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The main purpose of this office is to certify the enrollment of those veterans and their dependents/spouses using veteran’s educational benefits. CSN VETS works as a liaison between the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) and VA beneficiaries enrolled at CSN.
CSN and the VETS Center team treats students (including but not limited to service members and their dependents) ethically, respectfully and professionally in the marketing, recruiting and admissions process so that students can make an informed enrollment decision without being subjected to high-pressure tactics from the institution or a related contractor.
If you believe you may be eligible for Veteran’s Education Benefits, such as Chapters 33 (Transfer of Entitlement and Fry Scholarship included), 31, 35, 30, or 1606, visit the CSN VA website at csn.edu/tuition-and-financial-aid/vets-center for more details on activating your VA benefits at CSN. In order to apply for your benefits with the VA, visit www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/ to complete the initial application for education benefits.
New VA beneficiaries accessing their benefits at CSN must complete the following steps:
- Contact the CSN VETS Center to obtain the necessary documentation to initiate the VA benefits process.
- Veterans Educational Benefit recipients utilizing benefits for the first time at CSN must submit all of the required documentation in person or via email to the Veterans Education and Transition Services (VETS) Center.
- Meet with a VA Advisor or appropriate special program advisor, proof of meeting required.
- Declare a VA-approved major prior to the first day of term.
- Take placement tests for English and Math (if applicable).
- Request official transcripts from ALL previous training, college credits, work experience, on-the-job, vocational or trade school, the Joint Services Transcript (JST), and/or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcripts to be sent to the CSN Office of the Registrar.
- Maintain Standard of Progress with a 2.00 cumulative grade point average (CGPA); a lower CGPA may result in probation/suspension. VETS will report to the VA Regional Office grades of W or AU, which could result in an over-payment of benefits.
Returning VA beneficiaries accessing their benefits at CSN must complete the following steps:
- Submit a claim online each semester you intend to use benefits. Online claims are completed at csn.edu/vets-claim-form.
- If you are changing your major must receive advising and declare the correct program before the first day of the term in which they wish to start the major.
- Maintain Standard of Progress with a 2.00 cumulative grade point average (CGPA); a lower CGPA may result in probation/suspension. VETS will report to the VA Regional Office grades of W or AU, which could result in an over-payment of benefits.
For new and returning students, once all documents have been received, the VETS Center will begin the process of certifying your benefits to the VA. It takes up to 30 days for the VETS Center to report courses to the VA.
For additional information, please contact us at 702-651-5060 or csn.va@csn.edu for general information on VA education benefits, VA beneficiaries can visit the www.vets.gov website.
Veterans Beneficiary Standard of Progress
The Standard of Progress for VA beneficiaries is the same policy as prescribed by the Office of Registrar. Failure to follow Standard of Progress may result in the discontinuation of educational benefits.
VA Rate of Pursuit for Chapter 33 Post 9/11 Recipients
Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) payment amounts are based on the Department of Defense’s Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for an “E-5 with dependents” for the zip code of the school. BAH rates can be found at the following website: www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/bah.html.
Monthly Housing Allowance amounts are prorated based on a student’s benefit level and may be further reduced based on the rate of pursuit rounded to nearest multiple of 10. Benefits are only payable when the rate of pursuit is more than 50%. Active-duty recipients and their spouses utilizing Post 9/11 benefits will not be eligible for MHA.
For students solely enrolled in distance courses and whose rate of pursuit is more than 50% will receive one-half of the BAH national average. Please contact the CSN VETS Center to verify you have a course that meets resident requirement for housing stipend purposes.
Prior Learning Experience Transfer Credit
At the College of Southern Nevada, there are several ways in which you may be able to use your military experience to finish your degree sooner than you think. Use the links below to find out how you can maximize your training and experience as you pursue your degree at CSN. VA beneficiaries wanting to transfer credits from regionally accredited institutions of higher education must have an official transcript mailed directly to CSN or the unopened transcript can be hand carried to the Office of the Registrar. VA beneficiaries who attended a foreign university or college must have their credits evaluated by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Have questions? Contact the CSN Transfer Team at csn.edu/forms/contact-request-form.
