Who's to Blame for Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit Delays?

By Terry Howell

Last week's Blog covered news reports warning that a huge backlog of GI Bill "work items," which includes applications and payment claims, is causing a delay in Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits of up to 10 weeks. This week the backlog grew nearly 11 percent to over 234,000. To their credit, the VA has processed over 140,000 "work items" overall. In addition, it appears that at least 13,000 veterans will soon begin receiving benefits, if they have not already.

Note: It takes approximately 1.5 hours for VA to process each Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill application.

In a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article, Post-9/11 GI Bill Applicants Wait for Colleges to Certify Enrollment, Department of Veterans Affairs Director of Education Services, Keith Wilson, responded to the question about delays by suggesting  that school certifying officials were to blame, saying that to date the VA had received only 13,000 certifications from the schools. “We have no control over when a school official will submit that enrollment certificate to us,” added Mr. Wilson.

Needless to say this has triggered an angry response from veteran’s program administrators and school certifying officials nationwide, denying that they are the bottleneck in the process.

Many of the certifying officials interviewed, said they were shocked to read the article and felt they were being stabbed in the back. A school certifying official, who wished to remain unnamed, said “the quote that stressed me is the one where he said they had no control over when a school sent an enrollment in. We have it in writing that we were to hold certifications until July 7, 2009.”

Another certifying official pointed out that there is no logical reason for a school to purposely delay the process, “not only is it bad for the student; it is bad for the school.” He also questioned the legitimacy of Mr. Wilson’s claim of receiving only 13,000 certifications.

Teri Gravenmier, veterans program administrator for the University of Alaska Anchorage, addressed Mr. Wilson’s assertion by explaining that in addition to other duties – including providing counseling and support for veteran students – “school certifying officials must verify not only that the student is qualified and how many credits they are registered for, but also that the coursework applies to their degree plan.” By comparison, “VA processors have one task to perform - process Chapter 33 [Post-9/11 GI Bill] applications,” Gravenmier points out.

Since early August, school certifying officials have been reporting serious payment errors made by the VA, including underpayments made because the VA failed to update their own database when the rates increased in August, duplicate tuition and fees payments, payments sent to the wrong schools, and payments made without supporting data including the student names. School officials have been told by the VA that they would not make any corrections to the payment issues until “Phase 3,” slated begin sometime in October.

Many of these errors and delays are easily attributed to a newly hired, inexperienced VA workforce, an understandable learning curve, lack of technical support systems, complicated requirements, and a huge flood of claims. But, many find it unfair for the VA to blame the schools for delays while they continue to have issues that still need to be addressed at the VA level.

Campuses Prep for Influx of Veterans

The Detroit Free Press ran an interesting article about the return of veterans to college. The article offers some helpful insight for both veterans and college staff and faculty.

The author points out how critical it will be for campuses to understand the needs of veterans who become university students, whether their needs are financial, mental or related to housing and other college-life decisions.

According to the Veterans Benefits Administration Education Services Director, Keith Wilson, the new Post 9/11 GI Bill is expected to send a surge of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and other military personnel and dependents onto U.S. college campuses -- up as much as 20% to 25% from current levels in the next two or three years.
Read the full article at Military.com.

Va. Vets May Get Automatic College Admissions

Virginia State Delegate David Poisson (D-Loudoun) introduced legislation directing the governing boards of public colleges and universities in Virginia to automatically admit in-state students applying for admission who have graduated at the top 10% of their class from a public or private high school in Virginia and have been honorably discharged from military service.

The original cosponsors of include Delegate and U.S. Air Force veteran William Barlow; Delegate, U.S. Naval Academy graduate and retired U.S. Navy Captain Joseph Bouchard; Delegate and U.S. Army veteran Robert Brink; Delegate and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate David Englin; Delegate Paula Miller; and Delegate Kenneth Plum.

