NCACVA Spring Conference
VA ONCE
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
March 17 ,2014
VA ONCE TOPICS
To access VA Once go to: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/school_resources.asp
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VA Once Quick Reference User Guide
Browser Compatibility
Common Error Messages
Margin and Help tabs
Undelete & Activate
Screen: Bio, Certs, VA Data, Log, history
Status Codes
Correcting a Social Security Number
Account deletions
Misc Hints, Tips, Reminders
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
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Browser Compatibility
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You must be using Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0) browser
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All browsers are allowed to access VA-ONCE but other browsers and the most recent versions of
IE are causing errors with terminations, remarks etc.
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You must make sure your Pop Up Blockers are turned off
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Some SCOs have had success using the Compatibility Button
BROWER COMPATIBILITY ISSUES:
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“Preregistered but reduced prior to first day of term“, “Preregistered but never attended” and
“Withdrew before beginning of the term”
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SCO will get an error message “Effective date must be between begin & end dates”
VA Once will not allow the LDA/EFF date populated by VA Once to be changed
VA Once will not allow you to add remarks
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
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ERRORS & ISSUES
OTHER COMMON ERRORS/ISSUES:
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When you try to click the certs tab to leave the BIO screen you get the message “Please
complete all necessary info before creating certs”
– Change anything on the BIO screen and save
– Change the information back and save
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When you try do a new cert you get a message “If training time is less than ½ , T&F are
required” and it will not let you do anything further
– Use the “New Multiple” cert function
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When you try to do a new cert an active duty student you get a message “T&F are required
for CH30 students on active duty” and the student is not CH30 A/D
– Use the “New Multiple” cert function
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
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NEXT: Help, Margin, & Task Tabs
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REMEMBER
to change the
“status and” box
back to “all active”
or you wont be able
to find any of your
active students!
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The Margin tab will
bring up helpful info &
tips for whatever screen
you are on.
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Where you
search &
select
students
Where you add
programs, terms,
users & change
passwords
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NEXT: BIO Screen
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If you
enter the
student’s
email it
will notify
them
when you
certify
If you have a Guest
student check the
box and fill out
Primary School info
You can add any
notes you want here.
Only SCOs and ELRs
can see them
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VA FILE NUMBERS
ALWAYS input a full VA file number
NEVER use 000001234 format from a VA letter,
the school’s student ID or school facility code for a VA File Number
CH 35 ~ SURVIVORS & DEPENDENTS
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All CH35 dependents are certified under the
vets “VA File Number”
– Can be vets SSN OR
– Can be an 8 digit VA assigned number
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All CH35 dependents have a Payee Number
– Used to differentiate dependents
– Spouse is always W/10
– Children start at A/41 & progress
– If can’t find payee use “XX” on initial cert
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Important to have both VA File number and
Payee number correct or cert may not go into
the correct file or wrong child gets paid
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
NON CH35 INCLUDING TOE & FRY
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NON CH35 students are certified under
their own SSN
– VA File number = Student SSN
– SSN field = Student SSN
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CH33 TOE and FRY dependents are
certified under their own SSN
– They do not have a payee number
– Payee should be set to 00
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NEXT: Certs Screen & Status Codes
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The highlighted cert line is the “virtual record.” You
cannot do anything to the Virtual record
The info under “View Current
Status” reflects the highlighted
cert’s info
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By clicking the purple arrow you
can see all of the “subordinate”
rows. These reflect any
amend/adjust or terminate
actions that have been done.
Any action that needs to be taken
can only be taken on a subordinate
row.
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VA Once Status Codes ~ Remember to click submit!
Click on this box and
it brings up a flow
chart of all status
codes
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
VA Once Status Codes ~ Remember to click submit!
Nothing submitted to VA
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
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NEXT: Remarks
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REMARKS
Top No-No’s
Please refrain from using remarks in VA ONCE whenever possible as
they knock the claim out of automatic processing
“VBA Standard” Remarks will not knock the claim out of automatic processing
Here are a few examples of remarks that should not be used:
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“T&F will be submitted as soon as possible after drop/add.” If the T&F are zero we know they
are none or it or it will be submitted later.
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“Correcting attendance level with student dropped below full time.” VA Once can “read” the
adjustment to determine that from the reduction in hours – a remark is not needed.
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“Reporting a decrease to tuition amount only. Tuition partially covered by Fed Tuition
Assistance” OR “correcting tuition and fees only.” We do not need to know why T&F changed.
If an amended certification is done, the automated process can tell that the tuition has changed.
It does not care why.
