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Education and Training

School Certifying Official (SCO) Training

School Certifying Official Training Countdown!
October 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024

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Reminder: As School Certifying Official's (SCOs) complete their training requirements, please remember that the SCO Training Portal runs on Eastern Standard Time (EST). The Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 training window will change at 11:59 pm, EST on Saturday, August 31, 2024. 

This site is the primary training resource for School Certifying Officials (SCOs) and school administrators assisting students using their VA benefits to pursue education and training programs.
School Annual Training - Get Started Here!

School Certifying Official Handbook

School Certifying Official Training Overview

Section 305 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, also known as the “Colmery Act,” requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in consultation with the State Approving Agencies (SAAs), to develop and administer required training for School Certifying Officials (SCOs) at Covered Educational Institutions effective August 1, 2018.

A “Covered Educational Institution” is an educational institution that has enrolled 20 or more individuals during a calendar year, using VA educational assistance under Title 38, United States Code. This includes main, branch and extension campuses approved by the SAA. Verify your school is on the Covered Educational Institutions list. Questions regarding covered educational institutions should directed to the ELR of jurisdiction.

SCO Annual Training - Getting Started!

1. Log Into the SCO Training Portal
2. Existing SCOs – Enter your Email Address and Facility Code.  Update your profile as needed.
3. New SCOs – Create A New User Account
4. Take the training based on your facility type
5. Need Additional Information:

a. Online Instructions
b. Training FAQs

6. Need Technical Support using the Portal? – Contact VBA Support Team

SCO Online Training Portal

SCO Annual Training Schedule

  • October 1st: Annual Training Window Opens. Updated training requirements for all new SCOs and continuing education requirements for existing SCOs are effective.
  • June 2nd: 90-Day Training Alert!  Notifications and reminders of the approaching August 31st continuing education deadline will be posted on the GI Bill website and sent to SCOs via Gov Delivery notice.
  • July 2nd: 60-Day Training Alert!  Notifications and reminders of the approaching August 31st continuing education deadline will be posted on the GI Bill website and sent to SCOs via Gov Delivery notice.
  • August 1st: 30-Day Training Alert!  Notifications and reminders of the approaching August 31st continuing education deadline will be posted on the GI Bill website and sent to SCOs via Gov Delivery notice.
  • August 31st: Annual Training Window Closes! Continuing education requirements for existing SCOs completed.
  • September 1st-30th:
    • EXISTING SCOs - NO TRAINING IN PROGRESS (September 1st-30th)
    • NEW SCOs - TRAINING IS CONTINOUS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
    • Covered institutions list generated and posted on the SCO Training Portal.
    • SCO training compliance reported to:
      • Covered Institutions and SCOs
      • State Approving Agencies (SAAs)
      • VA Leadership & Stakeholders
    • Update SCO Training requirements
    • Upload new SCO Training materials

Existing SCO Training Requirements

Existing SCOs at Covered Educational Institutions that enrolled twenty (20) or more individuals using educational assistance under title 38, United States Code are required to complete VA specified training applicable to their facility type.

An existing SCO is an individual who began work prior to the beginning of the annual training cycle (October 1st) and has access to VA systems for the purposes of certifying student enrollments.

Existing SCOs:

  • Are required to self-register in the SCO Online Training Portal.
  • Indicate if they perform centralized certification
  • Indicate if they are the primary SCO at the facility
  • Complete the training according to their facility type:
SCO Type Number of Modules

Existing SCO Institution of Higher Learning (IHL)

4

Existing SCO Non College Degree (NCD)

4

Existing SCO Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) with Non College Degree Program (NCD)

4

Existing SCO Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) with Flight

4

Existing SCO On The Job Training (OJT)

1

Existing SCO Apprenticeship Program

1

Existing SCO Vocational Flight

1

Existing SCO High School Program

1

Existing SCO Residency Program

1

New SCO Training Requirements

New SCOs at educational institutions that enrolled one or more individual(s) using educational assistance under title 38, United States Code are required to complete VA specified training applicable to their facility type.

A new SCO is an individual who began work as a SCO on or after the beginning of the annual training cycle (October 1, 2020).

New School Certifying Officials:

  • Are required to complete the online training modules specific to their facility type prior to being authorized to certify to the VA.
  • Are required to self-register in the SCO Online Training Portal.
  • Must submit the VA Form 22-8794 (Designation of School Certifying Officials) and a copy of their training certificates to their ELR of Jurisdiction prior to being authorized to certify VA student enrollments.
  • Will not be authorized to certify VA student enrollment until training is completed.
  • That complete the initial training have fulfilled the requirement for the fiscal year and will be required to take existing SCO training during the next training cycle beginning October 1st.

Complete the training according to their facility type:

● New SCO Institution of Higher Learning   IHL and NCD Facilities Course
● New SCO Non College Degree Program: IHL and NCD Facilities Course
● New SCO Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) with Non College Degree (NCD) programs: IHL and NCD Facilities Course
● New SCO Institution of Higher Learning with Flight:  IHL and NCD Facilities Course
● New SCO On The Job Training (OJT): On-the- Job Training/ Apprenticeship Programs
● New SCO Apprenticeship Programs: On-the-Job Training/Apprenticeship Programs
● New SCO Vocational Flight: Vocational Flight Course
● New SCO Residency: High Schools and Residency Program
● New SCO High School: High Schools and Residency Program

Read Only – SCOs

A Read-only SCO is an individual at an educational institution with permission to access enrollment information, request information, and submit inquiries to VA to assist an authorized SCO with obtaining accurate information to certify student’s enrollment. The educational institution must provide the ELR with the name(s) of the Read-Only SCOs on the VA Form 22-8794 before their information is entered in WEAMS.

Read-Only SCOs:

  • Are not required to take SCO training
  • Are not authorized to certify student’s enrollment to VA.

Transferring SCOs

Transferring SCOs who successfully completed the annual training and transfer to another institution of the same facility type before the end of the training cycle are not required to retake the training.

  • These SCOs should contact their ELR of jurisdiction to inform him or her of the impending change.
  • Keep all training certificates for their records
  • Who transfer to a different facility type (i.e. IHL to NCD), must complete the online training modules specific to their facility type prior to being authorized to certify to the VA.
  • Must submit the VA Form 22-8794 (Designation of School Certifying Officials) and a copy of their training certificates to their ELR of jurisdiction prior to being authorized to certify VA student enrollments.

Technical Issues

Contact us if you are experiencing technical issues with accessing the training modules.

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