Wisconsin Apprenticeship/OJT Webinar VETERANS BENEFITS ...dva.state.wi.us/PublishingImages/Pages/educationEmployment/State... · Wisconsin Apprenticeship/OJT Webinar . ... • Approval

VETERANS BENEFITS

ADMINISTRATION

VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

Wisconsin Apprenticeship/OJT Webinar

February 2017


Overview

• Who am I?

• How have things changed?

– New Players due to a change with VA and the WI DWD/Bureau

– New Process

– Annual Reporting Fee

• What does it mean to be a VA Certifying Official?

• FAQs

• VA resources

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Who am I? What’s my role?

Education Liaison Representative • Federal employee of the U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA)

• Responsible for facilities in Wisconsin who are, or wish to be approved to train VA GI Bill® beneficiaries

• Assist facilities in navigating VA GI Bill® responsibilities. Not a customer representative for Veteran trainees

• Maintain facility records

• Contract with the State of Wisconsin to ensure training programs meet state requirements

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How have things changed?

VA previously contracted with WI DWD/BAS to be the acting State Approving Agent (SAA)

• Effective October 1, 2016, the acting State Approving Agent for Apprenticeship and On-the-Job training facilities changed hands from the WI DWD to the WI Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA)

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What does it mean to be the acting State Approving Agent? What does an SAA do?


What does the State Approving Agency do?

• Approves facilities to offer programs for VA eligible students

• Approval is submitted to the ELR for acceptance

• If accepted, the program information is entered by ELR into a VA database called WEAMS

– used in processing claims to verify approval

• Maintain approval by working with facilities and updating VA about changes

• Compliance Surveys

• Outreach

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VA previously contracted with WI DWD/BAS to be the acting State Approving Agent (SAA)

• All VA forms and information flowed through your facility’s ATR – ATR would review VA forms for quality

submit to VA – ATR would inform BAS of training

program/wage changes, and BAS would inform the VA

– ATR or VA would perform compliance surveys

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WDVA is the acting SAA

• WDVA is the first stop to maintain your VA GI Bill approval. Any change about your facility should be communicated to the WDVA – Address – Point of contact – Training programs

• Wages • Requirements

• WDVA will manage a database to track active trainees. To assist in managing this accurately, please submit a copy of the trainee’s VA Certificate of Eligibility, VA Form 22-1999, VA Form 22-8864 (if applicable) and the Apprentice Contract to WDVA via fax or US mail.

• WDVA or VA will perform compliance surveys

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What does it mean to be an approved facility?

• All state and federal approval requirements have been met

• Veterans eligible for the GI Bill® may receive payments based on their enrollment/training

• Certifying Officials are responsible for communicating to the SAA and VA to ensure the approval requirements are maintained

• The facility will receive an Annual Reporting Fee for each student certified during a calendar year

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Annual Reporting Fee - ARF

• Facilities are provided a reporting fee based on the number of students who were certified to VA at least once during the previous calendar year, AND received VA Education benefits

• The rate fluctuates annually based on legislation: Calendar year 2015 provided schools $9/student

• 38 USC 3684(c) mandates reporting fees must be used for the purpose of certifications or otherwise supporting programs for Veterans

• Payment will come in check form from the U.S. Treasury

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Annual Reporting Fee - ARF

Q: What does “must be used for the purpose of certifications or otherwise supporting programs for Veterans” mean?

A: It is open to interpretation. Some suggestions of how you may use the money is to cover printing cost for flyers or brochures which may distributed to Veterans or attend training workshops hosts by the SAA or the VA.

Q: Do we have to accept this payment?

A: Payment will come in check form from the U.S. Treasury. If you do not wish to accept these funds, you do not have to negotiate the check, or you may return it to the Treasury.

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Roles

• SAA State Approving Agency

• ELR Education Liaison Representative

• CO Certifying Official

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Certifying Official Responsibilities

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A. Ensure close supervision by qualified journey workers will be provided throughout the training program.

B. Maintain records for each trainee. At a minimum, the records will include the following:

• job assignments (promotions, demotions, lay-off terminations)

• rates of pay

• progress in training as outlined in the work processes (Exhibit A)

• hours of training given monthly in each process and overall progress evaluations made at least each 3 months.

C. Confirm if credit will be given for previous training and experience, and the length of the training program will be reduced proportionately. Trainees who are granted credit for previous training and experience will be placed into the appropriate step of the wage progression scale.


Certifying Official Responsibilities

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D. Make certain an enrollment certification will not be submitted for a veteran or eligible person who is already qualified for the position because of prior training or experience.

E. Ensure a copy of an approved training agreement will be provided to the trainee and to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

F. Confirm the wages paid to trainees under this VA program will not be less than wages paid to trainees who are not eligible for VA benefits. The beginning wage will be at least 50% of the wage for a fully trained employee.

G. Make certain, unless the training establishment is operated by a Federal, State or local government, periodic wage increases will be granted and by the last full month of training the wage will be at least 85% of the wage for a fully trained employee.

H. There is a reasonable certainty that the job for which training is provided will be available to the trainee after training has been completed.


Compliance Surveys are conducted in order to verify certifications submitted, ensure correct payments to veteran trainees, and to protect taxpayer dollars.

• VA Central Office determines which types of facilities are visited

• Records required include payroll/paycheck stubs, progress reports/performance evaluations, wage scales, and personnel records

• Review record maintenance and retention

• Check accuracy of certifications

• Additional training is conducted if needed

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Compliance Surveys


Trainee Responsibilities

• Must apply for benefits

• Communicate to certifying official if VA notifies them of paperwork issue, or other document requests

• Provide 22-6553d-1 to Certifying Official in a timely manner

• Ensure VA is paying them properly

• Must follow the approved Training Outline

• Progress satisfactorily through training program

• Follow company rules, regulations & guidelines

• Notify Certifying Official of any deviations from the training outline

• Complete the required training hours as indicated in the training outline

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How are benefits paid?

