VETERANS OFFICE?

To receive services through the Veterans Office (including academic counseling and access to veteran specific resources) you will need to submit:

  • A copy of your DD-214 form OR
  • a copy of your VA identification card

*Dependents- please submit a copy of the veteran's DD-214 form OR copy of VA identification card

To receive VA certification for educational benefits, you will need to submit:

  • Eligibility Letter provided by the VA
  • Copy of DD-214 (Member 4) - (Eligible to receive two units of Health credit, one unit of Kinesiology credit and three units of elective credit for the AA/AS degree, an exemption and partial certification for the CSU General Education Plan Area E (Lifelong Learning and Self Development)
  • Veterans Student Educational Plan (SEP) does not need to be submitted but must be updated every fall and spring semester. To update: schedule an appointment with the veterans counselor. Courses not on SEP must be approved by the VA Counselor. Minor adjustments are approved without an appointment within 2 business days. Major adjustments require an appointment for a revised plan
  • Chapter 31 (VR&E formerly known as Vocational Rehabilitation) requires a Tungsten Authorization (TA) provided by the VR&E Rehabilitation Counselor.
  • Chapter 35 (Dependents) requires the veteran’s file number or a copy of the veteran’s DD-214

NOTE: Certifications are submitted through the Certification Form on Canvas. Certifications will be processed within 5-10 business days.

HOW DO I QUALIFY FOR PRIORITY REGISTRATION AS A VETERAN?

To qualify for priority registration, students must:

  • be fully matriculated and identify as active-duty military and/or a veteran
  • complete POC (Placement, OrIentation, Counseling) by the deadline
  • maintain good academic standing and must NOT be on academic or progress probation
  • provide a DD-214. If the DD-214 indicates a dishonorable discharge, they may not be eligible for priority registration (Department of Defense 214 (DD-214) is a document issued by the US DoD, upon a military service member's retirement, separation, or discharge from active-duty)

NOTE: Check the Academic Calendar at www.lavc.edu for priority registration dates

CAN I ATTEND ANOTHER COLLEGE WHILE ATTENDING LAVC?

  • While enrolled at Los Angeles Valley College, students may also take courses at other colleges
  • If a student is utilizing VA educational benefits, they must be enrolled in at least 1 unit at LAVC, then request a Parent School Letter (PSL) to take additional courses at other college(s)
  • Veteran students who wish to concurrently enroll must discuss their plans with the veterans academic counselor to receive approval and ensure that the class(es) taken is listed on the Veterans Student Educational Plan (SEP)
  • The Parent School Letter (PSL) will be emailed to the other school's designated veterans services office/contact for certification

HOW MANY UNITS ARE NEEDED TO BE CONSIDERED FULL-TIME?

  • For VA benefit purposes:
    • Spring and Fall: 12 units
    • Winter (5 weeks): 4 units
    • Summer (5 Weeks):4 units
    • Summer (8 Weeks): 6 units

NOTE: At least one unit must be on campus to qualify for BAH (Chapter 33 Post/911 only). Due to COVID, students must be enrolled in at least one unit that is offered as a synchronous course listed with a designated day and time of meeting

HOW CAN I APPLY FOR VETERANS WORK STUDY?

  • Available to any veteran or dependents of a veteran
  • Must be enrolled in 9 units or more
  • 25 hours maximum per week
  • Students are paid the current CA State Hourly Rate
  • Complete the work-study application and submit it to the Veterans Services Office

NOTE: VA Work Study payment is issued by the VA after every two weeks or after 50 hours have been completed

INFORMATION ON VA BENEFITS BASED ON CHAPTERS

CAN A VETERAN APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID?

HOW CAN I CHECK ON THE STATUS OF MY PENDING CLAIM FOR VA BENEFITS?

You can use the eBenefits portal to check the status of your claim online if you are an eBenefits Premium (Level 2) account holder. To determine the status of your pending claim, login to your eBenefits account http://www.ebenefits.va.gov and select My eBenefits. On the "Compensation" tab, select Compensation & Pension Claims Status to view your claim status. You can also call 1-800-827-1000 and follow the recorded instructions, or you can contact VA and fill out the Ask A Question form. If you are not an eBenefits account holder, you can visit the eBenefits Registration page at http://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ for information on how to establish an account.

WHAT BENEFITS AND SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SPOUSES AND DEPENDENTS OF DECEASED VETERANS?

The Veterans Benefits Administration has created a "survivors" Web site for spouses and dependents of military personnel who died on active duty and for the survivors and dependents of veterans who died after leaving the military. The Web site is organized into two broad categories - death in service and death after service. It provides website visitors with information about a wide range of benefits for the surviving spouse, dependent children, and dependent parents of deceased veterans and active-duty personnel. The site also has information from and provides links to other federal agencies and organizations that offer benefits and services to survivors and dependents. The Web site can be reached by clicking on the Benefits link on the VA home page and then the Survivor benefit link that appears in the dropdown box, or by going to: http://www.vba.va.gov/survivors/