The program would apply to those who have been honorably discharged from service in the United States Armed Forces, the United States Armed Forces Reserves, the Virginia National Guard, or the Virginia National Guard Reserve.

Read the press release.

Note: What do you think? Since this program is limited to the top 10% of high school grads is this benefit useful for most Va. vets?

Grants, Scrutiny for Veterans Education

The following article by Jack Stripling, Inside Higher Ed Magazine explains how schools that are truly veteran friendly can hope to receive large grants.

The new GI Bill is likely to bring an influx of veterans to college in 2009, but there’s precious little consensus about how best to help these students succeed once they arrive on campus, according to the American Council on Education.

ACE unveiled a program Monday that aims to grow programs that serve student veterans. Perhaps more importantly, ACE officials say they’re determined to find out whether programs that purport to help veterans navigate through higher education actually work.

With the help of funding from the Wal-Mart Foundation, ACE is offering a total of $2.5 million in grants to institutions that will operate model programs specifically designed for veterans on campus. Those programs could be as diverse as on-campus veterans’ organizations, peer mentoring groups and counseling services geared toward veterans.

The one-time $100,000 grants will be distributed to colleges that agree to publish an analysis of their programs’ effectiveness, potentially examining outcomes like graduation and retention rates.

“The intent is to have empirical data that can drive decisions on the appropriateness of replicating those programs across sectors,” said Jim Selbe, assistant vice president of lifelong learning with ACE.

The grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, and a premium will be placed on funding institutions that have clear plans for tracking outcomes, Selbe said.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs tracks college-going rates for veterans, but the outcomes for student veterans – and how those outcomes might be affected by support programs — have not been followed closely, Selbe said. There’s also little definitive data about the prevalence of veteran-specific programs across higher education, he said.

“Right now that’s information that no one has,” Selbe said.

Read the full article at the Inside Higher Ed website.

Beyond the GI Bill

By Terry Howell

A recent New York Times article, Beyond the Bill, outlines the programs that can help servicemembers and veterans supplement the GI Bill (either MGIB or Post 9/11) and cover the additional costs of earning a college degree.

Reporter, Cecilia Capuzzi Simon, outlines five ways to help veterans fund their education and three organizations that offer special programs designed to help veterans transition in the civilian world of business.

Due to the large variety of veteran education programs, the article is unable to offer a comprehensive list of programs. However, many veterans and education counselors should find the article helpful.

It is good to see a large news organization with the reach of the New York Times provide information that can help our veterans excel in the civilian world. Thanks Cecilia!

Will the New GI Bill Face Delays?

By Terry Howell

Facing the challenge of implementing the new highly complex Post 9/11 GI Bill, the Department of Veterans Affairs sought the help of outside contractors. This raised the hackles of veterans groups, public employee unions, and Congress. They rallied forces to challenge the VA’s decision.

The VA backed away from the plan of using a contractor to help implement the program, citing a lack of qualified bids. The VA stated it will “rely upon its own workforce to set up the information technology programs needed to implement the educational benefits of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill.”

A recent Stars and Stripes article being run on Military.com, tells that the VA will rely on the old system to process tuition payments.

Unfortunately the lack of outside help and the need to rely on an antiquated system may result in delays for the new GI Bill program. According to a recent UPI article, The VA has vowed to launch the measure on time, but has publicly admitted it will be a difficult mission.

According to a recent article by Tom Philpott, the VA stated that concerns about making the deadline are "unfounded." (Read the full article)

I believe the VA is doing its best to please everyone and make the deadline, but the mixed signals are not giving me a warm and fuzzy feeling. Stay tuned.

I suggest reading the following articles to get a full view of the situation:

- VA to Use Old System to Deliver New Tuition Checks
- Chance of Delay for New GI Bill
- New GI Bill to Start On Time

About the Author: A Retired Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer, Terry completed his BS in Management and Communications using a combination of CLEP exams, credit for military service, and distance learning while on active-duty. Terry now serves as Managing Editor for the Education Channel at Military.com.

