School Approval & SAA Forms
If you are interested in having your programs and institution approved by the Florida State Approving Agency for Veterans’ Education and Training (SAA) please follow the guidelines below:
Initially, two main criteria must be met to start the approval process:
- Your institution must be licensed/authorized by the appropriate state, county, regional, or federal agency; and
- If your institution is private for-profit or nonprofit, and the training does not lead to a standard college degree, 38 CFR 21.4251 requires that the institution and program for which approval is requested must have operating continuously for a period of at least two years before approval may be granted.
If your institution meets the above criteria, simply locate the school application packet below which represents your type of school: an Institution of Higher Learning (a degree granting school), a Non-College Degree School, a Nonaccredited Non-College Degree School or a Vocational Flight School. Upon completion of the application packet for approval, you should submit all documents, to include your catalogs and other data pertaining to your institution, to the Florida SAA. If you have questions, please contact us for clarification.
Please provide us with two (2) copies of your institution’s printed catalog, brochures, student handbook, etc., or provide us with the documents saved to a CD as PDF files. Also ensure there are no hyperlinks within the PDF documents and be sure an official signatory of your school signs the certification statement, “Certified true and correct in content and in policy.” It is not permissible to alter that statement in any way.
Along with your school catalogs, handbooks, etc., submit the Catalog Submission form and a completed Program Spreadsheet which may be found below. Be sure to save the Program Spreadsheet as an Excel document for submission to the SAA.
As part of the approval process, we will also contact you to set up an appointment for an on-site visit. This visit is an inspection of the institution’s facilities and equipment, and a review of all application/approval procedures. We will discuss VA student record keeping requirements during the visit, and address any questions you have about the approval process.
After reviewing your application, completing the site inspection, and after it is found that all approval/compliance requirements are met, we will send you a letter approving your institution and specific courses for veterans training and forward our approval packet to Veterans Affairs (VA) for their acceptance. Bear in mind that, in some instances, not all of your programs will be approved. Once accepted, you will receive notice from VA that your school has been accepted, and they will inform you of your next steps and when you may begin certifying veteran students for GI Bill® benefits. This approval process generally takes 60-90 days.
If there are eligible veterans and other eligible persons enrolled at your institution when you apply, please make us aware of that, and of the date those students started training. However, remember that no VA student may be certified to VA for payment of GI Bill® benefits until we have approved your institution, and VA has accepted the approval.
Following the initial approval, periodically, when you publish new catalogs, add new programs or significantly change an existing catalog, you must submit an update of your institution’s information, along with a Catalog Submission form and a Program Spreadsheet, to the Florida SAA. If you have any questions please contact us. As mentioned, you may download a Catalog Submission packet and Program Spreadsheet (for IHLs and NCDs), for your type of school, by choosing the appropriate link at the bottom of this page.
A year or so after your approval and subsequent certification of veteran students at your institution, members of either the Florida SAA or VA will schedule a compliance survey visit at your school to review selected veterans’ records.
Please note that any changes to institutional programs, policies, facility name, facility address, etc., must be reported to the State Approving Agency by letter. Failure to do so may result in suspension of approval and the interruption of GI Bill® payments to your veterans. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
Florida SAA Map & Contact Information
Please contact the Program Specialist for your area, or the SAA office, for applications and assistance