8 - Veterans Student Services

Students eligible to receive educational benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs should contact a Veterans Advisor in the Office of Admissions and Records at (405) 271-2359 for advisement on the procedures for beginning or continuing to receive educational benefits.  Detailed information may also be found in the Veterans Affairs section of the Admissions and Records website.

Students receiving benefits must follow current procedures to report their enrollment to a Veterans Advisor each semester in order to be re-certified for continual benefits. Students receiving benefits are also required to report any changes to their enrollment to a Veterans Advisor immediately.  Failure to report changes in enrollment may result in an under or over-payment of benefits.

Students who have received an over-payment of benefits will subsequently be required to reimburse the amount of the over-payment to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and/or to the University.

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences is a state-supported institution of higher education supported by legislative funds derived from State of Oklahoma tax revenue. As a state tax-supported institution, the University gives preference in tuition pricing to residents of the State of Oklahoma.

The University’s definition of the term "resident" may be different from the definitions developed by other agencies or institutions. The University does not recognize declarations of resident status made by other agencies. Thus, a person who is an Oklahoma resident for tax or voting purposes is not necessarily a resident for the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Campus tuition purposes. Mere assertion by a student such as checking “In-State” on the application for admission is insufficient.

The University has been authorized to make determinations for in-state/out-of-state classifications for its individual students, either at the time of initial enrollment, or as the result of a petition for reclassification. OU Health Sciences Recruitment and Admissions is designated to make these determinations for the University.

If you have questions concerning resident classification, you may contact OU Health Sciences Recruitment and Admissions at (405) 271-2359.

If your status has changed or you have concerns that a classification is incorrect, you may complete the Petition for Oklahoma Residency and submit it to OU Health Sciences Recruitment and Admissions.  

Petition for Oklahoma Residency

Each residency petition is judged on its own merit using the guidelines and regulations established by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (Policy and Procedures Manual-Section 3.18) "and in compliance with 38 U.S. Code § 3679(c) and 70 O.S. § 3247 " that provides in-state tuition requirements for some individuals using Veterans Educational Benefits.  It is the student's responsibility and burden to provide convincing evidence to adequately support the petition. 

Petitions and supporting documents must be submitted by the following deadlines. Petitions submitted after the deadline will be reviewed for the next term. In-state reclassification (and associated in-state tuition) is not granted on a retroactive basis.

• Fall - October 31
• Spring - March 31
• Summer - June 30

If the student is receiving scholarships, loans, grants or other financial aid, the student should contact the OU Health Sciences Financial Aid office for information concerning the impact reclassification may have on financial aid. 

Pursuant to Title 70, O.S., Section 3248, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences shall grant a Military Leave of Absence, not to exceed a cumulative five (5) years, to a student who is a member of the active uniformed military services of the United States and is called to active duty. 

The student shall be eligible to:

1. Withdraw from any or all courses for the period of active duty service without penalty to admission status or GPA and without loss of institutional financial aid. If the student has not completed an amount of work sufficient to receive a grade, the institution may refund the tuition and fees paid by the student for the current term or waive the amount of tuition and fees paid from the amount owed for tuition and fees for a future term following the student’s tour of duty; or
2. Receive an "I" for any or all courses for the period of active duty status irrespective of the student's grade at the time the "I" is awarded. The student will complete all courses upon return from active duty.  The student's admission status and GPA shall not be penalized and the student shall not experience loss of institutional financial aid.

Student is required to complete and submit the Military Leave of Absence form to OU Health Sciences Recruitment and Admissions with a copy of active duty orders.  See the Veterans Advisor for more information. 

OU Health Sciences is committed to maintaining compliance with Federal regulations regarding tuition and fees payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Students utilizing Chapter 31 Veterans Readiness and Employment or Chapter 33 Post 9/11 G.I. Bill®₁ benefits will not be penalized in any way for delayed tuition and fees payments from the VA so long as OU Health Sciences Recruitment and Admissions receives any of the following:

• VA issued Certificate of Eligibility
• OU Health Sciences VA Confirmation of Enrollment
• Any other documentation that is necessary to certify enrollment

The deadlines to provide the Confirmation of Enrollment for the terms are June 15^th for the Summer semester, September 15^th for the Fall semester, and February 15^th for the Spring semester.

Students who have provided the required documentation by the deadlines stated above will not: 

• be prevented from enrolling for future terms
• be responsible for the payment of service charges or late fees related to tuition and fee charges
• need to secure alternative or additional funding
• be denied access to any school resources, classes, libraries, or any other institutional facilities that are available to other students

Any enrollment HOLDS or late fees related to tuition and fees incurred through the Bursar’s Office will be removed.  It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to ensure that all documents are submitted to OU Health Sciences Recruitment and Admissions for VA Benefits prior to the designated term dates.  Details regarding G.I. Bill®₁ are available at OU Health Sciences Recruitment and Admissions. 

¹G.I. Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill

The University awards credit for educational experiences during military service according to the recommendations of the American Council on Education as published in the "Guide to the Evaluation of Military Experiences in the Armed Services." The policies governing the acceptance of credit awarded for military experience toward satisfying degree requirements vary among the degree-recommending colleges of the University. Students should contact their college academic advisement office for specific information on the applicability of this type of credit toward degree requirements. General questions concerning the evaluation of educational experiences in the armed services should be directed to OU Health Sciences Recruitment and Admissions.  

The grade of S (satisfactory) is assigned to all credit awarded for military training.  

Students with educational experiences in the military must submit the following military records to OU Health Sciences Recruitment and Admissions for review:  

• Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps: Submit an official Joint Services Transcript. Students may request a Joint Services Transcript be sent electronically to the University. 

• Air Force personnel and veterans: Guidance for requesting Air University (AU) and Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcripts has been consolidated under the Air University Registrar’s Office. All requests must be made through the AU Service Desk. To order an official transcript, please visit Air University Registrar.

• DANTES/USAFI: Students may also request a transcript from DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support) or USAFI (United States Armed Forces Institute—tests taken prior to July 1, 1974). Many tests taken under the auspices of DANTES or USAFI carry American Council on Education credit recommendations recognized by the University. Official DANTES transcripts can be ordered from Thomson Prometric, P.O. Box 6604, Princeton, NJ 08541-6604, (877) 471-9860 (toll free). A transcript of USAFI courses or tests completed prior to July 1, 1974, may be obtained from Thomson Prometric, P.O. Box 6605, Princeton, NJ 08541-6605. Visit DSST to learn more. 

• DANTES tests (DSSTs) can also be taken by people who are not in the military. Visit DSST to learn more.