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Dear VE-
To follow is the announcement regarding the ARRL VEC test fee for 2009. This information will also be appearing on the ARRL Web http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/11/06/10438/?nc=1 , in The ARRL Letter and in the January QST “Exam Info” column.
As always, we are here to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact us via your ARRL VE Hotline at 800-927-7583 or by email at vec@arrl.org .
73,
Maria Somma, AB1FM
ARRL/VEC Manager
ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
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ARRL/VEC
VE Express Newsletter
November 6, 2008
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ARRL VEC Announces Exam Fee Increase
On November 6, The ARRL VEC announced that as of January 1, 2009, the fee to take an ARRL Volunteer Examiner (VE)-administered Amateur Radio license exam will increase by $1, from $14 to $15. ARRL VE teams may retain up to $7 of this fee to directly reimburse their teams out-of-pocket examination expenses; currently, VE teams keep $6. This is the first time in four years that the examination fee has been adjusted.
The FCC allows VECs to collect an examination reimbursement fee from each candidate who takes one or more exam elements. VEs and VECs may be reimbursed by examinees for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in preparing, processing, administering or coordinating an examination for an amateur operator license (FCC Rule §97.527). These exam fees help the VEC recover its costs of providing its services.
Every examinee at each ARRL coordinated examination session is charged the same fee in accordance with the annually-established fee schedule. Any person sitting for an exam, or having a new license or upgrade processed at a test sessions, must pay the exam fee applicable for the calendar year. The ARRL VEC's exam fee for calendar year 2009 is $15. Each time a candidate pays one exam fee, they are entitled to take tests for Elements 2, 3 and 4 as needed, up to all three elements under the single exam fee. Each time an examinee retakes an exam element (assuming the VE Team has different exam design available), another exam fee is charged.
Collected exclusively to offset expenses that are directly incurred in administering the VE program, VE teams may elect to keep a prescribed portion of each exam fee. All out-of-pocket reimbursable expenses shall be necessary and prudent, and must relate to the examination process in some way. VECs and VEs are expected to use good business judgment with respect to reimbursement amounts. The examination reimbursement fee cannot be used to offset non-session related costs and must be kept separate from other accounts.
Business expenses such as postal, utility, fuel and printing charges are increasing. Our VE teams are feeling the effects of the current economy, too! Teams are retaining reimbursement at amounts considerably larger than previous years. The amount of out-of-pocket costs that our VEs and the VEC are expending to provide authorized services in connection with Amateur Radio operator examinations continues to rise.
Recent ARRL VEC cost-cutting steps have included staff reduction, reduced printing charges of ARRL VE training material and exam software, renegotiating shipping and printing contracts and eliminating lesser-used services.
Only so many cost-cutting measures can be justified without cutting back significantly on services essential to our VE teams, our customers and our program. As a result, an adjustment was needed in the 2009 exam reimbursement fee if we intended to maintain the basic levels of service that our VEs, VE teams and candidates have come to expect.
The ARRL VEC permits its VEs to retain a portion of the exam fees they collect to directly reimburse themselves for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in setting up and conducting their examination sessions. As long as the expense is warranted and has been prudently incurred -- and the expense is specifically related to exam administration -- then the fee can be retained. The team should keep a complete record of the expenses paid (with receipts) in team records for two years. Records must be made available to ARRL VEC upon request. Costs not related to the exam session processes or paperwork are not reimbursable.
The ARRL VECs level of assistance and services to our Volunteer Examiners are without comparison. Exam supplies, such as paperwork and software, shipping costs both to and from the VEC and ARRL VE accreditation, as well as credentials, are all free of charge for our VEs. We maintain a toll-free number for our VEs and we even offer reimbursement to the VE team for their expenses. We appreciate the dedication and volunteerism of all our VEs in the field. This is why we offer so many services free of charge. This is why we have that same level of duty and commitment here. Every test fee we collect goes right back into the VEC program and to serving the Amateur Radio community.
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VE Express Newsletter is published by the American Radio Relay League, Inc. - the national association for Amateur Radio
Material from the ARRL VE Express Newsletter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to The American Radio Relay League VEC.
ARRL VEC
225 Main Street
Newington CT 06111 USA
Email: vec@arrl.org
ARRL VEC telephone: 860-594-0300
ARRL VEC Fax: 860-594-0339
ARRL telephone: 860-594-0200
Joel Harrison, W5ZN - President
David Sumner, K1ZZ - Chief Executive Officer
Harold Kramer, WJ1B - Chief Operating Officer
Maria Somma, AB1FM - VEC Manager / Editor
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Copyright 2008 American Radio Relay League, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
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==> How to Get The VE Express Newsletter <==
If you have received this email, you are currently on the VE-LIST and no further action is required.
VE-LIST Updates (subscribe, un-subscribe, or to make changes)
The ARRL VE-LIST is a one-way list which supplies news and information of interest to Volunteer Examiners in the Amateur Radio Service. Any person with interest in the VE or VEC system is welcome to sign on to this list.
A complete list of instructions can be found on the ARRL web at http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/ve-list-updates.html
To unsubscribe:
1. Create an email addressed to velistjoin@arrl.org.
2. In the subject line, enter ‘unsubscribe-ve-list’ (with no quotes). Leave the body of the message blank.
3. You will receive an email with a subject line of ‘Your confirmation is needed’. In the body of that email, click on the second link that begins with ‘lyris-confirm-…’ (ignore the first link). This will create a reply email and you will need to put the word ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject line of that email. Send it back.
If this process does not work, just email the same information to vec@arrl.org.
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THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING THE ARRL VEC !
