Purpose

Mississippi College participates in the Department of Defense (DoD) Tuition Assistance (TA) Program by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) conveying the commitments and agreements between the institution and DoD. This policy articulates that the College (1) refrains from high-pressure recruitment tactics for the purpose of securing enrollments of Service Members and Reservists (2) directs prospective students who are eligible Service Members, intending to use TA to receive approval from an Education Services Officer (ESO) or military counselor prior to enrollment, and (3) allows Service Members and reservists to be readmitted to a program of study if they are temporarily unable to attend class or have to suspend their studies due to service requirements.

Definitions

• Appropriate Officer: A warrant, commissioned, or noncommissioned officer authorized to give such notice by the military service concerned. 
• Armed Forces: the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Active full-time duty in the active military service of the United States. Active duty includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, and attendance, while in active military service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary of the military department concerned. Active duty does not include full-time National Guard duty. 
• Education Services Officer: Person assigned the responsibility for advising servicepersons of the educational opportunities available to Active-Duty Personnel. 
• Military Service (or service in the uniformed services): Voluntary or involuntary service in the armed forces, including service by a member of the National Guard or Reserve on active duty, active duty for training, or full-time National Guard duty under federal authority, for a period of more than 30 consecutive days under a call or order to active duty of more than 30 consecutive days. This does not include National Guard service under state authority. 
• Reservist: A person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. 
• Service Member: Someone who is a member of, applies to be a member of, performs, has performed, applies to perform, or has an obligation to perform, service in the uniformed services. 
• Tuition Assistance (TA): Military Tuition Assistance is a benefit paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. 
• Undue hardship: An action requiring significant difficulty or expense considering the overall financial resources of the institution and the impact of such action on its operation.

A. Recruitment of Military Affiliated Students

In accordance with federal laws, regulations, and the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Mississippi College: 

1. Bans the payment of any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on securing enrollments or federal financial aid (including TA funds) for Service Members to any persons or entities engaged in any student recruiting, admission activities, or making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance. 
2. Refrains from high-pressure recruitment tactics such as making multiple unsolicited contacts beyond normal admission policies, including contacts by phone, email, or in-person, and engaging in same-day recruitment and registration for the purpose of securing Service Member enrollments.
3. Bans inducements, including any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, transportation, lodging, meals, or other item having a monetary value of more than an insignificant amount to any individual or entity, or its agents including third-party lead generators or marketing firms other than salaries paid to employees or fees paid to contractors in conformity with all applicable laws for the purpose of securing enrollments of Service Members or obtaining access to TA funds. 
4. Allows educational institution-sponsored scholarships, such as Leland Speed, or grants and tuition reductions available to military-affiliated students, such as our Reduced Military Rate. 

B. Enrollment of Service Members

Mississippi College is approved to enroll eligible Service Members who apply to utilize TA. Military Tuition Assistance is a benefit paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Congress has given each service the ability to pay up to 100% of the tuition expenses of its members. Each service has its own criteria for eligibility, obligated service, application process, and restrictions. This money is usually paid directly to the institution by the individual services. 

• Eligible Service Members are to receive approval from an ESO or military counselor within the appropriate Military Service for TA funding prior to enrolling in classes at Mississippi college. 

• Service Members who fail to receive approval for TA prior to enrollment will be obligated for the amount due for the costs of tuition and fees. 

• Employees of the College are not responsible for the submission and approval of TA requests made by Service Members. 

C. Readmission of Service Members

Mississippi College will promptly readmit service members with the same academic status they had when they last attended the institution or were accepted for admission prior to deployment. This readmission applies to any student unable to attend school due to military service. 

1. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES 
   1. A student will notify the following individuals in such circumstance of their military service and intention to return to school:
      • Registrar's Office Director Military and Veteran Student Service (Teresa Hill / thill@mc.edu)
      • The individual instructors for each course of enrollment. 
      • If an extended leave is required that will negate a withdrawal for a currently enrolled term, the Business Office must also be notified to navigate the unique financial ramifications for actions taken at this time.
   2. Student or an appropriate officer of the armed forces or official of the Department of Defense must give oral or written notice of such service to the school as far in advance as is reasonable under the circumstances. This notice does not have to indicate whether the student intends to return to the school and may not be subject to any rule of timeliness. Timeliness must only be determined by the facts in each case.
   3. Student may submit an attestation of military service that necessitated the absence from school at the time of readmission.
   4. Student is not required to provide notice if precluded by military necessity, such as service in operations that are classified or would be compromised by such notice.
   5. Student must give oral or written notice of their intent to return to the school after the completion of the period of service.
2. READMISSION PROCESS
   1. Mississippi College can admit the student to the same program to which the student was last admitted or, if that exact program is no longer offered, the program that is most similar to that program, unless the student chooses a different program.
   2. A student will be admitted with the same number of credit hours completed during prior enrollment. However, if the student chooses, upon readmission, a different program, all completed credit hours may not apply to the new program chosen upon readmission.
   3. A student's academic standing will be the same academic standing (e.g., with the same satisfactory academic progress status) the student had prior to readmission.
3. INSTITUTION RESPONSIBILITIES
   1. There are no special tuition costs that are associated with readmission after a term of duty.  MC will assess the tuition and fees for the current term that are offered to all student populations for the program of study selected.
   2. Readmission is based upon the individual's student to meet admissions requirements, as with the entire student body. 
   3. MC's Office of Student Success is a resource that can counsel the navigation of students returning to campus to complete their program with tutoring and coaching resources along with direction for additional student support.