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Posts Tagged ‘Post-9/11 GI Bill’
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012
The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill provides disabled veterans, service members, and some of their immediate family with many benefits, including funding for pursuing continuing education; however, many universities have been found to be targeting veterans to obtain the federal funding for their education without offering quality programs.
Lawmakers are looking at placing restrictions on schools that show a high enrollment of G.I. Bill students but low educational results and student satisfaction. Schools targeted in this evaluation may have the funding they receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) cut.
The newly proposed bill looks to change a federal law that prohibits schools from collecting more than 90% of their revenue from federal funding. While this currently applies to the grants and loans serviced by the Department of Education, it does not include the G.I. Bill funding that comes from the VA.
The goal of this legislation is to reduce the number of schools who may be abusing the funding incentives by attracting veterans to enroll, but not providing quality education in exchange.
There are many resources and benefits for veterans that are provided by the VA and through legislation like the G.I. Bill. If you are a veteran or disabled veteran you may qualify for veterans’ disability benefits such as these to obtain help with medical expenses, health care, education, and housing.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Post-9/11 GI Bill, veterans education, Veterans' Resources
Posted in General, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Friday, October 7th, 2011
The Post-9/11 GI Bill–which covers veterans’ tuition, fees, stipends for housing and books–has been dispensing educational benefits to veteran-students for about 2 years, during which there has been a backlog of claims. While it seemed that backlog would grow to mirror the veterans disability backlog if corrective action was not taken, according to an article in The Houston Chronicle, there is no more backlog for GI Bill benefits.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initially developed a backlog so severe when it first launched the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the VA had to issue thousands of “emergency checks” to veteran-students just so those students could remain enrolled. The VA has paid out $12.98 billion in payments to almost 600,000 veterans attending college under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and there is no sign of slowing.
At its highest point, the VA faced 65,000 backlogged claims, and each claim took about 60 days to process. The VA has brought that number down to 23,000 pending claims, which is different than a backlogged claim. Each claim now takes about 10 days to process.
The VA took on the backlog by not only hiring more people to process claims, but by automating the claim processing. When the Post-9/11 GI Bill first started issuing benefits, the claims had to be processed by hand.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Educational Benefits, Post-9/11 GI Bill, veteran-students, Veterans disability
Posted in General, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Monday, July 11th, 2011
The last couple of months have seen both the House and the Senate pass legislation focused on fixing the Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition issues. The Streamlining Education Claims Processing Act of 2011 (HR 2301) is designed to reduce Post-9/11 GI Bill payments. According to some, however, passing this bill may cause “disastrous, unintended consequences.”
Passing the bill would mean the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would be required to make payments at the end of the term. If they don’t, colleges would have “cash-flow problems” and some student veterans would be unable to attend their college classes. Should that scenario develop, the proposed patch would definitely be worse than the problem it is intending to fix.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind) authored the bill, and claims the bill will eliminate problems student veterans are now facing because schools’ tuition and fees are being overpaid, and dropped classes force veterans to pay money out-of-pocket.
The bill proposes waiting until the end of the term to make tuition and fee payments to schools. Opponents of the bill believe the bill will only serve to create new problems, such as giving schools reasons not to enroll veterans. Additionally, veterans would likely encounter problems registering for classes at many colleges and universities without any way with which to pay for those classes.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Post-9/11 GI Bill, Streamlining Education Claims Processing Act of 2011(HR 2301), student-veterans, Veterans disability
Posted in US Military Legislation, VA News, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Thursday, July 7th, 2011
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee realized over the last year they cannot fund every program and benefit requiring funding. They are being forced to cut subsidizing for new veterans’ initiatives. In order to make everything work, money must be taken from already existing and funded programs and given to new programs.
Veterans putting down 5 -10% will continue to pay higher fees on home loans. These fees, then, will be used to pay for the student benefits of those attending private schools, which are being threatened because of a problem with the recently passed Post-9/11 GI Bill Reform Act.
A recently passed bill will pay for health care for those exposed to Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water, which is expected to cost billions of dollars. To be able to do that, however, all worldwide base exchanges as well as every supply and food operation will be turned into one “for-profit retailing system.”
Although there will be some difference, that plan is close to a plan the Congressional Budget office proposed, which has first year projected savings of $200 million for the Department of Defense (DoD). The 10 years following, the DoD is expected to see $9.1 billion in savings. The majority of the savings will come from “reducing the value of” groceries at stores selling food for just over cost.
