Pre-Determination Information

Note: Please go to the “Request Access” page if your school is already approved to certify veterans and other eligible dependents for their veteran educational benefits, this section is for new applicants only.

Please acknowledge that your facility does not currently have the ability to certify eligible veterans and dependents for their GI Bill® educational benefits.

The role of the Michigan State Approving Agency is to approve the below programs eligible under 38 USC Chapter 36 for the training of eligible veterans and dependents in the State of Michigan.

  • INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING. An institution authorized by the state to operate as a college or university and confer degrees at the associate level or higher.

  • NON-COLLEGE DEGREE. A vocational, business school or public safety/training academy which offers certificate or diploma programs that do not lead to a standard college degree at the associate level or above. Programs approved at this facility must have a defined vocational objective and be measured. The facility must also be licensed by the appropriate state agency to provide the training. Online training programs are not approvable.

  • VOCATIONAL FLIGHT SCHOOL. Parts 141 and 142 flight training programs necessary for the attainment of a recognized vocational objective in the field of aviation. Ground school training can’t be conducted online.

  • LICENSE/CERTIFICATION EXAM. An organization that issues licenses or certifications demonstrating a level of knowledge or skill required to enter, maintain, or advance in employment and is generally accepted with government, business, or industry standards.

  • PREPARATORY COURSES FOR LICENSE/CERTIFICATION. An organization which offers programs to prepare an individual for a licensing or certification test that is required or used to enter into, maintain, or advance in employment in a predetermined and identified vocation or profession. These facilities do not receive tuition payments directly from the VA and veterans are not paid a monthly housing allowance. Instead, veterans are eligible to submit for tuition reimbursement.

  • CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL. A program of education exclusively by correspondence, or the correspondence portion of a combination correspondence-residence course leading to a vocational objective, that is offered by an accredited educational institution. HIGH SCHOOL. A public or private secondary school, which offers a standard high school diploma and recognized by the state in which the school is operating.

  • APPRENTICESHIP. A program of apprenticeship approved by the United States department of Labor, pursuant to the National Apprenticeship Act.
    • REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP: A formalized training program accepted and recorded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship and/or approved by a recognized state apprenticeship agency/council. Such programs conform to the federal requirements of a structured and systematic training plan designed to meet industry standards.

    • NON-REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP: An apprenticeship program that is structured, systematic and progressive consisting of on-the-job training and related theoretical instruction that is not registered with the U.S. Department of Labor or state apprenticeship agency. The length of an apprenticeship is not less than 2,000 hours of full-time work experience.

  • ON-THE-JOB TRAINING. A program of training, which the objective of progression and appointment to the next higher classification is based upon skills learned through organized and supervised on the job training and not on such factors as length of employment and normal turnover.

Before starting the application process, please make sure your facility meets the minimum requirements for the facility you are requesting. To begin the determination process, select your facility type below and follow the prompts.

Are you licensed as an Institute of Higher Learning by the State of Michigan?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must be licensed by the Michigan Department of Education as an Institution of Higher Learning (colleges & universities) to offer degree programs. Please see if you qualify as a non-degree granting institution.

Are you accredited by a national or regionally recognized accrediting agency?
Does your institution accept transfer credit?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must have a policy to evaluate prior training and award where appropriate.

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Are you accredited?
Has your school been licensed by Michigan State Proprietary Schools and in operation for the past 24 months?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must be licensed by Michigan State Proprietary schools and in operation for 24 consecutive months prior to approval.

Does your school accept transfer credit?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must have a policy to evaluate prior training and award where appropriate.

Are any of your courses offered via distance learning (online)?

In order to pre-qualify for approval to offer program content online your facility must meet the following criteria:

  1. You must be either a public or nonprofit facility.
  2. You must be either an area career and technical education school that provides postsecondary level education or a postsecondary vocational institution; and
  3. You must be accredited by one of the accrediting agencies listed within the U.S. Department of Education at the following address: https://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg4.html
Does your facility meet the above criteria?
Do you have a refund policy?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must have a refund policy.

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Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must meet the above criteria for online programs to be approvable.

Do you have a refund policy?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must have a refund policy.

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Has your school been licensed by Michigan State Proprietary Schools and in operation for the past 24 months?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must be licensed by Michigan State Proprietary schools and in operation for 24 consecutive months prior to approval.

Does your school accept transfer credit?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must have a policy to evaluate prior training and award where appropriate.

