Accounts for Veterans and War Orphans
For assistance in processing Veterans Administration Applications, a veteran and/or war orphan should confer with the Registrar’s Office as early as possible after his/her official class load has been determined for the semester. A veteran must register for and complete at least 12 semester hours to receive maximum benefits each semester.
Military Personnel
A North Carolinian who serves outside the state in the Armed Forces does not lose North Carolina domicile simply by reason of such service. Students from the military may prove retention or establishment of residence by reference, as in other cases, to residential acts accompanied by residential intent.
In addition, a separate North Carolina statute affords tuition rate benefits to certain military personnel and their dependents even though not qualifying for the in-state tuition rate by reason of 12 months’ legal residence. Members of the armed services, while stationed in, and, concurrently, living in North Carolina, may be charged a tuition rate lower than the out-of-state tuition rate to the extent that the total of entitlements for applicable tuition costs available from the federal government, plus certain amounts based on a statutory formula for the in-state tuition rate. This tuition rate is a sum less than the out-of-state tuition rate for the pertinent enrollment. A dependent relative of a service member stationed in North Carolina is eligible for the in-state tuition rate while living in North Carolina with the service member if said dependent relative has met any requirement of the Selective Service System applicable to him or her. These tuition benefits may be enjoyed only if the applicable requirements for admission have been met; these benefits alone do not provide the basis for receiving those derivative benefits under the provisions of the residence classification statute reviewed elsewhere in this summary.
“Choice Act”
Section 702 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, 38 USC 3679 (c) (the Choice Act), requires that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disapprove and withhold funding under programs of education under the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) and Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) at a public institution of higher learning (IHL) if the institution charges qualifying Veterans and other eligible individuals (“covered individuals”) tuition and fees in excess of the rate charged to resident students. On June 23, 2015, Senate Bill 478 was enacted to conform North Carolina law with the Choice Act, thereby creating North Carolina General Statute § 116-143.3A, which, on July 9, 2015, the VA certified as being compliant with the Choice Act.
N.C.G.S. § 116-143.3A(a)(3) defines “veteran” as a person “who has served active duty for not less than 90 days in the Armed Forces, the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and who was discharged or released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable.” This definition covers the groups defined in Section 702.
Please contact the Veteran Resource and Information Center at veteran@ecsu.edu or call 252.335.3774 for more information.