There will be distinct differences between the plans. To what extent, however, remains to be seen. As more benefits and programs are passed, it is likely more funding will have to be moved around to pay for the initiatives.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Camp Lejeune, Post-9/11 GI Bill, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in General, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Thursday, May 26th, 2011
It was recently suggested the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee freeze Post-9/11 GI Bill living stipends for all beneficiaries. The freeze was to be used to protect and stabilize the rates of tuition for those veterans attending private universities and colleges. Freezing the stipends is no longer being considered as a possibility.
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla) suggested a new solution, HR 1383. This bill would alter the home loan origination fees charged on VA home loans. This change would only be imposed on those veterans who are already in receipt of a VA-backed loan and are once again attempting to use the program. It is hoped by doing this, the $50 million cost of preventing tuition and fee cuts for approximately 30,000 veteran-students would be covered.
There are 7 states using the Post-9/11 GI Bill for veterans attending private schools. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) placed a $17,500 cap on payments for private school tuition, and this cap starts Aug. 1, 2011. This means for those veterans attending private schools in these states, their tuition payments would be higher than the amount of educational benefits they received from the GI Bill’s cap.
HR 1383, if passed, will continue to pay students their current tuition and fee rates at the private schools. The $17,500 cap for the veterans using Post-9/11 GI Bill, then, would only be imposed on students who first enroll in schools after the bill is signed into law. It is important to note HR 1383 does not attempt to impose a fee hike. Rather, it operates to limit the amount of reduction in fees set to happen on Oct. 1, 2011.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, HR 1383, Post-9/11 GI Bill, Veterans disability
Posted in US Military Legislation, Veterans' Resources | 1 Comment »
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
Despite it being the most inclusive veterans’ educational benefit bill since the Montgomery GI Bill, the Post-9/11 GI Bill got off to a rocky start. The bill has undergone little to no change since then, but those times have ended. Following a late year passage through the Senate in the end of 2010, President Obama recently signed into law the Post-9/11 Veteran’s Education Assistance Improvement Act of 2010 (GI Bill 2.0).
GI Bill 2.0 will implement many necessary changes and improvements from its predecessor and will be positive for most, but they do come at a price. The passing of this act will provide benefits for approximately 400,000 veterans who did not have access under the Post-9/11 GI Bill (GI Bill 1.0). Limited budgets however, mean in order to provide educational benefits to these who did not have them before, the amount of benefits provided to some veterans currently receiving them were cut.
In contrast to GI Bill 1.0. GI Bill 2.0 allows a housing allowance for those veterans taking online courses. Under GI Bill 1.o these were not allowed and consequently, disabled veterans unable to attend classes and therefore limited to enrolling in online classes did not collect a housing allowance.
Probably the biggest amended benefit implemented under GI Bill 2.0 is providing educational benefits for National Guard veterans who performed full-time service. These previously excluded veterans alone number more than 85,000, and this number includes Guardsmen deployed to the Gulf of Mexico to help with the oil spill.
Another huge change in GI Bill 2.0, which will benefit about 6,000 veterans, is allowing educational benefits to be used for tuition at vocational schools, non-college degree programs, on-the-job training, flight and correspondence training.
With ups come downs. More veterans than ever qualify for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational benefits. To fund these new benefits, allotted housing allowances were cut. Housing allowances will only be paid for those days the veteran-students are actually attending school. Additionally, veterans’ housing allowances will be pro-rated by the amount of credit hours taken.
Benefits will no longer be paid during mandated school breaks and private school tuition will be capped at $17,500. With these new changes, it is imperative veterans ensure their benefits are properly allotted.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Educational Benefits, GI Bill 2.0, Post-9/11 GI Bill, Post-9/11 Veteran’s Education Assistance Improvement Act of 2010, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in Veterans' Benefits | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, December 21st, 2010
Over its final couple of weeks in session this year, the Senate has made many important decisions. The bill to improve the Post-9/11 GI Bill was believed by most to be dead in the water. The Senate however, not only revived the bill, it approved the bill. The vote resulted in the Post-9/11 GI Bill getting some very necessary upgrades. The majority of the changes the bill would accomplish would not become active until 12 months following the date the bill becomes law, however.
Unless the House picks up the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 (S 3447) it will sit where it is until next year. The changes the bill will make if it is passed through the house, are a few years in the making and benefit both veterans and their dependents. Some changes are more significant than others, but all of them are necessary.
To begin with, the list of classes the Post-9/11 GI Bill can be used to attend now includes both technical and vocational classes. Further, both active-duty soldiers and their spouses will be able to draw $1,000 every year to be used for books. Along those same lines, the bill will supply living stipends for those veteran-students attending distance learning classes. The bill also addresses an issue many veterans have complained about being a major flaw with the Post-9/11 GI Bill. If passed, the bill will enlarge the pool of Guard and Reserve soldiers eligible for educational benefits.
