Veteran Educational Benefits
Malone University Tuition Assistance (TA) Refund Policy
Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is a benefit paid to the Institution for eligible active-duty military student recipients serving in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The student is awarded the TA benefit with the understanding that they will attend for the entire semester. Malone University is required to calculate earned Military Tuition Assistance (TA) when a military student using this benefit withdraws from a course.
As a participant in the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Malone University must comply with federal guidelines. Students who officially or unofficially withdraw from a course before completing 61% of the semester have not earned 100% of the tuition assistance funding authorized for that course.
Key Policy Guidelines
- Return of Unearned Funds: Malone University is required to return the unearned portion of TA funds directly to the military service branch that provided the funding.
- Student Debt Creation: Unearned TA funds returned to the military branch will become a debt owed by the student to Malone University.
- Determining Attendance: Malone University calculates the amount of unearned TA funds using the student’s official last date of attendance (LDA), as determined by the institution’s official academic and attendance records. This date is used to calculate the exact number of days completed.
- Prorated Return: To remain in compliance with DoD policy, Malone University will return any unearned TA funds on a prorated basis through at least 60% of the semester. After 60% of the semester has passed, no TA funds will be returned to the DoD.
- Billing Timeline: To reduce the disbursement of incorrect TA funds, Malone University bills the DoD after 60% of the semester has passed. We will only bill for the exact amount the student earned based on their enrollment duration.
Schedule for Returning Unearned TA (16-Week Courses)
| Withdrawal Timeline | Return to DoD % | Student Earned % |
| Before or during Week 1 | 100% | 0% |
| During Week 2 | 90% | 10% |
| During Week 3 | 80% | 20% |
| During Week 4 | 70% | 30% |
| During Week 5 | 60% | 40% |
| During Week 6 | 50% | 50% |
| During Week 7 | 40% | 60% |
| During Week 8 | 30% | 70% |
| During Week 9 | 20% | 80% |
| During Week 10 (60% of course completed) | 10% | 90% |
| During Weeks 11–16 | 0% | 100% |
Calculations for Alternative Course Durations
For courses with a duration shorter or longer than the standard 16 weeks, unearned TA funds are returned on a prorated basis relative to the overall length of the course.
To determine the refund amount, the University divides the number of days completed prior to the official withdrawal date by the total calendar days in the academic term.
Calculation Example:
A student enrolls in a course lasting 30 days. The student submits their official withdrawal on the 14th day.
- Days Completed / Total Days: 14 / 30 = 46.6%
- Earned TA: The student earned 47% of the authorized TA.
- Returned TA: The remaining 53% of the authorized TA must be returned to the DoD.
Verifiable Military Obligations and Exceptions
While the return of TA funds can result in an outstanding balance on a student’s account, Malone University is deeply committed to supporting our military students.
In instances where a service member must stop attending classes due to a verifiable military service obligation (such as deployment, mobilization, or temporary duty orders), Malone University will work closely with the affected service member to identify academic and financial solutions that will prevent them from incurring personal student debt for the returned portion of their tuition assistance.
Malone Veteran Testimonials
“Malone has helped me heal spiritually and I’m so encouraged by the love and understanding my classmates have shown me. Sometimes it’s humbling to be in a class where you are older than the professors, but their instruction is strong and I’m gaining so much hope in the field of social work and society as a whole because I enrolled in this program.”
Charles Zollicoffer ʼ22, Social Work
“From what I have learned at Malone through a supportive social work faculty, and through my military experience, I am committed to overcome personal struggles that source from trauma and substance use to help change the way men think and break years of conditioning so that they, too, can be a positive influence in a world that suffers.”
Roger Liedeke ʼ22, Social Work
Frequent Questions about Veterans
How many credits do I need to reach full-time status?
- Graduate Students = 9 credit hours and above
- Traditional Undergraduate Students = 12 hours and above
- Degree Completion Students = must review with your personal VA representative
How do I begin the educational benefit process once I have applied to a Malone program?
During the admissions process:
- Turn in your Certificate of Eligibility (COE).
- Turn in your DD214 to your admissions counselor.
- Turn in an official copy of your Joint Services Transcript (JST).
- Research your federal and state benefits. You may qualify for more than one type of benefit. Contact the Federal Veterans Administration at 1.888.442.4551 or visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.
Once I am admitted to Malone, how do I continue the educational benefit process?
After being admitted to Malone:
If you have not used your GI Bill® benefits before:
- Complete and submit an Application for Education Benefits Form, 22-1990 to the VA. You may be required to provide DD214 or DD2384 when you submit your original application.
If you have used your GI Bill® benefits before but are attending Malone for the first time:
- Complete and submit a Request for Change of Program or Place of Training Form, 22-1995 to the VA. Be sure to print a copy and turn it in to your admissions counselor.
If you have used your GI Bill® benefits before and attended Malone the previous semester:
- You will not need to submit another Application for Education Benefits to the VA.
If you have used your GI Bill® benefits before and are re-admitted to Malone:
- It is your responsibility to contact Gary Phelps, your School Certifying Official (SCO), to reinstate your benefits upon returning to Malone.
I have additional questions. Whom should I contact?
For additional questions, please contact Gary Phelps, the School Certifying Official (SCO). Gary can be reached via phone at 330-471-8127 or via email at gphelps@malone.edu. Appointments can be scheduled as needed.
I dropped or added hours to my original schedule, or I changed my major/program. Whom should I contact?
It is your responsibility to contact Gary Phelps, your SCO, if you change your major, change from full-time to part-time status or vice-versa, or withdraw for a full term and want to reinstate your benefits upon returning to Malone.
Where is payment sent?
The Veterans Administration determines payments. Malone can only certify enrollment. All payment questions should be directed to your VA representative.
Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), tuition and applicable fee payments are sent directly to Malone. Other allowances are sent directly to student. Payments are made “in arrears,” meaning that the housing stipend for January is not received until February and from actual day you started school that semester.
How do I review my status?
To obtain status of your education claim, call the Education Call Center at 1.888.442.4551 or send an electronic inquiry via the GI Bill® website under “Submit a Question.”
You are encouraged to sign up for a basic account with eBenefits in order to view your eligibility and other benefits. Start here.