Military Friendly
Southeast Technical College is committed to creating sustainable and meaningful benefits for the military community. In addition to offering financial aid solutions to help veterans achieve their educational goals and launch careers in the private sector, we’re proud to say our campus is home to a Veterans Resource Office, a space designed especially for our service members and their families.
Southeast Tech is Military Friendly
Southeast Technial College is consistently recognized as a Military Friendly School
by militaryfriendly.com. We exceed Militaryfriendly.com’s benchmark standards in all categories, from Academic
Policies & Compliance, to Financial Aid & Assistance, to Culture & Commitment.
Southeast Technical College is committed to student success and provides a variety
of internal services, regardless of program or credit load. We also want to connect
students to free community resources such as diaper giveaways, food pantries and even
assistance with housing or bills, as well as organizations and resources to assist
in our student's mental health and wellbeing. Community and Wellness Resources for Students
Student Veterans Lounge
The Student Veterans Lounge provides Southeast Tech veterans and family members of Veterans a place to build community, study, socialize and access resources.
Hours
Monday: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.Tuesday: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesday: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Eligibility
The Southeast Tech Student Veterans Lounge is open to enrolled Students if they are a member of the Armed Forces, including reserve component active duty service members, veterans who has: served on active duty in a theater of combat operations; served in an area at a time during which hostilities occurred in that area; remotely controlled an unmanned aerial vehicle engaged in combat with an enemy of the United States or against an opposing military force in a theater of combat operations; or provided direct emergency medical or mental healthcare, or mortuary services, to the causalities of combat operations or hostilities within or outside the theater of combat operations or area of hostilities. Including students who are enrolled as a dependent of a veteran.
Location
The Southeast Technical College Student Veterans Lounge is located in Room 100 at the Wood Center, 2000 N Career Ave.
Available Services
- Individual Counseling
- Group Counseling
- Marital and Family Counseling
- Bereavement Counseling
- Sexual Trauma Counseling
- Education and Outreach
- Referral for VA Benefits Assistance
- Referral to Medical Services
- Alcohol/Drug Treatment Referral
- Employment Referral
- Referral to Community Resources
GI Bill® Education Benefits
If you are a veteran and enrolled either full or part-time, you are eligible to receive educational assistance through the GI Bill®. VA education benefits may fall into one of these chapters:
- Chapter 30 – Active duty service person
- Chapter 31 – Vocational rehabilitation employment
- Chapter 35 – Veteran’s dependent (spouse, surviving spouse, or child)
- Chapter 1606 – Active selective reservist or National Guardsperson
- Chapter 1607 – REAP – (Reserve Educational Assistance Program)
- Chapter 33 – Post 9/11
For a complete description of each chapter, go to the GI Bill® website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Veterans can call the Regional VA office in St. Louis at 888-GIBILL1 and speak with an education benefits counselor. You will need to provide your file number to the counselor. For chapter 30, 31, 1606 and 1607, your file number is your social security number. For chapter 35, you will need the file number of the eligible veteran.
Prior to enrollment, students with veteran status should coordinate their educational aspirations with their Education Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within their Military Service.
Students applying for GI benefits must first be accepted into a degree program at Southeast Tech.
- Go to the GI Bill® website.
- Select Education form from the “Apply Online” menu.
- Select “Start VONAPP” and begin the application process.
When you are finished with the end of the application, print a copy and return it to the Southeast Tech VA Representative in the Southeast Tech Business Office.
You need to apply for benefits through the VA, which determines your eligibility. The Southeast Tech VA Certifying Officer has applications for most of the chapters, however the VA prefers you apply on the GI Bill® website.
Once you are accepted and registered for classes at Southeast Tech, the VA Certifying Officer will certify you with the VA. If at any time before or during the semester your course load changes, you must notify the Registrar as soon as possible to avoid overpayment to the VA.
The monthly benefit paid to you is based on the type of training, length of service, chapter, and if you receive a ‘kicker’. The benefit payment rates can be found on the GI Bill® website. The Southeast Tech VA Representative is unable to give payment rates. Contact the regional VA Office at 888-GIBILL1 for your payment rate.
Requirements & Student Responsibilities
- You must be accepted in a degree program at Southeast Tech.
- The VA does not pay for courses a student withdraws from unless the student has mitigating circumstances. If you withdraw from a course, you must contact the Southeast Tech VA Rep as soon as possible. Failure to do so will result in an overpayment situation to the VA.
- If you are repeating a course for a better grade (not because you failed the course), that class will not count in your certification for VA benefits.
- If you are changing your major/program, you need to inform the VA Rep. The VA requires that paperwork be completed in order to pay benefits for a different major/program.
- Southeast Tech will not submit an enrollment certification to the VA until notified by the student to do so.
- All students receiving Chapter 30, 1606 or 1607 benefits are required to verify their enrollment monthly to receive payments. Verification must be done on the last day of each month enrolled by either the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) application at https://www.gibill.va.gov/wave/index.do or by calling 877-823-2378 and following the prompts. Payment will not be processed until this verification is completed.
- The VA takes up to 10-12 weeks to process an enrollment certification. Keep this in mind when applying for benefits.
- If you are a National Guard member applying to use the GI Bill® under Chapter 1607 (REAP), please indicate that at the top of the application you return to the STC VA Rep. To expedite the application process, please include a copy of your DD-214.
- Register for your courses and notify your Southeast Tech VA Representative so an enrollment certification can be submitted to the regional VA processing center.
- When you receive your COE (Certificate of Eligibility) from the Department of Veteran Affairs, you must bring a copy to your Southeast Tech VA Representative.
- If you are a transfer student who has used the GI Bill® at your previous school, obtain a “Change of Program or Place of Training” form from your Southeast Tech VA Representative.
Southeast Tech VA Certifying Official
Southeast Tech is recognized by the State Approving Agency of South Dakota as an approved facility for students to use their veterans education benefits and is responsible for certifying coursework and transmitting necessary credentials and information to the Veterans Administration.
Southeast Tech VA Certifying Official
Phone: 605-367-7124
Email: businessoffice@southeasttech.edu
Office: Business Office located in The HUB
For additional information, also visit benefits.va.gov/gibill/. Southeast Tech does not engage in veteran recruitment bonus incentives. The institute restricts the misrepresentation of information or the engagement of high-pressure veteran recruitment tactics.