Military-Affiliated Policies
Northampton Community College

Act 46 of 2014 requires public institutions of higher education in Pennsylvania to provide veteran students, as defined in the Act, with preference in course scheduling. Non-compliance may be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Education by submitting the Higher Education Student Complaint form found at www.education.state.pa.us.

[Note: Act 46 applies to veteran students admitted to credit courses and programs offered at the institution.]

For purposes of this policy, a veteran student is defined as an individual who:

• Served in the United States Armed Forces, including a reserve component and National Guard and was discharged/released from service under conditions other than dishonorable; or one who is an active-duty service member
• Resides in Pennsylvania while enrolled at Northampton Community College

Student veterans who have met all other registration requirements will be given course scheduling preference and will be permitted to register for classes prior to the regular registration periods as published in the Academic Calendar. The eligibility of veteran students for course scheduling preference will be identified through college database records. Continuing veteran students who are eligible for course scheduling preference will be assigned to the earlier registration time through the Workday student portal; no additional action must be taken by the student.

This policy will appear on the College website, and be included in the College Catalog, and be available in the Military-Affiliated Student Services Office. Questions can be directed to the veterans@northampton.edu.

Processing Note: A student who did not indicate veteran or active-duty status at the time of application may provide documentation (DD214 etc.) on Workday or to the Office of the Military-Affiliated Student Services Office to have the College database record updated.

Northampton Community College honors those who serve. To support our military students, NCC has a Call to Active Duty Policy to assist students who must leave the college due to an involuntary call to active military service.

Tuition Credit Guidelines

• Tuition credits must be used within one (1) year after release from active duty.
• Tuition credit will not be granted if academic credit was received for the course(s) in which the student was enrolled.
• If a student received financial aid during the semester for which the tuition credit is approved, the tuition credit must be used before the student can reestablish eligibility for financial aid.

Contact veterans@northampton.edu for instructions.

Please review the NCC VA Certification Policy (PDF).

All disability-related records are maintained by the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) and are kept separate from the Military-Affiliated Student Services Office to ensure student privacy and confidentiality.

Students who need academic accommodations due to a disability should submit all documentation directly to the Accessibility Resource Center.

Accessibility Resource Center
Northampton Community College
3835 Green Pond Road
Bethlehem, PA 18020
Fax: 610.861.5351

For more information about accommodation services or documentation requirements, students are encouraged to contact the Accessibility Resource Center directly.

Students may be eligible to receive credit for their military experience and coursework. In order to be eligible for credit:

1. Apply to NCC
2. Submit your official military/DoD Joint Service Transcript (JST) or your Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript to NCC's Records Office for review for possible academic credit.
3. In addition, students should request official transcripts from all previously attended colleges or universities. These transcripts can typically be sent electronically through Parchment, or the issuing institution’s official transcript service.
4. Connect with our Military-Affiliated Student Services Office to discuss using your VA Education Benefits, participate in our military student orientation, and join our Student Veteran Group- Band of Brothers.

In addition to credits evaluated from your official military transcript, credits will be awarded for the following rank/classifications:

*COLS101 credit will be awarded to NCOs based on rank AND participation in either NCC's Band of Brothers Student Veteran Group or military orientation to ensure students are well-connected to campus resources typically covered during the COLS101 course curriculum.

Download 2023-2024 Student Success Guide

As required by PA Act 11 of 2015, Veterans and Military Personnel, their spouses, and/or dependent children, may be eligible for reduced tuition rates as outlined below.

• Veterans, their spouses, and/or dependent children, who reside in the Commonwealth of PA will be granted a tuition rate equivalent to the local sponsorship rate. For purposes of this policy, a veteran student is defined as an individual who: (a) Served in the United States Armed Forces, including a reserve component and National Guard, and was discharged/released from service under conditions other than dishonorable; or one who is an active-duty service member; and (b) Resides in Pennsylvania while enrolled at Northampton Community College.
• Active military personnel, their spouses, and/or dependent children, who are enrolled online (distance) and who reside outside of the Commonwealth, will be granted a tuition rate equivalent to the Commonwealth of PA rate.
• Any individual who receives VA education benefits under chapters 1606, 1607, 30, 31, and 33, and who resides outside of the Commonwealth, will be granted a tuition rate equivalent to the Commonwealth of PA rate.
• Civilian personnel who work at a Department of Defense facility in the Commonwealth of PA, their spouses, and/or dependent children, will be granted a tuition rate equivalent to the local sponsorship rate.

As outlined above, those who qualify for reduced rates are exempt from the 90-day residency-waiting period. Students must provide proof of service, which may include one of the following: DD214, current military ID, and/or VA Certificate of Eligibility. In addition to providing proof of service, students must provide two proofs of the following: proof of residency before the start of the semester for which reduced rates are to be granted and showing the local/PA address. PA address verification may be proven with any of the following: PA Driver's License/PA Dept. of Transportation ID card, per capita (school district) tax receipt, local EIT or Pennsylvania tax return, lease, utility bill, deed, bank statement, pay stub, credit card bill, or phone bill.

Important note: Students who qualify for residency after the beginning of a semester will be granted the appropriate tuition rates for the following semester. The college will not make retroactive changes to residency status.

Students receiving VA Education Benefits must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as required by federal regulations and Northampton Community College academic standards.