Application of Prior Learning Credit, CSN Credit and Certification of Courses
It is the student’s responsibility to submit all official transcripts for any prior military and college credits to the Office of the Registrar within 24 weeks of your matriculation. Keep in mind upon completion of the evaluation we will conduct a full audit of your file. Prior learning credit will be applied to the declared program of study’s graduation requirements in the order in which the course(s) were completed. If any prior education or experience satisfies a requirement in which benefits were received, it may cause a debt and repayment will be required. VETS can only certify courses that are included on the declared degree sheet or that are pre-requisites for courses included on the declared degree sheet that meet remaining graduation requirements for the declared program of study.
Free Evaluation of Military Training
CSN offers a free evaluation of military training and experience for college credit. All credit granted for military training is given based on the American Council on Education (ACE) guide recommendations. To request an official evaluation of your military experience and training for college credit, please request an official transcript using the links below.
The ACE Military Guide
Transfer Articulation
Transfer credit awarded for HISTUS and PSCUS, may be used to satisfy HIST101 of the U.S. and Nevada Constitution requirements. Students may take HIST 102 or HIST 217 to meet the Nevada Constitution requirement. Students who transferred HISTUS and PSCUS from outside of the state of Nevada can consider PSC 100 to meet the Nevada Constitution requirement.
Effective Fall 2017*, transfer credit awarded for prior learning from military education or for coursework successfully completed at a regionally accredited institution in which “elective” credit is awarded will satisfy a degree requirement listed as the introductory college level courses offered in that discipline at CSN, unless otherwise specified.
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Transfer course of PSY LELC will satisfy PSY 101 or above.
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Transfer course of CHEM LELC will not satisfy CHEM 105 or above (CHEM 103 is the introductory course in that discipline but does not meet the natural science graduation requirement)
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Transfer course of AM LELC will satisfy AM 145 or above
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Transfer course of a world language elective (i.e., LELC) will not satisfy an academic world language graduation requirement of 111 or above
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Conversational world language courses (i.e., CHI 101B, FIL 101B, FREN 101B, GER 101B, ITAL 101B, JPN 101B, KOR 101B, PORT 101B, AND SPAN 101B) do not meet the Humanities requirement for the Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Business (AB) degree programs nor do they meet the Fine Arts/Humanities/Social Science requirement for Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree program.
*This rule does not apply to any transcript evaluation completed prior to the Fall 2017.
Effective Summer 2022, quarter credits may satisfy sections of the degree requirements as long as overall credits and residency have been met. Exceptions apply, please reach out to the CSN VETS center with questions.
Alternative Credit Options
Many VA beneficiaries have extensive knowledge gained through prior schooling, training, or on-the-job experience. Through CSN, you may have the opportunity to earn additional credit toward your degree through a variety of options.
Practicums, Practical Experience, Practical Application, On-the-Job Training, Cooperative Education, and Clinical Experience
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VA beneficiaries may be required to take practical training courses in the form of internships, practicums, or residencies depending on the academic discipline in which they are enrolled. This training may be accomplished at College of Southern Nevada (CSN) facilities or at offsite locations, depending on the specialty. All such courses share commonalities, including:
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VA beneficiaries must register in advance, when applicable.
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CSN instructors are responsible for developing course requirements and supervising the progress of VA beneficiaries.
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Regular meetings between VA beneficiaries and instructors provide opportunities for guidance and evaluation. These interactions are generally held on a weekly basis.
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Practical training experiences require significantly more time than a regular course.
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VA beneficiaries are evaluated on their progress and assigned either a letter grade or a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade, as determined by the appropriate academic department. The satisfactory grade is not calculated into the VA beneficiary’s GPA.
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All practicums, internships, or residencies are granted full credit toward graduation, do not extend degree requirements, and are mandatory in several degree and credential programs.
Substitution Waivers
For VA certification purposes, completed substitution waivers are effective at the end of the term in which the course(s) was/were taken and the grade required for graduation is posted. It is the responsibility of the VA beneficiary to notify the VETS Center of any substitution waivers.
Tuition or Fees Not Covered by VA Education Benefits
The term “tuition and fees” means the total cost for tuition and fees for a course a school charges all students whose circumstances are similar to VA beneficiaries enrolled in the same course. “Tuition and fees” does not include the cost of supplies or books that the VA beneficiary is required to purchase at his or her own expense nor does it include out-of-state tuition, the Excess Credit Fee, or the New Student Application Fee.
