Guest & Secondary-School Students

Enrolling at More Than One School

The VA considers your primary school the one that will grant your degree — the school where you complete most of your program. You can take courses at a secondary school that count toward that degree, and both schools can certify your enrollment to the VA. This happens two ways:

• Concurrent enrollment — you take the secondary-school courses during the same term you are enrolled at your primary school.

• Supplemental enrollment — you take the secondary-school courses during a different term.

Whether APSU is your primary school or the secondary school determines which steps below apply to you.

Taking Courses at APSU as a Guest Student

You are enrolled in good academic standing at another regionally accredited college or university, and you want to take courses at APSU that will apply toward your degree at your primary school.

1. Apply for admission to APSU as a transient student

Apply for admission to APSU and request either your transcripts or a letter of good standing from your primary school.

2. Request a parent approval letter from your primary school's VA certifying official

Contact the VA School Certifying Official (SCO) at your primary school and ask them to send a parent approval letter to the APSU Veterans Education Benefits office. The letter must include:

• Your primary school's contact information

• Your full name

• Your benefit chapter

• The enrollment term

• The courses approved for guest enrollment

3. Submit your chapter-specific documentation

Along with the parent approval letter, provide the following to our office based on your benefit chapter:

• Post-9/11 GI Bill®, Transfer of Entitlement, or Fry Scholarship — submit a copy of your most recent VA education award letter

• VA Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) — your VA counselor must authorize your guest enrollment by submitting a VR&E authorization directly to the APSU Veterans Education Benefits office

• Chapter 35 — Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) — provide documentation of your VA file number

4. Request a VA fee deferment if needed

If your VA payment has not been received by APSU's billing deadline, you can request a fee deferment to avoid late charges while your benefit is processing.

Request a VA Fee Deferment

Taking Courses at Another School as an APSU Guest Student

You are earning your degree at APSU and want to take courses at another institution as a guest student, using your VA education benefits for those courses.

1. Confirm you are in good academic standing at APSU

You must be in good academic standing at APSU before taking courses at another institution under your VA benefit.

2. Complete the Coursework Approval Form

Complete the Coursework Approval Form with your academic advisor or department chair. After submitting the form to the Office of the Registrar, request that a final copy also be forwarded to the Veterans Education Benefits office.

3. Provide secondary school details to our office

Contact the APSU Veterans Education Benefits office with the following information about the institution where you will be taking courses:

• Name and address of the school

• Point of contact at that school

4. VR&E students: counselor authorization required

If you use VA Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment benefits, your VA counselor must authorize your enrollment at the secondary school by submitting a VR&E authorization directly to that school.

5. Our office will send a parent approval letter

After reviewing your Coursework Approval Form, our office will submit a parent approval letter to the secondary school. The letter will include your name, VA education benefit information, enrollment term, and approved courses.

At the secondary school

Once you receive the parent approval letter:

• Apply for admission as a guest student at the secondary school

• Contact the VA School Certifying Official at that school about their enrollment certification, registration confirmation, and payment procedures

6. After the term ends

Request an official transcript from the secondary school to be sent to APSU. Also submit a copy of your grades to the APSU Veterans Education Benefits office.