Update on Priority Registration for Veterans

Spring 2022 Priority Registration Date: November 29th 2021

  • Check your myRAM portal for your date and time! 
  • Avoid the wait, schedule your appointment/drop-in to see a veterans academic counselor if you are making changes to your education plan.

Veterans will receive Priority Registration once they have finished these 4 steps: 

  1. Submit their DD-214
  2. Complete the Online Assessment placement (THIS IS NOT A PLACEMENT TEST) this will determine what Math and English you a eligible for
  3. New Student Veteran Online Orientation
  4. Meet with a Veterans Academic Counselor to develop Student Education Plan

Priority Registration can be lost if: 

(Excerpt from Title 5 § 58108. Registration and Enrollment Procedures.)

  1. is placed on academic or progress probation or any combination thereof as defined in section 55031 for two consecutive terms; or

  2. has earned one hundred (100) or more degree-applicable semester or quarter equivalent units at the district.

Email all documents to veterans@ccsf.edu

 

How to get your COE online off the VA.gov website

 

Checklist Steps for VA Certification as a Student Veteran

Apply for your Post 9/11 GI Bill

If you have not yet applied for your Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) this can be done on the VA's  website. Click on the blue GI Bill® Icon below and follow the instructions in the green drop-down box. 

GI Bill® Website

After completing, the VA will send your COE to your home address, this process can take 30-days. You will need to email this document to the VETS Office (veterans@ccsf.edu).

You can also send the VETS Office a PDF copy of your Post 9/11 GI Bill Statement of Benefits, found on your va.gov profile under Education and Training.

If you have any Transcripts from another college, your Joint Service Transcripts (JST) email those unofficial PDFs to our office.

Apply to City College of San Francisco (*Required for NEW Students and Returning Students who left CCSF for 1 academic year)

New students can complete and submit the Credit Admissions Application CCSF online application here. You will receive your student ID and student email information via a Welcome email confirmation after you submit your application.

  • This message will be sent to the email address you provided when you applied for admission. If you do not receive an email confirmation with your student identification number from CCSF with 72 hours, please contact the main Admissions office: admit@ccsf.edu or 415-452-5101.

  • Once you have been assigned a CCSF Identification number and RAM ID (provided in your Welcome Email), you will need to log into myRAM Portal in order to enroll for classes and view other important information.

  • Before you can register for classes, you must complete the entire enrollment steps.  

  • If you have questions about your application, contact our Admissions and Records Office at 415-452-5101 or admit@ccsf.edu.

CCSF offers a variety of Federal and State financial aid programs; including grants, fee waivers, work-study, scholarships, and loans.

New Student Veteran Online Orientation

All new students to City College are required to participate in a New Student Veteran Orientation. The orientation introduces you to essential programs, services and information to better prepare you before your first semester.

At the end, you will receive a certificate of completion. 

Required for Priority Registration

Request a Domestic Transcript Evaluation

Student who want to use units from another college to complete an AA/AS degree within CCSF, need to submit all their official transcript.

If you attended any Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) before attending City College of San Francisco, you must submit your official transcripts within your first two semesters. 

Complete the Transcript Evaluation Request (Domestic):

You can request official Joint Service Transcripts from the DoD via the link below:

Math and English Placement

City no longer offers English and Math test. Instead, you may use one of the following ways to get your Math and English Placement

You may receive transfer-level English and Math course placements based on high school transcript data. Please submit a High School Data Form. For more information, please visit our AB 705 webpage.

Students who feel they need additional language acquisition support may want to take the Credit ESL Placement Test.

Submit the Online Assessment Form to get your Course Placement Report emailed to your CCSF Student email. 

If you have completed previous college-level English and/or math coursework or have taken certain tests (AP, SAT, ACT, etc.), please submit a Prerequisite Waiver Form. City College has established prerequisites and corequisites to ensure that students have the skill level necessary to succeed in a course.

If you wish to challenge a course that is not MATH or ENGLISH please submit the Prerequisite Wavier Form.

Meet with a Veterans Academic Counselor (Required for Priority Registration)

To meet with a counselor that specializes in VA Education Benefits new and continuing student veterans can use our VETS Office Bookings Appointment system. The VETS Office has 3 dedicated counselors to assist with developing a comprehensive Degree Plan also known as an Education Plan. Due to the large Veterans population at CCSF counseling availability is limited and subject to change without prior notification. 

During the months of January and August we have drop-in sessions only. 

Due to COVID-19 our counselors are only able to make calls out to students. They will call the number on file from a blocked or unknown number. 

