VA E-Mails Advance Payment Explanation

Be Sure to Check Your Junk Mail Folder

By Terry Howell

As many of you have heard the VA has started contacting veterans to give them follow up information on the advance GI Bill payment recoupment. Many of have been told to expect a call from the VA through the JD Power company. So far I have not been called, however I was sent a form letter via e-mail. The following is the letter I received - which by the way was automatically filtered into my "Junk Mail" folder. So keep a look out for it, it's legit.

ACTUAL VA LETTER SENT VIA E-MAIL

Dear Terry Howell,

This e-mail has been sent on behalf of J.D. Power and Associates for the Department of Veteran's Affairs. The Department of Veteran's Affairs is conducting an important outreach effort of Veterans and active duty service members who have applied for educational benefits under the post 9/11 GI Bill, also called chapter 33.

NOTE: I actually didn't apply for Chapter 33, but I did request the advance payment based on my MGIB enrollment.

Our records show that you took advantage of the opportunity VA provided, and received an advanced payment of your VA education benefits. The purpose of this e-mail is to touch base with you so it is clear what that payment represents, and how you and VA will settle any overpayment of your education benefits.

The payment issued to you represents an advance on your future VA education benefit payments. This payment was made by VA in an effort to get funds into your hands as quickly as possible while VA brings up its system of automated claims processing. Simply put: VA didn't want you to wait.

Right now, VA is working through the accounts to make sure that what you have received so far matches your entitlement. Since you took the advance payment there's a good chance you received more than what you are owed. That's fine, and VA did that deliberately so you could get the money you needed to stay in school. VA will simply subtract the “extra” payment from the checks you'll receive automatically in the future. By the end of the academic year, you will have received exactly your full entitlement.

Assuming you have been enrolled in school full time continuously, you should actually be due an amount close to the advanced payment, so you and VA will be easily settled. For example, if you qualified for 100% of the GI Bill benefit and have been enrolled full-time through September and October in a location that has a $1500 a month housing allowance, and VA processes your enrollment certification in November, the back payment for your housing allowance for September and October will be $3000. This is exactly the same amount as the $3000 advanced payment. If the monthly allowance for your location is $1400, then you should get $2800 for September and October. If you received a $3000 advance payment check then VA will deduct the $200 difference from the payments you are due over the next several months. We won't take it out of your checks all at once.

You can help VA with your claim by ensuring your school has submitted your enrollment certification.

If you received the advanced payment but you have not enrolled in school, or do not have sufficient remaining entitlement to VA education benefits, you will need to return the advanced payment. In that case, but only in that case, it becomes an ordinary debt to the government; it will be very important for you return it if you are not enrolled or were not entitled.

If you have any questions once you have received your education benefit award letter from VA, please contact 1-888-442-4551 (GIBILL-1).

Please click on the link below to acknowledge reading this e-mail. If you do not click on this link, we may telephone you to confirm that you were informed of this information.

LINK OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT  (links disabled)

If you would like to be removed from any future e-mails, please click HERE. (links disabled)

J.D. Power and Associates
2625 Townsgate Road Suite 100
Westlake Village, CA 91361

Congress Accepts Blame for GI Bill Delays

By Terry Howell

Yes, you read the headline correctly, in an unprecedented and refreshing admission of guilt, members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee yesterday admitted that in a rush to pass and implement "a complex and difficult benefit" they contributed to the GI Bill payment delays.

Okay, they didn't come right out and say they accepted all the blame, just a share of it. But this is a huge step for the legislative branch and shouldn't slip by unnoticed.

Read Tom Philpott's latest Military Update to get the full story.

Don't Stop There
Although the Post-9/11 GI Bill is a great concept, the complex details and execution plans were ill conceived from the very beginning. With details that make it difficult for even the most seasoned VA representative to explain and/or administrate it is a miracle the VA has done as well as it has.

What congress failed to acknowledge in yesterday's hearing is that in addition to the issues which are causing payment delays, the GI Bill falls well short of many veteran's expectations and the intent of the original 1944 GI Bill concept by excluding distance learning students from getting a housing stipend and excluding vocational and on-the-job training programs. 

It is time to persuade congress to go back and fix the Post-9/11 GI Bill now while tensions are high and before we veterans slip back into pattern of complacency. 

Remember two things when writing to your representatives:
1. Be respectful, harsh language and tirades are easily ignored.
2. Use all means possible, phone, e-mail and snail mail. It is harder to ignore phone calls and snail mail than it is to delete e-mail.

Contact your elected officials today.