Are any of your courses offered via distance learning (online)?

In order to pre-qualify for approval to offer program content online your facility must meet the following criteria:

  1. You must be either a public or nonprofit facility.
  2. You must be either an area career and technical education school that provides postsecondary level education or a postsecondary vocational institution.
  3. You must be accredited by one of the accrediting agencies listed within the U.S. Department of Education at the following address: https://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg4.html
Do your facility meets the above criteria?
Do you have a pro-rata refund policy to refund  ALL unused tuition do to withdrawal or termination at any time during the program?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must have a policy to refund all unused portions of tuition and fees.

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Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must meet above criteria for any online programs to be approvable.

Do you have a pro-rata refund policy to refund  ALL unused tuition do to withdrawal or termination at any time during the program?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must have a policy to refund all unused portions of tuition and fees.

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Are you licensed/approved by the Michigan State Board of Education to operate as a high school?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must be approved by the Michigan State Board of Education.

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Is (are) the apprenticeship programs associated with a federal government position?

Contact the department of veteran affairs [email protected].

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This Facility/Program is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. OJT programs must be between 6 and 24 months.

This Facility/Program is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. OJT programs must be between 6 and 24 months.

Do you have a defined training program outlining tasks to be learned and the approximate training hours dedicate to each task?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. The training program(s) must have training tasks to be learned and the approximate training hours dedicate to each task.

Do you offer a certificate of completion at the end of the training?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. The Facility/Program must offer a Certificate of Completion at the end of the training.

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Have you been in continuous operation for the previous 24 months?

The Facility is not eligible for approval by Michigan State Approving Agency. The Facility must be in operation for 24 consecutive months prior to approval.

Do you evaluate prior education/learning?

The Facility is not eligible for approval by Michigan State Approving Agency. The Facility must evaluate credit for prior education and training.

Are you Part 141 or Part 142 approved?

The Facility is not eligible for approval by Michigan State Approving Agency. To be eligible the flight schools must be approved under Part 141 or Part 142.

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Is the certification test generally accepted in accordance with relevant government, business, or industry standards, employment policies, or hiring practices?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your test/exams must be accepted in the industry to attest to a level of knowledge or skill required to enter into, maintain or advance in employment in a particular vocation or profession.

Are you licensed, chartered, or incorporated in Michigan?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. You must request approval in the state that you are licensed, chartered, or incorporated.

Have you offered the requested test for a minimum of two years as of this date?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. You must have offered the requested test(s) for a minimum of two years prior to requesting approval.

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In order to pre-qualify for approval your facility must meet one or both of the following criteria based on the program type(s) you are submitting for approval:

  • If you are requesting approval for residency/fellowship program(s), all medical residency/fellowship programs must be accredited by one of the following nationally recognized medical education accrediting agencies:
    • The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
    • The American Osteopathic Association
    • The Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association
    • The Council on Podiatry Education of the American Podiatry Association
Does your facility meet the above criteria based on the program type(s) you are submitting for approval?

Your facility is not eligible to be approved by the Michigan SAA. Your facility must meet the above criteria based on the program type(s) you are submitting for approval.

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Have you been in continuous operation for the previous 24 months?

The Facility is not eligible for approval. The Facility must be in operation for 24 consecutive months prior to approval.

Are you accredited by a Department of Education recognized accrediting agency?

The facility must be accredited by a Department of Education recognized accrediting agency to meet eligibility requirements.

Do you evaluate prior education/learning?

The Facility is not eligible for approval. The Facility must have a policy to evaluate prior education/learning.

Do at least 50% of those pursuing each course for which approval is sought require six months or more to complete the program?

Your facility does not meet eligibility requirements.

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To provide prep course training, you must meet one of the following two conditions:

  1. Your school must be currently approved by the State Approving Agency or meet the requirements for approval as an Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) or Non-College Degree (NCD). In Addition, you must have official recognition and/or accreditation to offer the course from the licensing and certification authority offering the test that the preparatory course is designed.

    2. OR

  2. Your school has provided training to at least 100 students for the program you are seeking approval with a 75% pass rate for the associated licensing/certification exam within 24 months after completing the program?

The Facility does not meet the eligibility requirements.

Do 75% of students completing the course pass the test within two years?

Your facility does not meet eligibility requirements.

Please note that the exam your course is providing training for must currently be approved for veterans' educational benefits.

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