VETS Counseling Scheduling 

Any CCSF student using VA Education Benefits (Veterans, Reservist, or Dependents) can see a Veterans Academic Counselor to change or update their major, adjust classes, have transcripts reviewed, be seen for a petition to graduate, and more. 

Veterans will also need to see an Academic Counselor to complete a GPA Letter if their cumulative GPA falls below the Standard Academic Progress (SAP) threshold of 2.0

Register for Classes

How to Register

You will be assigned a registration date and time, veterans who have submitted their DD-214 and completed the orientation, their Math & English course placement, and have meet with a veterans academic counselor will get Priority Registration (veterans are listed under priority group 1). 

On or after that date and time, you can add classes for the upcoming semester in your myRam portal. 

Prior to registering, you can also use the myRAM Schedule Planner to create schedule that aligns with both your academic and non-academic life. Please refer to the Registration Page for instructions on Registration using the myRAM Portal.

Add/Drop Procedure

After the semester begins, you can continue to add or drop classes using our Add/Drop Procedure. To learn more about the Add/Drop Procedure use the link below:

Step number 7 will provide information on what to do if you add or drop classes after you have been certified for the semester by our VETS Office for your VA Education Benefits.

 

Submit Certification Request Form EACH SEMESTER you want to use VA Education Benefits after you have registered for your classes. (*Required each semester)

VA policy requires that ALL students using VA Education Benefits request for certification each semester they want to use their benefits. Use the link below to access the Certification Request Form:

Once your certification is sent to the VA by our School Certifying Officials (SCOs) for final processing, you will receive an email (to your CCSF student email) from "VA Once", outlining your residence and distance hours (units)

If you ADD or DROP any classes after your are certified, the VA requires students to inform the School Certifying Officials you must complete the 

Help & Benefits

Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) (Remote services only at this time due to COVID-19)

To get started, email the DSPS Office via: dspsacom@ccsf.edu to schedule an appointment. Please include your CCSF Student ID number and the best phone number to be reached at. 

Please complete the Application For DSPS Services Form and Student Disability Verification (SDV) Form before seeing a DSPS counselor. Documentation or verification of disability is required to be eligible for DSPS accommodations. NOTE: Accommodations are determined on a case by case basis (i.e. Extra test time on timed exams, alternate media, etc.) 

If you have a VA Service Connected Disability, please be prepared to have your Award letter ready to present to a DSPS counselor, which can support your request for accommodations until the SDV form is submitted. 

Learn more about the DSPS program

To find a DSPS Counselor who can assist veterans please contact:

  • dspsacom@ccsf.edu (PREFERED)
  • 415.452.5481 (LEAVE A VOICE MESSAGE AND LEAVE YOUR STUDENT ID AND BEST CALL BACK NUMBER) 
Learn more about VA Education and VR&E Benefits here

The Montgomery GI Bill® can provide educational assistance for eligible veterans who have served on active duty for two or more years and have been honorably discharged from the service. (For a veteran who served as Reservists for six or more years see Chapter 1606). Please go to the VA web site for further details on specific eligibility criteria: (https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/montgomery_bill.asp). All students who feel they might be eligible should submit an application on-line at www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/ The Department of Veteran Affairs will review your application and will generally notify you of their decision within 30 days.

Verifying Enrollment Each Month: After the student has been approved for benefits by the VA and certified for the semester by the CCSF Certifying Official he/she must verify continued enrollment with the federal VA office in Muskogee, Oklahoma. This must be done at the beginning of each following month before payments will be issued. For example, classes start in August you verify September 1, and so on, by either calling 1-877-823-2378 or by going to the VA web site at www.gibill.va.gov

Veterans Readiness & Employment  "VR&E" (formally Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment) provides assistance for veterans who have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10% from the VA and who do not have a dishonorable discharge.

Learn more about eligibility and how to apply by clicking this LINK below:

Eligibility for Veteran Readiness and Employment

Apply for VR&E  either:

  1. via ebenefits (preferred),
  2.  via your County Veterans Service Office (VSO) by paper claim, or
  3. Veterans Regional Office 1301 Clay Street, Room 1300 North, Oakland, CA 94612, 1-800-827-1000 or (510) 637-6128

This GI Bill® Is for Veterans who served on active duty for a defined period of time after 09/10/01. Chapter 33 offers Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH, a book stipend per term/semester (not to exceed $1,000 per academic year) and pays for tuition and required college fees. For further information about the Post-9/11 GI Bill go to: https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/post-9-11/ or https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_gibill.asp The VA web-site also provides continuous updates about new GI bill program(s).   

