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Operating Policy and Procedure

HSC OP 77.16 Military Service

PURPOSE: The purpose of this HSC Operating Policy and Procedure (HSC OP) is to establish the requirements and process for all students who are members of active United States military under mandatory military obligations, and Reservists and members of the National Guard, or Texas State Guard unable to complete a semester due to being called to required military service as a result of U.S. military demands or an official declaration of emergency.

REVIEW: This HSC OP will be reviewed by May 1 of each odd-numbered year (ONY) by Veteran and Military Services, with recommended revisions forwarded through the Associate Provost for Student Affairs by May15th.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1. Background

This policy aligns with the Federal Student Aid Handbook’s Volume 2, Chapter 3, Readmission of Servicemembers, Texas Administrative Code § 4.8 – Excused Absence for a Person Called to Required Military Service, Texas Education Code § 51.911 Excused Absence for Active Military Service, and Texas Education Code, Chapter 54. Sec. 54.006. Tuition and Fees:

a. An institution of higher education shall excuse a student from attending classes or engaging in other required activities, including examinations, in order for the student to participate in active military service to which the student is called, including travel associated with the service. A student whose absence is excused under this subsection may not be penalized for that absence and shall be allowed to complete an assignment or take an examination from which the student is excused within a reasonable time after the absence. An instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to satisfactorily complete the assignment or examination within a reasonable time after the absence.

2. Procedure

a. The student should immediately file a request for a leave of absence/withdrawal with the dean of the appropriate school in which the student is enrolled.

b. The student is required to provide proof of training schedule, official orders, or letter from the member’s unit, indicating the specific dates of service, to the faculty/program director, as well as the Director of Veteran and Military Services at Veteran&MilitaryServices@ttuhsc.edu.

c. The faculty must retain the syllabus for that course so that the student will be able to complete the course without prejudice and under the same course requirements that were in effect when the student enrolled in the course initially.

d. The Associate Provost for Student Affairs will settle any disputes arising from this process.

3. Options

a. Withdrawal - The student may withdraw from one or more courses for which tuition and fees have been paid that are attributable to the courses and receive a full refund of tuition and fees. The tuition and fees must be credited to the student’s account at the postsecondary institution. Any refunds are subject to the requirements of the state or federal financial aid programs of origination.

Students receiving financial aid who choose this option should be made aware that they might be liable for any required refunds of state or federal financial aid funds. In such a case, the student must not receive credit for the course(s) and must not receive a failing grade, an Incomplete, or other negative annotation on the student’s record, and the student’s grade point average must not be altered or affected in any manner because of action under this item.

If the student chooses to withdraw, the student shall be re-admitted and re-enrolled as a student without penalty or re-determination of admission eligibility within two years following release from active military service. If the student does not seek re-admission within two years of active service, the student will be required to complete the admissions process to determine eligibility.

Readmission - In alignment with Chapter 3 of Volume 2 of the Federal Student Aid Handbook. Refer to the U.S. Department of Education Institutional Readmission Requirements for Servicemembers for additional information. 

The student must notify the school of their military service and intention to return to school as follows:

Notification of military service. The student must give notice as far in advance as is reasonable under the circumstances. Alternatively, at the time of readmission, the student may submit an attestation of military service that necessitate their absence from school. 

Notification of intent to return to school. The student must also give notice of their intent to return to school within three years after completion of the period of service. A student who is hospitalized or convalescing due to an illness or injury incurred or aggravated during the performance of service must notify the school within two years after the end of the period needed for recovery from illness or injury. A student who fails to apply for readmission within these periods does not automatically forfeit eligibility for readmission but is subject to the school’s established leave of absence policy and general practices. 

In addition to providing notice, the servicemember must provide documentation to establish that—

a. Student has not exceeded the cumulative five-year limit on absences from the Institution; and

b. Eligibility for readmission has not been terminated

Documents that may be used for this purpose include:

a. DD (Department of Defense) 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.

b. Copy of duty orders prepared by the facility where the orders were fulfilled carrying an
endorsement indicating completion of the described service.

c. Letter from the commanding officer of a Personnel Support Activity or someone of comparable authority.

d. Certificate of completion from military training school.

e. Discharge certificate showing character of service.

f. Copy of extracts from payroll documents showing periods of service.

g. Letter from National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Team Leader or Administrative Officer verifying dates and times of NDMS training or Federal activation.

The types of documents necessary will vary from case to case. Not all of these documents are available or necessary in every instance. An institution may not delay or attempt to avoid readmission of a servicemember by demanding documentation that does not exist, or is not readily available, at the time of readmission.

b. Incomplete - The student may be given a grade of Incomplete (I) only when coursework is satisfactory in quality but due to reasons beyond his/her control, has not been completed. The instructor assigning the grade, will stipulate in writing at the time the grade is given, the conditions under which the I may be removed. If an I is granted, no tuition credit will be given. The I will become an F after one calendar year, so caution should be exercised when assigning this grade. Course completion may be accomplished by independent study or by retaking the course without payment of tuition. Under federal financial aid policies, a course that is retaken in this manner may not be counted towards a student’s enrollment load.

c. The student may continue and complete the course for full credit. Class sessions the student misses due to performance of active military service must be counted as excused absences and must not be used in any way to adversely impact the student’s grade or standing in the class. Any student who selects this option is not, however, automatically excused from completing assignments due during the period the student is performing active military service.

A letter grade or a grade of pass must be awarded only if, in the opinion of the faculty member teaching the course, the student has completed sufficient work and has demonstrated sufficient progress toward meeting course requirements to justify the grade. If in the instructor’s judgment the student has completed sufficient coursework to earn a grade of C or better, the student may be given credit for completion of a course.

4. Active Duty Spouses

a. Those students whose spouse has been called to required military obligation may seek a temporary accommodation through coordination with respective course faculty and Director of the Veterans Resource Center.