Hybrid Courses
For VA certification purposes, hybrid courses are categorized as resident courses.
Remedial Courses
Math (MATH), English (ENG), and/or Reading (READ) remedial courses (below 100 level) that are required (per placement exam) to meet graduation requirement must be taken in-person in order to be certified. These remedial courses cannot be taken in the on-line or hybrid method of instruction. This includes the supplemental MATH courses that are taken concurrently with MATH “E” courses. Please contact the VETS Center to inquire about certification for math stretch courses.
Repeating Courses
Classes that are successfully completed may not be certified for again for VA purposes if they are repeated. However, if a VA beneficiary fails a class, or if a program requires a higher grade than the one achieved in a particular class for successful completion, that class may be repeated and certified to VA again.
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Example 1. If a student receives a passing grade in a pre-requisite for a required course but the grade is not sufficient as stated in the catalog, the VA will pay for the repeat.
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Example 2. If a course is required for graduation, a VA beneficiary may repeat the course and be certified for it until it is successfully completed.
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Example 3. If a VA beneficiary chooses to repeat a course that was successfully completed, just to improve their GPA, that course cannot be certified to VA.
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Exceptions will be made for students who are choosing to Round Out.
Round Out
*Effective Fall 2021, the VA no longer offers round out as an enrollment option.
A VA student can round out a schedule with non-required courses to bring his/her course load up to a full-time schedule in his/her last term only. This allows students to continue to receive benefits at the full-time rate in their last term of enrollment, even though fewer credits are required to complete the program. This procedure can be done only once per program. In rounding out a full-time schedule, VA students may use any credit hour unit subject, including a subject that has previously been successfully completed (received a passing grade).
NOTE: Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation Students are not eligible for round out.
Student Military Mobilization/Activation for NSHE Institutions
The Board of Regents recognizes that many of its students serve our country in the reserve forces of the U.S. Armed Services and in the Nevada National Guard. These students are subject to unforeseen mobilization or activation in response to local, regional, national, or international emergency situations. Emergency mobilization and activation will seriously disrupt these students’ academic careers. It is the policy of the Board of Regents to minimize the effects of this disruption as much as possible. These procedures are established in accordance with Board policy (Title 4, Chapter 16), whereby the Chancellor shall develop procedures concerning the awarding of academic credit and grades, enrollment, scholarships, loans, and other appropriate matters intended to minimalize the disruption of studies for a student and the student’s spouse and dependents resulting from a call to active duty.
In order to qualify under the provisions of these policies, a student must present official military orders indicating his/her mobilization or activation to the Registrar, Dean of Students, Vice President for Student Life, or other appropriate university/ college official. The student will be informed of the procedures to be followed. If, due to time constraints between the time of notification and the time of actual mobilization or activation, the student cannot present his/her orders as required, the parents, guardians, or spouse of the student may do so. Please see Chapter 6 Section 13 of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Procedures and Guidelines Manual for additional information.
Programs Not Approved to Receive VA Education Benefits
Except for Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation beneficiaries, the following programs are NOT approved for VA Education benefits:
Associate of Applied Science Degrees
- Aviation Technology Professional Pilot
Certificates of Achievement
Apprenticeship Studies All Emphases (All Emphases)
Skills Certificates / Certificates of Completion
- All Skills Certificates and Certificates of Completion
NOTE: The Department of Veteran Affairs requires institutions to complete an 85/15 calculation. This may suspend approved programs for students to pursue in any semester. This list is subject to change. Please contact VETS for the most current list of programs not approved by the VA.
Payment Policy (Chapter 31 and Chapter 33) - 38 USC §3679 (e)
The College of Southern Nevada does not penalize students using VA Education benefit programs under Chapters 31 and 33 while waiting for payment from the Department of Veterans Affairs, providing they submit a certificate of eligibility, a written request to use such entitlement, and any additional information needed to certify enrollment. Students will continue to have access to classes, libraries, and other institutional facilities as outlined and available in our catalog. No late fees will be assessed and student accounts will be considered on hold. 38 USC §3679 (e).
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