 

Apply on-line for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® at www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/

 

Receiving Payments

When you notify the Veterans Services Office that you are registered for classes, the Veterans Services Coordinator will submit a certification to the VA.  The VA can take up to 4-6 weeks to process certifications and send out payments.

The percentage of benefit you are eligible for depends on time spent on active duty.  Note: Multiple deployments may increase your eligibility (Current as of Spring 2020). 

Full-time student = $4,614 per month (+ kicker if eligible)

Three-quarters time = 

More than Half-time = 

Half-time or less - $0 per month

There are three types of payments under Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill.

  1. Tuition payment - paid to school
  2. Housing Allowance - paid to recipient
  3. Book stipend - paid to recipient

Each payment is paid out depending on the percentage of eligibility from the table above.

BAH Rate and Units for full time (12)

 

GI Bill® flyer
GI Bill® flyer

Educational assistance paid to dependents (spouse/children) of veterans who are permanently and 100% disabled due to a service connected condition or who died in the service of a service-connected disability. Please go to the following website for further details: www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/survivor_dependent_assistance.asp or https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/DEA.asp Apply on-line at https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/

Chapter 35 dependent benefits must do monthly enrollment verification with the VA. The VA Administration will send out a monthly enrollment verification letter to the Chapter 35 beneficiary which must be filled out by the student and returned to the VA.

This program provides educational assistance for active members of the selected reserves, including members of the Army Reserve, Naval Reserve, Air Force Reserve, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard, Army National Guard, and Air National Guard. Basic eligibility requires a six-year obligation to serve in the selected reserves, and satisfactory participation in required selective reserve training. Participants must be signed up for a six year commitment.  To apply, follow the instructions provided at: https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/mgib_sr.asp

 

Verifying Enrollment Each Month: (For Chapters: 30,  1606) After the student has been approved by the VA and certified by CCSF's School Certifying Official (SCO) for the semester he/she must verify continued enrollment with the federal VA office in Muskogee, Oklahoma. This must be done at the beginning of each following month before payments will be issued.

For example: classes start in August you verify September 1, and so on, by either calling 1-877-823-2378 or by going to the VA web site at www.gibill.va.gov 

The “Cal-Vet fee waiver" offers a College Fee Waiver Program for eligible dependants whose veteran parent has at least 0% or greater service-connected disability. Contact the SF County Veteran Services Office (415-934-4200) or your local County Veteran Service Office (CVSO) (Find your local CVSO at: http://www.cacvso.org/county-contacts/). You can also contact your local Cal-Vet office at 415-554-7100 for information about the Cal Vet Fee Waiver.

December 17, 2021 

CCSF is a non-participant of the VRRAP. Please see the VRRAP participating institutions in California: Long Beach Community College, San Joaquin Delta, Ventura Community College and LA Trade Tech.

What is VRRAP?       

The Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP), was enacted on March 11, 2021, and was effective, immediately. VRRAP was part of the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package, with aid targeted to assist individuals and businesses recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligible Veterans participating in VRRAP receive up to 12 months of tuition and fees and a monthly housing allowance based on Post-9/11 GI Bill rates. Covered education programs must provide training for high-demand occupations, which is determined by the Commissioner of Labor Statistics. GI Bill approved programs of education, excluding bachelor’s and graduate degrees, and VET TEC approved training are eligible.

See for more information on VRRAP.

VRRAP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

See a list of frequently asked questions about VRRAP.

VRRAP Participation Agreement

Educational institutions must complete and submit a voluntary Participation Agreement to VA for review and approval.

How does it work?

VA will enter into participation agreements with organizations (referred to as “Educational Institutions”) that provide training and job placement outcomes. VA will incentivize these partners with a “pay-for-performance” model that pays these institutions incrementally based on the progress and success of their students.

For a program of education to qualify for VRRAP, it must meet the following criteria:

  • Be approved for GI Bill or VET TEC
  • Not lead to a bachelors or graduate degree
  • Provide training for a high-demand occupation

The payment model for VRRAP tuition and fees (paid directly to the participant’s educational institutions) is milestone based:

  • 50% when the Veteran begins the program
  • 25% when the Veteran completes the program
  • 25% when the Veteran finds employment in the field of study

VRRAP EI Training

Registration Process and Enrollment Certifications (June 2021) training for Educational Institution.

Employment Certification Form 

VA Form 22-10201 (June 2021) - Form to be used when VRRAP participants have found employment.

Approved VRRAP Educational Institutions