Readmission of Service Members

I.  Scope and Purpose

In accordance with federal regulations, 34 C.F.R. § 668.18 and the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC) will promptly readmit service members who seek readmission to a program that was interrupted due to a uniformed service obligation.

II. Eligibility

This policy shall apply to:

1. Service members who are unable to attend classes for more than 30 consecutive days; and
2. Service members who are unable to attend classes for less than 30 days when such an absence would result in a withdrawal from the college.

A student is eligible for readmission under this policy if, during an absence, the student performs uniformed service, voluntary or involuntary, in the Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserve, active duty, active duty for training or full-time National Guard (under federal authority). The cumulative length of all absences for uniformed service (service time only) must not exceed five years.

A student must provide orders, or written notice by Commanding Officer, of a Uniformed Service Obligation, such as Temporary Duty (TDY), etc., to the Chief Student Officer or designee as far in advance as possible, unless precluded by military necessity. Such notice does not need to indicate when the student will return to the college.

III.  Notification of Intent to Return

The student must also give oral or written notice of Intent to Return to ECTC within three years after the completion of the period of service. Immediately upon the student's return to school, the student must provide notice that he/she may be entitled to the tuition and enrollment benefits outlined in this policy.

The student is required to provide official military obligation documentation to the Chief Student Officer or designee.

IV.  Tuition and Fees

A returning student must be charged the same tuition and fees in effect during the last academic year the student attended, unless veterans' education benefits or other service member education benefits will pay the amount in excess. For subsequent academic years, the returning student may not be charged tuition and fees in excess of what other students in the program are charged.

V.  Readmission Requirements

A returning student will be permitted to reenroll in the next class(es) scheduled in the same academic program, unless the student requests a later date of reenrollment or agrees to a different program. A returning student will be readmitted into the same academic program the student was enrolled in prior to the military service obligation. If the exact program no longer exists, the student must be admitted to the program that is most similar, unless the student requests or agrees to admission to a different program. Returning students will be reenrolled with the same enrollment status, number of completed credit hours, and academic standing as the last academic year of attendance.

If the college determines that a returning student is not prepared to reenroll in the same academic program with the same academic status or is unable to complete the program, the college must make reasonable efforts to enable the student to resume or complete the program at no additional cost to the student. If such efforts are unsuccessful or place an undue hardship on the college, the college is not required to readmit the student.

In accordance with federal regulations, returning students who receive a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge from the Armed Forces (including the National Guard and Reserves) are not eligible for readmission under this policy. However, service members who receive dishonorable or bad conduct discharge may remain eligible for readmission even though they will not be entitled to the benefits outlined in this policy.