Roane State Community College

1. Appropriate Officer: A warrant, commissioned or noncommissioned, officer authorized to give such notice by the military service concerned.
2. Armed Forces: the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Active duty includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, and attendance, while in the active military service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary of the military department concerned. Active duty does not include full-time National Guard duty.
3. Education Services Officer (ESO): Person assigned the responsibility for advising service persons of the educational opportunities available to active duty personnel.
4. Military Service (or service in the uniformed services): Voluntary or involuntary service in the armed forces, including service by a member of the National Guard or Reserve on active duty, active duty for training, or full-time National Guard duty under federal authority, for a period of more than 30 consecutive days under a call or order to active duty of more than 30 consecutive days. This does not include National Guard service under state authority.
5. Reservist: A person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military.
6. Service Member: Someone who is a member of, applies to be a member of, performs, has performed, applies to perform, or has an obligation to perform, service in the uniformed services.
7. Tuition Assistance (TA): Military Tuition Assistance is a benefit paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

1. In accordance with federal laws, regulations, and the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Roane State Community College (RSCC):
   1. Bans the payment of any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on securing enrollments or federal financial aid (including Tuition Assistance funds) to any persons or entities engaged in any student recruiting, admission activities, or making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance.
   2. Refrains from high pressure recruitment tactics such as making multiple unsolicited contacts (3 or more), including contacts by phone, email, or in-person, and engaging in same-day recruitment and registration for the purposes of securing service member enrollments.
   3. Bans inducements, including any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loans, transportation, lodging, meals, or other item having a monetary value of more than an insignificant amount to any individual or entity, or its agents, including third-party lead generators or marketing firms, other than salaries paid to employees or fees paid to contractors in conformity with all applicable laws for the purpose of securing enrollments of service members or obtaining access to TA funds.
2. Allows college-sponsored scholarships or grants and tuition reductions to be available to military-affiliated students.

1. RSCC is approved to enroll eligible service members who apply to utilize Tuition Assistance (TA). Military TA is a benefit paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Congress has given each service the ability to pay up to 100% for the tuition expenses of its members. Each service has its own criteria for eligibility, obligated service, application process, and restrictions. These funds are usually paid directly to the college by the individual services.
2. The Veterans Affairs Office at RSCC is the point of contact for academic and financial advising (including access to disability counseling) to assist service members, veteran students, and their families with the successful completion of their studies and with their job searches.
3. The Veterans Affairs Office at RSCC directs eligible service members to receive approval from an Education Services Officer (ESO) or military education counselor within the appropriate military service for TA funding prior to enrolling in classes at RSCC.
4. Service members who fail to receive approval for TA prior to enrollment will be obligated for the amount due for the cost of tuition and fees.
5. Employees of RSCC are not responsible for the submission and approval of TA requests made by service members.

1. Readmission Requirements
   1. RSCC will provide prompt readmission of service members with the same academic status they had when they last attended the college or were accepted for admission prior to deployment under the following circumstances:
      1. The student contacts the RSCC Veterans Affairs Office to provide notification of service as well as notification of intent to return.
      2. The student or an appropriate officer of the Department of Defense or military service provides oral or written notice to the college that the reason for withdrawal from enrollment is due to receipt of orders or instructions to report for military service of at least 30 days. Notice should be given prior to withdrawal unless precluded from doing so by the military, e.g. service is related to a classified mission, etc. Notice does not have to indicate whether the service member intends to return to the school and may not be subject to any rule of timeliness. Timeliness must only be determined by the facts of each case.
      3. When notice is precluded prior to the date of withdrawal, the service member may submit an attestation of military service that necessitated the absence from school at the time of readmission.
   2. The service member provides notice of intent to re-enroll after an absence of no longer than 5 years and;
   3. Within 3 years or after completion of service
   4. Within 2 years of the completion of any convalescence for any injury or illness related to their service
   5. No specific form is required to provide notice of intent to return.
2. If notice of intent to re-enroll meets the requirements set forth above, the service member shall be promptly readmitted.

1. RSCC defines prompt readmission as:
   1. Re-enrollment in the next available class in the same or most similar program as that in which the service member was enrolled prior to withdrawal,
   2. With the same academic status as before withdrawal,
   3. With the same academic progress as before withdrawal,
   4. With the same number of credit hours as had been completed before withdrawal.
2. Exceptions to Prompt Readmission requirements include:
   1. When the service member fails to meet the requirements of Section VI.A above. In such circumstances, however, the service member shall be permitted to be readmitted pursuant to the same policies or requirements as all regular students.
   2. When the college reasonably determines that the service member is not prepared to return to their program of study at the status, rank, and/or level of academic progress previously achieved, provided the college has made reasonable effort, at no extra cost to the service member, to prepare the service member to re-enroll. The college bears the burden of proof in establishing that the service member is not prepared to resume their course of study at the level obtained prior to withdrawal.
   3. When the service member requests to enroll in a different program.
   4. When the service member requests to re-enter their program of study at the beginning, or at any earlier point, of the program of study.

1. The same as that charged at the time of withdrawal,
2. Up to the limit of available TA benefits if not greater than that charged to other students, or,
3. If starting in a new program, the same tuition and fees charged to other students in the program.

Provisions
The provisions of federal law requiring this policy shall supersede any state laws to the contrary.