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
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REMARKS
Top Yes-Yes’s
Here are a few examples of remarks that should be used:
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Leave of Absence for a CH33 student
– Don’t terminate, do an amendment & insert a remark providing the dates of the LOA
– Terminating the cert causes payment errors.
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Active duty CH30 who is receiving Tuition Assistance for some classes & not others
– Add remark telling us the names/course numbers of the courses you are certifying
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Completing a change in VA Once due to a compliance Survey
– Add: COMPLIANCE SURVEY REFERRAL – PLEASE NOTIFY JOHN DOE
AT john.doe@va.gov WHEN CORRECTION HAS BEEN MADE.
PLEASE INCLUDE AMOUNT OF OVER or UNDER PAYMENT.’
Breaks ~ Only need to be reported if 7 consecutive days or more & only if less than Full Time
Graduations ~ must be reported on a termination using “graduation” from the drop down menu
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
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Click Modify Remarks
You will get this pop up
Click the purple arrow
Scroll down and click “other”
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School Standard Remarks
will come up
Click the purple arrow
Scroll down & click “other”
Now you can type in
your remark
Click “done”
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NEXT: VA Data, Log & History Screens
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For SOME NonCh33
For SOME NonCh33
students you can see
students you can see
entitlement enrollment
entitlement and
& delimiting date info
delimiting date info here
here
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You can enter any info you
would like on the log.
Only you and the ELR can
see it. It does not print
anywhere.
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Here you can see each action
that has been taken, who took
the action & when it was done.
It also explains what action
was taken (ie cert entered,
completed, submitted etc)
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NEXT: How to Correct an SSN
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If you need to correct a
SSN you do it from the
Select Student Screen,
not from the BIO
Screen
You will get a pop up
That lets you enter
The correct SSN
If you get this message the student
already has a file under that SSN.
You cannot merge the two files.
If they have a deleted/inactive file
@ your school undelete/activate it.
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If the file is at another
school you have to
“ADD” to bring the file
to your school.
You will get this pop up.
Enter the student’s info & click ok.
I suggest that you add a note to
the student’s BIO screen under
the correct SSN giving the bad
file number.
You should then “Deactivate” the file
under the bad SSN so it doesn’t show
up in our list of active files but you will
have access to it later if you need.
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IMPORTANT!! If you get the pop up below and
the file with your student’s correct SSN is attached
to a different student’s name STOP.
Do NOT change anything or bring the other file
into your school.
Contact me.
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NEXT: Account Deletions & MISC
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ACCOUNT DELETIONS
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On Sunday, March 2nd, VA-ONCE was updated.
– Designated Certifying Officials who had not taken a recordable action within the last 180
days were deleted
– A Designated Certifying Official is listed on the 8794 & needs “submit” capability
– This was a one-time action
– Contact me if you need your account reestablished
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Important: “View Only” users must log in by April 4th or their account will be deleted
(those I have added & those added by the school under their admin section)
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Everyone will have to change their password the first time they log in after 3/2
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Everyone will now have to change their password every 90 days after the initial change
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Important: Anyone who does not log in once every 180 days will be deleted
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
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MISC Certification Reminders ~ VA Once
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Certifications are now required to be done in VA Once. You MUST get on VA Once
ASAP!
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Please pay attention to emails entitled “VA Once Access” as I often am contacted stating I
didn’t send log in info but have
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If you have new programs or programs that need to be deleted in VA Once, you must
update VA Once under your “admin Section”
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If you have a student on active duty or a NON CH33 training at less than ½ time
remember to certify T&F
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Terminate VS Deactivate & Delete
– If you need to stop a student’s award you use terminate in VA Once
– Delete & Deactivate do not send anything to VA – they simply move students from of
your list of active students on the student select page to a list of deactivated or
deleted students
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
MISC, Hints, Tips, Reminders
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YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING WITH A CERT ONCE ITS TERMINATED
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Make sure the Cert you are trying to amend/adjust/terminate is from your school
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Terminating for Unsatisfactory Progress:
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Terminate the last term/session for which the student is due payment
EX: FL 2012 & SP 2013 were certified and Student is unsat at the end of FL
- Terminate the fall cert
- LDA/EFF should prepopulate with last day of FL term – double check!
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You cannot change File number and/or chapter info and amend or adjust
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If you have multiple reductions with differing LDAs & a termination:
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You must do an “adjust” for each reduction with its individual LDA separately
Remember to reduce the T&F to reflect the reduced number of credit hours
You will then do a final “terminate” action to fully withdraw the student
You can do all of these actions on the same day
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
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