[GuidedPathways] FW: veterans benefits and international student visas

[Kristi Wellington Baker]

FYI

Anytime we do the work of love, we end the work of domination.
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Kristi Wellington-Baker | Student Success Center Director
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges
1300 Quince St SE | PO Box 42495
Olympia, WA 98504-2495
p: 360.704.1022 | c: 509.301.8466 | kwellingtonbaker at sbctc.edu<mailto:kwellingtonbaker at sbctc.edu>
sbctc.edu<https://www.sbctc.edu/> • Twitter: @SBCTCWashington<https://twitter.com/SBCTCWashington> • Facebook: @WASBCTC

From: Carli Schiffner <cschiffner at sbctc.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2020 7:56 AM
To: Ana Ybarra <aybarra at sbctc.edu>; Bill Moore <bmoore at sbctc.edu>; Darby Kaikkonen <dkaikkonen at sbctc.edu>; Jamilyn Penn <jpenn at sbctc.edu>; Joe Holliday <jholliday at sbctc.edu>; Jon Kerr <jkerr at sbctc.edu>; Kristi Wellington Baker <kwellingtonbaker at sbctc.edu>; Mark Jenkins <mjenkins at sbctc.edu>; Nate Humphrey <nhumphrey at sbctc.edu>; Scott Copeland <scopeland at sbctc.edu>; Susan Wanager <swanager at sbctc.edu>
Cc: INSTCOMM at LISTSERV.CENTRALIA.EDU; Instruction Commission <deaninstr at lists.ctc.edu>
Subject: FW: veterans benefits and international student visas
Importance: High

FYI

From: "Meotti, Michael (WSAC)" <MichaelM at wsac.wa.gov<mailto:MichaelM at wsac.wa.gov>>
Date: March 14, 2020 at 12:07:17 PM PDT
To: Jan Yoshiwara <jyoshiwara at sbctc.edu<mailto:jyoshiwara at sbctc.edu>>, "Francis, Paul" <pfrancis at councilofpresidents.org<mailto:pfrancis at councilofpresidents.org>>, "Standish-Kuon, Terri" <terri at icwashington.org<mailto:terri at icwashington.org>>
Cc: "Aultman, John (GOV)" <john.aultman at gov.wa.gov<mailto:john.aultman at gov.wa.gov>>, "Papadakis, Eleni (WTB)" <eleni.papadakis at wtb.wa.gov<mailto:eleni.papadakis at wtb.wa.gov>>, "Bennett, Don (WSAC)" <DonB at wsac.wa.gov<mailto:DonB at wsac.wa.gov>>
Subject: veterans benefits and international student visas

Looks like good news on both fronts:

1)      The federal government has provided guidance supportive of the temporary move to online programs<https://www.nafsa.org/regulatory-information/online-coursework-taken-abroad-under-school-covid-19-policies> for those holding student visas.


2)      Both the US House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees are fast tracking legislation to fix the problem with the harsh approach from the VA.  In light of that, it appears that the VA is backing off on its previous position awaiting passage of the legislation.  See the advisory sent to State Approval Authorities (both WSAC and WTCB) below:


a.       Education Service is preparing guidance for schools that have changes in training modalities and operation statuses due to COVID 19.  However, Congress has introduced legislation that, if enacted, will alleviate the impact to GI Bill beneficiaries for a switch to pursuit solely through distance education.  In order to avoid confusion and the need to make multiple changes to enrollments, VA is asking all schools to temporarily refrain from making any adjustments to enrollment certifications if training has changed due to COVID 19.   VA will provide further guidance by Wednesday, March 18th.
With this updated notice, we are rescinding all SCO FAQs that you may have received via email on the morning of 13 March 2020.


Last night, Bryce McKibben in Sen Murray’s office said that the VA fix is a top priority for the Senator right now and we don’t need to do any letters etc, but that’s up to each of you to determine what works best for your sector.

Can each of you get all your affected institutions in the loop?  If anybody out there is not seeing the issues this way, please let me know ASAP.

Thanks

Mike

[Image]
Michael P. Meotti
Executive Director
Washington Student Achievement Council
Pronouns: he, him, his
360-753-7812 | www.wsac.wa.gov<http://www.wsac.wa.gov/>


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