Satisfactory Academic Progress is evaluated based on two factors:

• Grade Point Average (GPA)
  Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
• Completion Rate (CR)
  Students must successfully complete at least 67% of all credits attempted.

All courses attempted will be reviewed when determining completion rate and academic progress.

Northampton Community College prohibits the payment of commissions, bonuses, or other incentive compensation, directly or indirectly, to any employee, contractor, agent, third-party lead generator, marketing organization, or other individual or entity based upon success in securing Service member enrollments or obtaining federal financial aid or military Tuition Assistance (TA) funds.

Employees and contractors engaged in recruiting, admissions, enrollment, financial aid, marketing, military-affiliated student services, or related activities may not receive compensation that is calculated, adjusted, or awarded based upon the number of Service members recruited, admitted, enrolled, or certified for educational benefits.

Regular salaries, wages, and other forms of compensation that are not based upon enrollment outcomes are permitted in accordance with college policies and applicable federal requirements.

Employees and contractors involved in recruitment, admissions, enrollment, financial aid, marketing, and military-affiliated student services are expected to comply with this policy. Any suspected violation should be reported to the appropriate College administrator and/or Human Resources for review. NCC may periodically review recruitment and compensation practices to ensure continued compliance with applicable requirements.

Northampton Community College is committed to providing Service members with accurate, transparent, and student-centered information that allows prospective students to make independent and informed educational decisions.

NCC prohibits employees, contractors, agents, third-party recruiters, and other representatives acting on behalf of the College from using high-pressure, coercive, aggressive, deceptive, or misleading recruitment practices when recruiting Service members.

Prohibited Practices
Prohibited recruitment practices include, but are not limited to:

• Making three or more unsolicited contacts, by telephone, email, text message, or in person, to recruit a Service member.
• Engaging in same-day recruitment and registration to secure a Service member’s enrollment.
• Creating an artificial sense of urgency or suggesting that a Service member must enroll immediately to receive admission, financial aid, military Tuition Assistance, VA education benefits, or other benefits.
• Pressuring a prospective Service member to complete an application, register for courses, or make an enrollment decision during an initial interaction.
• Misrepresenting program requirements, educational costs, accreditation, transferability of credits, employment outcomes, financial aid, VA education benefits, or military Tuition Assistance.
• Discouraging Service members from consulting with their Educational Services Officer (ESO), military counselor, financial aid representative, academic advisor, or other appropriate resource before making an enrollment decision.

NCC representatives provide Service members with sufficient opportunity to review information, ask questions, evaluate their educational and financial options, and make enrollment decisions without undue pressure. Employees and representatives whose responsibilities include recruitment, admissions, enrollment, financial aid, marketing, or military-affiliated student services will be informed of these requirements and are expected to adhere to them in all interactions with prospective and current Service members. Suspected violations may be referred to the appropriate College administrator and/or Human Resources for review.

Northampton Community College is committed to transparency regarding tuition, fees, cost of attendance, and other educational expenses.

Tuition and fee information will be publicly available through the College's website without requiring prospective students, Service members, veterans, military-affiliated students, or other members of the public to provide personally identifiable information as a condition of accessing the information. NCC's published Tuition and Fees webpage provides direct public access to current tuition and fee information.

NCC may offer optional forms, calculators, personalized resources, or requests for information that require users to provide information. However, completion of such forms will not be required as a condition of accessing publicly available tuition and fee information.

Service members are never charged more than nonmilitary students in the same course. NCC will periodically review its public-facing tuition, fee, and consumer information to ensure that information remains transparent and accessible without mandatory disclosure of personal information.

NCC will promptly readmit eligible Service members whose education was interrupted by qualifying military service. The student or an appropriate officer of the Armed Forces or Department of Defense must give Military-Affiliated Student Services oral or written notice of the service as far in advance as is reasonable under the circumstances. NCC does not require a particular format for either notice of service or notice of intent to return. Advance notice is excused when military necessity prevents it or when providing notice is otherwise impossible or unreasonable. A student who did not give advance notice may submit an attestation of military service when seeking readmission.

The student, orally or in writing, must notify Military-Affiliated Student Services of their intent to return no later than three years after completing the period of military service. A student who is hospitalized for, or recovering from, an illness or injury incurred in or aggravated during military service must notify Military-Affiliated Student Services no later than two years after the end of the period needed for recovery. A student who does not notify NCC within these timeframes may still seek readmission under NCC’s standard readmission procedures. This policy also applies to Service members who are temporarily unable to attend classes for less than 30 days within a semester or similar enrollment period because of a military service obligation, when that absence results in a withdrawal under College policy.

Readmission and Academic Status
NCC will promptly readmit eligible students into the next available classes in the applicable program that begin after the student gives notice of intent to return, unless the student requests a later date or unusual circumstances require one. Consistent with federal requirements, NCC will restore the student’s prior academic standing, completed credit or clock hours, and enrollment status. NCC will readmit the student to the same program or, if it is no longer offered, the most similar program. The student may request a different program or enrollment status.

Tuition and Fees Upon Readmission
For the first academic year in which a readmitted student returns to the same program, NCC will charge the same tuition and fees that the student was, or would have been, assessed for the academic year in which the student left. NCC may charge up to the tuition and fees other students in the program are assessed for that year only to the extent the difference is covered by the student’s veterans’ education benefits or other military education benefits. For later academic years, or if the student is readmitted to a different program, NCC will charge no more than the tuition and fees other students in that program are assessed.