Vets Find it Hard to Cash Emergency GI Bill Checks

VA Seeking Assistance of Nation’s Banks in Cashing Emergency Education Payments for Veteran-Students

So far the biggest glitch in the VA GI Bill Emergency Payment process is that several veterans are finding it hard to cash their GI Bill advance payment checks. In some cases it was a matter of bank policy to hold funds until the check clears. This is further complicated because the checks are handwritten US Bank checks which may have seemed odd to the banks.

At any rate the VA is asking banks to help. In addition the VA is offering a toll-free number for banks to verify the authenticity of the checks. 

See the VA's official letter below:

From VA - The Department of Veterans Affairs is issuing advance educational benefit payments to Veteran-students in the form of US Bank business checks. These emergency checks are issued in amounts not to exceed $3,000 for Veteran-students who have applied for educational benefits and who have not yet received their VA payment. VA's 57 regional offices began issuing these checks to eligible Veteran-students across the country on Friday, October 2, 2009.

VA is soliciting the support of local and national banks to honor and cash these emergency checks written to our Nation's Veteran-students.

In many cases these checks are handwritten and could pose concerns of fraud from banks. Therefore, VA has established the following special customer service call-in numbers for banks to verify the validity of any US Bank check brought to them by a Veteran.

1-800-827-2166

Banks calling these numbers will be connected directly to a VA employee who can access to all necessary information to verify who the check was issued to, the check number and dollar amount of the check, and whether the check was previously cashed or not.

Emergency GI Bill Payment Status Report – Day One

VA Lays Out Nearly $50M in Emergency GI Bill Payments

By Terry Howell

Updates and News from Inside the VA
The following information came from one of my sources at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs central office in D.C.

• Nearly $50 Million paid out so far - As of 5PM ET the VA had issued 8,595 checks at the Regional Offices and accepted 7.880 online payment requests.  The total amount of funds disbursed today at the RO's was $25,785,000. The total amount of funds pending for online requests is $23,640,000. Those who processed their requests online will receive payments via snail mail in approximately six business days.
• The highest trafficked ROs at this point are in Washington, D.C., Waco, TX, and Chicago, IL. 
• There have not been any major “SNAFUS.” But, some RO’s around the country are reporting slow lines. 
• The RO staff in D.C. provided pizza for those standing in line at lunch time.  Of course, this is a high-profile RO, so don’t count on a free lunch at your local RO.

 

Additional Information
The following additional details were added to the VA’s GI Bill Website today:

1. Only one payment is authorized per veteran, up to $3,000. Depending on which GI Bill program in which you are enrolled.
Here is how it breaks down:

• Post-9/11 GI Bill $3,000
• Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty $3,000
• Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve $1,000
• Reserve Education Assistance Program $2,000
• Post Vietnam Era Educational Assistance Programs $1,000

2. You can apply on-line at advancepay.gibill.va.gov or you can go to your nearest VA regional office to receive an advance pay. A list of VA regional offices is available at the Veterans Benefits Administration Website.

Advance payments through the on-line application process will be issued by the U. S. Treasury within 3 workdays (Monday through Friday) following submission of your request. Payments will be in the form of a check sent through the U.S. mail. You should therefore anticipate an additional 3 days (excluding Sundays) for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver your checks.

3. Starting on October 2, regional offices will be open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays for advance payments. Regional offices will also be open on Saturday, October 3, from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon. 

Read all the FAQs.

Payments to Veterans Awaiting VA Education Benefits

From VA Website

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has authorized advance payments up to $3,000 for Veterans who applied for VA educational benefits and who have not yet received their monthly education payments.

If you are a Veteran who has applied for one of VA’s education programs and have not yet received your monthly benefit payment for the Fall 2009 term. Starting Friday October 2^nd, you can request advance payment through this website, advancepay.gibill.va.gov.

Advance payments will be issued by the U. S. Treasury within 3 workdays (Monday through Friday) following submission of this request. Payments will be in the form of a check sent through the U.S. mail. You should therefore anticipate an additional 3 days (excluding Sundays) for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver your check.

You can also visit one of VA’s 57 regional offices across the country to immediately receive an advance payment. You will need to bring a government-issued photo ID and your course schedule when you visit the regional office. A list of VA’s regional offices is available at www.vba.va.gov/VBA/benefits/offices.asp.

Starting on October 2, regional offices will be open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays for advance payments.  Regional offices will also be open on Saturday, October 3, from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon. 

The advance payments will be reconciled with future education payments owed to you.