The greatest change written into the bill is changing the method in which the amount of tuition refunds for which veteran-students are eligible is determined. Additionally, the bill establishes a $20,000 limit for tuition across the nation and does away with the state-by-state variable rate now in use.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Educational Benefits, Post-9/11 GI Bill, Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in Veterans' Benefits | 1 Comment »
Thursday, December 16th, 2010
It has been alleged that for-profit universities are exploiting veterans and active-duty soldiers in order to have their Post-9/11 GI Bill money. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee. Sen. Harkin believes many for-profit universities manipulate veterans and soldiers with deceptive tactics designed to bring GI Bill money into their university rather than ensuring students receive decent educations.
Harkin’s committee has been investigating higher education at for-profit universities. Enrollment at those for-profit universities the Department of Defense (DoD) or the Post-9/11 GI Bill covers with their tuition reimbursement, increased from 23,766 in 2006 to 100,702 through the first half of 2010. For 20 for-profit universities, profits from military education benefits rose from $66.6 million in 2006 to an estimated $521.2 million by the end of 2010; a 683% increase. Overall profits for those same 20 for-profit universities increased 26.1%. Profits from military educational benefits, however, rose 211% between 2009 and 2010. Within the same year, the Post-9/11 GI Bill paid out $1.75 billion in educational benefits. For-profit schools took 36.5%, Or $640 million of that money.
Advocates for for-profit universities attribute the growth in attendance is due to the large amount of veterans now attending school because of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Further, instead of investigating the for-profit universities, advocates feel it should be celebrated that soldiers are receiving educations.
Veterans report being inundated and relentlessly harassed by for-profit universities. Further, there is serious concern the for-profit universities are providing quality educations to their students. Many veteran/solider students never completed their degrees once they started attending for-profit universities, although the investigation did not measure exactly how many withdrew from the universities.
For-profit universities are also being investigated overall for deceptive recruiting practices as well as their low graduation rates and job placement promises.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Educational Benefits, For-Profit Universities, Post-9/11 GI Bill, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in General | No Comments »
Monday, December 6th, 2010
For the first time ever, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) used agile development and subsequently declared it a success. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) came to a different conclusion than the VA, and saw needed improvement.
Agile development is an idea stressing the stepped growth of software on a fast and constant pace while retaining functionality as well as strong cooperation between the programmers and the users. In October 2008, the VA utilized this philosophy as they developed a $207 million automated system. The system would be used to process veteran education claims as they began to use their benefits from the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
A recent GAO report undercuts the VA’s announced success, however. After deploying 2 of 4 systems, the GAO report found vital tasks were not done on time. This may force the VA to postpone a 5th system’s release or put that release under a completely different undertaking, which will likely affect the systems’ functionality. The VA failed to anticipate the difficulty of converting then-present data into the new systems, and the interface between the systems was therefore never completed. Some of the VA’s online services set for a December release will not happen.
One of the GAO’s main criticisms was that separate teams of developers were operating under different standards that needed to be met in order for their work to be released. Consequently, some work had been declared ready for release without ever having undergone any testing. The VA countered by saying it is likely that many GAO investigators were not familiar enough with agile development and did not understand at what they were investigating nor did they understand their testing concepts.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Agile Development, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Educational Benefits, Government Accountability Office (GAO), Post-9/11 GI Bill, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in VA News, Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Thursday, November 18th, 2010
There are significantly more veterans attending college this year than last through their Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits. Many soldiers enlisted solely for the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, and are now cashing in on their earnings. Like most things military related, however, many veterans are also complaining about the amount of red tape they have to push through. The bureaucracy involved with the bill is causing both uncertainty and irritation, according to a new study.
The report is probably the most inclusive study about the effectiveness of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Researchers used surveys and various focus groups in an attempt to capture the reality of what soldiers endure as they cycle into a classroom from the military. One of the biggest complaints is the seemingly insurmountable labyrinth created by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the colleges veterans attend. Other complaints included:
- Confusion as to the intended use of VA checks;
- Delayed payments;
- Lacking an online payment tracking system;
- Credit transfer policies within colleges and universities being consistent; and
- Long wait times when calling VA hotlines for help.
Almost 50% of respondents complained of the VA’s payment backlog as creating unnecessary challenges. For those students attending public 2-year colleges, the percentage of students struggling to get benefits is significantly higher. Many veterans did respond as being happy with the amount of benefits available beyond tuition, e.g., money for books and living expenses.
The red tape, however, did not provide the only challenge to these veterans. Many complained of not being able to balance school with work and family time. Military veterans will usually always attend college as non-traditional students and will therefore face stressors many other students do not. Many veterans also return to the civilian world suffering from various mental health issues.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Post-9/11 GI Bill, VA Education Benefits, veteran-students, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in General, Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
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