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1) In order for VA to make payment to a Veteran, the Veteran must first be found eligible by applying or notifying VA of a change in training

• Apply for Education Benefits: Vets.gov

• If the student has never used benefits: Original applications VA Form 22-1990

• If the student has used benefits elsewhere: Change of Program or Place of Training VA Form 22-1995

• A Certificate of Eligibility will be issued to the Veteran

2) The initial VA forms to establish the Veteran’s training program and training period should be submitted

• VA Form 22-1999, VA Form 22-8864 (if a CO signs the Apprentice Contract, this may be used in lieu of the 22-8864), and the Exhibit A-Program Provisions

3) Veteran receives payment for the months worked to date after the forms are processed and authorized

https://www.vets.gov/education/apply-for-education-benefits/


How To Get a New Veteran Started?

Training program approval

• Double check the Veteran training program is approved for GI Bill benefits – VA Form 22-1998

Submit Initial Documentation • Copy of Veteran’s Certificate of Eligibility • VA Form 22-1999 side B • Apprentice Contract or VA Form 22-8864 • Training Outline (Exhibit A Program

Provisions)

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Submitting Veteran’s initial documentation to WDVA

FAX: 608-267-0403 MAIL: Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs ATTN: SAA 201 W. Washington Ave P.O. Box 7843 Madison, WI 53707-7843 Veteran’s documents will be submitted to the St. Louis Regional Processing Office on behalf of the facility by the WI SAA.

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Submitting monthly documentation to VA directly

• Verify hours worked • Verify and document progress reports • Submit Certification of Monthly Hours to the VA

– VA Form 22-6553d-1 – Company letterhead

• Maintain records for 3 years

FAX: 314-253-4140 ONLINE: Submit a Question MAIL: Department of Veterans Affairs 9700 Page Avenue Suite 101 - Education St. Louis, MO 63132-1502 18

Monthly Procedures

Access Submit a Question Instructions:

https://gibill.custhelp.com/app/utils/login_form/redirect/ask


FAQs

Q: Where do Veterans go to inquire about their eligibility, entitlement, or payment? A: VA GI Bill hotline, VA Online Submit a Question feature, Local County Veteran’s Service Office (CVSO) or Tribal Veterans Service Office (TVSO) Q: Does a Veteran have to wait for the training program to be approved to apply to the VA? A: NO! Please encourage the Veteran to inform VA of the apprenticeship program they are going to pursue by completing VA Form 22-1990 or 22-1995 Q: How does a Veteran confirm the documents were received by the VA? A: VA GI Bill hotline, VA Online Submit a Question feature Q: When is it appropriate to submit a VA Form 22-1999b Notice of Change in Student Status? A: If the Veteran is going to not be pursuing the training program for an extended period of time (lay offs, called to active duty) or the Veteran leaves the program

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Applying for Benefits

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Apply anytime online thru eBenefits OR through Vets.gov OR Paper Applications- Veterans can go to www.va.gov/forms/

http://www.ebenefits.va.gov/


http://www.va.gov/forms/


GI Bill Website

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GI Bill Website • Rates • Benefit information • Contact information • Training Resources

http://benefits.va.gov/gibill/


VA Resources for Veterans or dependents

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• Research EDU benefits and rates http://benefits.va.gov/gibill/

• Apply online https://www.vets.gov/education/apply-for-education-benefits/

• Questions concerning their EDU benefits or payments:

− GI Bill® hotline 1-888-GI-BILL-1 (888-442-4551)

− “Submit a Question” section on the GI Bill website allows them to ask questions about their claim or browse FAQs https://gibill.custhelp.com/

• Local resources: County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) http://wicvso.org/ and LVER or DVOP at WI Job Center http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/veterans/vetreps.htm



https://gibill.custhelp.com/

http://wicvso.org/

http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/veterans/vetreps.htm


How to Contact VA as a Certifying Official

• Research EDU benefits and rates http://benefits.va.gov/gibill/

• Questions concerning EDU benefits or payments:

− SCO Hotline is for School Certifying Officials ONLY. Please do not release this number to trainees. The hours of operation are 7:00A to 5:00P CST

− “Submit a Question” section on the GI Bill website allows you to ask questions about a claim or browse FAQs https://gibill.custhelp.com/

• Changes to the SCO, program requirements, or other approval elements, inform the SAA

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https://gibill.custhelp.com/


Regional Processing Offices

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RPO Fax Number St Louis (314) 253 4140 RPO Mailing Address Department of Veterans Affairs 9700 Page Avenue Suite 101 - Education St. Louis, MO 63132-1502


How to contact us?

Wisconsin DVA acting State Approving Agency

Mark Beres, Education Consultant [email protected] 608-266-3731 Sebastian Walters, Program Assistant [email protected] 608-261-8771

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Compliance & Liaison Office of Education Services Jennifer Lanser, Education Liaison Representative

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mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Review

• Who am I?

• How have things changed?

– New Players due to a change with VA and the WI DWD/Bureau

– New Process

– Annual Reporting Fee

• What does it mean to be a VA Certifying Official?

• FAQs

• VA resources

26

Documents

Wisconsin Apprenticeship/OJT Webinar VETERANS BENEFITS ...dva.state.wi.us/PublishingImages/Pages/educationEmployment/State... · Wisconsin Apprenticeship/OJT Webinar . ... • Approval