In a recent Virginia Pilot article, Representative Nye, D-2nd District VA, stepped into the battle to improve GI Bill Post-911 GI Bill processing. Welcome to the fight.
Unfortunately Representative Nye may be sold a bill of goods by the VA who continues to point the finger to avoid blame for last fall’s fiasco. And, based on the article, it appears the war of words has reached a new level as now students and schools are both being blamed.
The report quotes a Navy official, “hundreds of Navy personnel are still awaiting stipends from the fall. In 90 percent of the cases the problem is that the applicant has not filled out a form properly or a school has not certified the applicant’s enrollment.”
With all due respect, I have two issues with the premise. First – Active Duty Navy personnel are not eligible for stipends, so the reference must be to members of the Navy Reserve. Second — schools are seldom the issue. One call to the 1–888-GIBILL-1 VA call center or a look at the VAONCE certification process, not to mention VA’s enrollment back-log and you will see where the blame belongs.
According to the same Navy official, college officials should “go online to study all of the tools the VA has given you to make this work better.” Again with all due respect, even the VA phone center representatives are confused, how can anyone expect the schools to do any better.
I for one find those remarks very condescending and way off base.
Consider the following: If VA enrollment forms were easier to understand; the VA spoke in one voice; the VAONCE certification system worked as advertised; and the VA was given the proper technical resources it needed, before they launched the Post-911 GI Bill, we would be talking about how great the benefits are and how they impact veterans lives for the better.
Read the full article.
- Terry Howell
Recent Comments
This is a serious "ripe off" by the VA Department. I thought that money was to be used to ...
Good to hear posible solutions in times of endless problems Marine- good info. ...
Ray I feel your pain i filled for my post 9/11 back in oct 09. still haven't seen a dime. had ...
Im separated fm the Marine Corps in 1/6/2000. Does the GI Bill expire after 10 years? And if so can ...
Lol, your being sarcastic and it's funny, but your totally right old school, the thing is they ...