5 Reasons to Use Federal Student Aid

By Terry Howell

Servicemembers and veterans have a tendency to discount the value of applying for Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs because they have the GI Bill. In most cases veterans and active-duty are eligible to apply FSA though they are maybe using their GI Bill or other programs.

Here are five reasons you shouldn’t blow-off FSA:
1. There is only one application, called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), for all the federally sponsored education aid programs including subsidized and unsubsidized loans, and Pell Grants.

2. FSA can help cover the initial cost of starting school (enrollment and lab fees, up-front tuition, books , etc.)until your GI Bill kicks in. It can take up to 45 days for your benefits to start.

3. You may qualify for free money! That’s right Pell Grants are just that - grants – they are a gift.

4. Applying for FSA is not binding; you can turn down any loans you do not want.

5. FSA is less expensive than borrowing from private sources or running up your credit cards.

As a person who has used every possible source of education money, I can tell you that FSA is worth the effort. In fact, I received Pell Grants as an E-7 when I was on active-duty.

You can learn more about Federal Student Aid.

About the Author: A Retired Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer, Terry completed his BS in Management and Communications using a combination of CLEP exams, credit for military service, and distance learning while on active-duty. Terry now serves as Managing Editor for the Education Channel at Military.com.

Is College Therapeutic?

A recent article in the Sacramento Bee, College Helps Veterans Navigate Life After Combat, explains how going back to school can help veterans transition both academically and emotionally.

According to the author, veterans not only bring the typical student concerns like concerns about juggling work and classes, and how to improve their English grades. They also bring Iraq.

In fact, according to federal figures, about 17 percent of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered disabilities related to their duties, from amputations to severe anxiety. But many veterans with combat anxiety or PTSD refuse to file disability benefits because they are afraid it will affect their future employment.

Sierra College in Rocklin, Ca. has developed a unique program to help veterans deal with these issues by establishing full time counselor dedicated to helping veterans navigate life after combat. Sierra even has a social club for veterans, and courses in English and physical education adapted for men and women who survived the war zone.

The veterans social club gives veterans a place where they can find fellowship among other veterans on campus - the only people who seem to be able to relate to them. A place where they can vent the frustration of dealing with pampered civilian students and the world in general. A place where they won't feel quite so isolated. But best of all, belonging to the club has none of the stigma attached with psychotherapy.

With the advent of the new Post 9/11 GI Bill there may be an opportunity for more schools to reach out to veterans and provide a means for them to transition back into a world that has become foreign to so many.

Read the full article.

States Rush to Help Vets Go Back to School

In an effort to help student veterans reach their education goals, many states recently started offering added incentives for military veterans and servicemembers to attend their state operated colleges and universities. These new incentives include scholarships, tuition reductions and tuition awards.

The latest state to announce such a move was Ohio, where Governor Ted Strickland announced a plan that could lure veteran students to Ohio schools. The “Ohio GI Promise” program ensures veterans will receive the in-state tuition rate, no matter their home of record. This program was announced right on the heels of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which was signed just over a week earlier.

This tuition reduction program can mean a savings of about $13,000 a year at Ohio State University. With that kind of savings, the Ohio program could entice veterans to relocate to Ohio to attend college and use their Post 9/11 GI Bill. [after Aug. 1, 2009]

In a similar program designed to help veterans get back to school, New York State announced the Veterans Tuition Awards (VTA). This program is for eligible veterans pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree program in New York State. The VTA can reduce tuition by 98 percent.

Earlier this year Penn State World Campus announced a pilot grant-in-aid program as part of a growing initiative by several colleges and universities that will help make obtaining a degree more affordable for servicemembers and veterans.

The timing of these programs fits well with the recent increase in Montgomery GI Bill benefits and the future Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. Based on the current trends, I would say that this is just the beginning of what will turn out to be the great opportunity for veterans to go back to school.