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Veterans Services

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Welcome And Thank You For Your Service

MWCC Veteran Services was established specifically to address the unique academic, financial, physical, and social needs of veterans transitioning from soldier to student. Staff are committed to providing Military Service Members, Veterans and their families with quality assistance and guidance throughout their academic career at MWCC. Feel free to visit the Director of Veteran Services located on the Gardner campus in room H150 for support, resources, and information.

If you plan to use military or VA education benefits, one of the first steps is understanding which benefit program you qualify for. MWCC participates in several VA education benefit programs, each with its own eligibility requirements, payment processes, and student responsibilities. Visit our VA Education Benefits page to explore the different benefit chapters, compare available programs, and learn how to get started.

We offer assistance with:

  • Enrolling and registering for classes
  • Reviewing military transcripts
  • Veterans benefits and financial aid
  • Textbook loan program
  • Referrals to on- and off-campus service providers
  • Peer tutoring and peer mentoring

Explore VA EDUCATION BENEFITS 

Veteran Services Virtual Orientation
Veteran Services Virtual Orientation

The 8 Keys To Veterans’ Success

Mount Wachusett Community College officially subscribes to the US Dept. of Education’s 8 Keys to Veteran Success.

  1. Create a culture of trust and connectedness across the campus community to promote well-being and success for veterans.
  2. Ensure consistent and sustained support for veterans from campus leadership.
  3. Implement an early alert system to ensure all veterans receive academic, career, and financial advice before challenges become overwhelming.
  4. Coordinate and centralize campus efforts for all veterans, together with the creation of a designated space (even if limited in size).
  5. Collaborate with local communities and organizations, including government agencies, to align and coordinate various services for veterans.
  6. Utilize a uniform set of data tools to collect and track information on veterans, including demographics, retention and degree completion.
  7. Provide comprehensive professional development for faculty and staff on issues and challenges unique to veterans.
  8. Develop systems that ensure sustainability of effective practices for veterans.
Vet Friendly MWCC

Military Friendly Institution

Mount Wachusett Community College complies with Public Law 117-68 (regarding in-state tuition) for public IHL’s. MWCC also complies with Section 103, PL115-407 and the requirements of 38 USC 3679(e).

Mount Wachusett Community College complies with Public Law 116-315, Section 1020 and does not engage in aggressive or deceptive marketing to Veterans, Veteran dependents or Active Duty Service Members.

The Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 requires educational institutions to make certain disclosures to students using federal military and/or VA educational benefits. You can find this and other financial information at NCES College Navigator site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about using your VA education benefits at MWCC? Our FAQ section covers common topics such as eligibility, payments, enrollment requirements, housing allowances, and maintaining your benefits while attending college.

 

The Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) is a benefit available through the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. It is paid directly to eligible students through direct deposit while they are enrolled in school. The amount you receive is based on your enrollment level and the ZIP code of your school. Housing allowance rates are generally based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents.

Veterans, eligible spouses, and dependents may qualify for the Monthly Housing Allowance. Active-duty service members and spouses using transferred benefits while the service member is on active duty are not eligible for this benefit.

It’s important to understand that housing allowance payments are made after you attend classes. For example, if your classes begin on September 1, your first payment would typically arrive in October. Payments are also based on the number of days you are enrolled during a month. If you are not enrolled for the entire month, your payment may be reduced.

Because payments depend on your enrollment dates and course schedule, your first payment or monthly amount may be different than expected. If you have questions about your housing allowance, contact Veteran Services for assistance.

Payments are issued at the beginning of each month for training that occurred during the previous month. For example, assuming timely certification of enrollment by the school and timely processing by VA, payments for training taken in January will be issued by VA in February. The school must submit a student’s enrollment information to VA in order to start the payments.

The most common reason for a smaller than expected BAH payment is due to the payment being pro-rated based on the number of days in the month that a student is enrolled. Payments are made in arrears and only for the days actually attended, so if the term starts in the middle of January, the payment received in the beginning of February will be pro-rated accordingly. The first full payment will be issued in March for the month of February.

For example, suppose you are attending school full-time and your housing rate is $800 per month. The term starts on January 19 and goes until May 14. All months are based on 30 day periods, so months that have more or less days do not impact the benefit amount. Therefore, the payment in this case for the month of January will be for 12 out of 30 days (19–30), in the amount of $320, and it will be received in February. The payments for February, March, and April will be $800 each month, and the payment for May will be $373.33 (pro-rated from the 1 through the 14).

Also, a student must attend more than half-time to receive the housing allowance payment. Benefits for attendance at less than full-time are pro-rated to the nearest multiple of ten. For example, if 12 credits are required for full-time attendance and the student is taking 8 credits, the student will receive 70 percent of the housing allowance (8 divided by 12 equals .66, which is rounded up to 70 percent).

Lastly, lower than expected payments may also be caused by over payments. Over payments are usually caused by students reducing the number of credit hours for which they are enrolled during the middle of a term, which can cause payments to be made based on the incorrect number of credit hours. When this occurs, the amount of the over payment is deducted out of future benefit payments until the account is corrected.

Other Housing Payment Issues:

The monthly housing allowance payment rate for those enrolled solely in distance learning is half the national average of the BAH rates payable for an E-5 with dependents in the continental U.S. ($800 per month for the current academic year). A student can receive the full housing rate by attending one “brick and mortar’’ class where he or she physically attends.

Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Rates | Veterans Affairs

Please contact the financial aid office with any questions.

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Contact Veteran Services

Robert Mayer
Director
978-630-9408

Sarah Savoie
Certifying Official
978-630-9855