Barton School Certifying Officials (SCO) needs assistance to ensure the most accurate and timely information is sent to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs-on the student's behalf. The following student responsibilities are required of each VA student using benefits for courses taken at Barton.
Benefit Decision: It is the responsibility of the student to decide on which benefit is most appropriate for him/her based on individual circumstances. Our SCO's cannot make the decision for the student. Please visit the VA website for assistance.
Certificate of Eligibility: Students must submit a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility to their VA School Certifying Official to be certified for courses.
Approved Courses: Students must enroll for courses that are required for the elected degree program. The Dept. of Veterans Affairs only pays benefits for courses that are needed for the degree program, and that have not been previously or successfully completed.
*Remedial/Developmental Classes cannot be certified to the VA if they are taken 100% on-line. (remedial/developmental courses consist of MATH 1809, MATH 1821, ENGL 1121, ENGL 1122, ENGL 1194, and READ 1109)
Federal Financial Aid: If you are using federal aid or have used it previously, please make sure you contact the Financial Aid office for any questions or concerns. Please note that the rate of pursuit may be different for financial aid and VA. For example, 6 hours may be considered full-time for VA purposes, but may only be considered part-time for federal financial aid. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the SCO if they are using financial aid.
Change in Degree: In order to change a degree program, please send an email to your assigned SCO stating which degree you are changing from, and what degree you are now interested in pursuing. This information will be kept in your file.
Enrollment Changes: Federal law requires students to report any change of enrollment status that might affect their education benefits. It is the student's responsibility to notify their assigned certifying official of any change in status-IMMEDIATELY! This includes adding/changing or withdrawing from a course. Changes should be reported promptly to avoid delay in payments or possible over payments.
Third Party: If your third-party sponsor (military, employer, governmental agency, etc.) fails to pay Barton, you assume responsibility for paying the amount the sponsor originally promised to pay on your behalf.
Submission of Transcripts: Students have within the first 6 weeks of application to submit official transcripts from previously attended colleges & universities to Barton. Official high school or GED transcripts are required at the time you apply for graduation.
*Students using federal financial aid have different transcript requirements. Please visit the Barton Financial Aid webpage for more information.
Mailing address for Fort Riley & Fort Leavenworth:
Barton Community College
ATTEN: Advisement Coordinator
PO Box 2463
Fort Riley, KS 66442
Mailing address for Great Bend:
Barton Community College
Office of Enrollment Services
245 NE 30 Rd
Great Bend, KS 67530
Students using CH 31 Vocational Rehabilitation benefits are required to submit a Barton unofficial transcript to their VA counselor at the end of each semester. Unofficial transcripts are available through your PAWS account.
VA Payments: Questions concerning VA payments must be addressed with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. SCO's cannot access payment information, as they are school representatives and not employees of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. Please visit your eBenefits account for assistance.
Record Changes: It is the student's responsibility to submit a change of address in their PAWS account and to also notify the assigned certifying official. All correspondence from Barton is mailed to the address listed in the student's PAWS account.
Enrollment Certification Request Form: Every student wishing to use their benefits to pay for classes are required to submit the Enrollment Certification Request form each time. No Exceptions!
Part Time vs. Full Time Status: The Dept. of Veteran Affairs determines the rate of pursuit by the number of credits and days/weeks of the semester/session/term/cycle. Students can typically be considered a full-time VA student based on the following criteria (subject to change):
Six, eight or nine week session= six credits hours is considered full time for VA purposes.
*Students taking only on-line courses will receive 1/2 of the national BAH rate at the E-5 level.
*Students must take at least one on-campus course during the same time frame as the on-line course to receive the BAH rate for the area in which you are assigned to a SCO (Fort Riley or Great Bend).
17 week on-line session= 12 credit hours to be full time
Great Bend Students - 17 week on-campus courses= 12 credit hours to be full time
Disclaimer: Information is subject to change at any time, and without prior notice. For questions, contact your assigned certifying official. See the area Contact Us for contact information of your assigned School Certifying Official.