The letter from the Student Veterans of America to the leadership of Veterans Affairs committees of both chambers of Congress explaining the concerns surrounding GI Bill payments as a result of COVID-19 is available here.
Category: Veterans
SVA Provides Background Info on GI Bill– Covid-19 Issue
The Student Veterans of America (SVA) has created a webpage on the issue surrounding potential problems associated with education programs moving on-line and the move’s implications on GI Bill payments to veterans. The SVA webpage is available here.
Senate Passes Bill to Address Problems in GI Bill and On-line Programs
The Senate adopted yesterday a bill that would address an unforeseen problem in the way in which GI Bill benefits would be calculated as a result of academic programs transitioning to on-line programs due to COVID-19. Because many of the academic programs which have transitioned to on-line delivery did so without preapproval by the state approving agency, beneficiaries would have lost out on their benefits, including their housing benefits. The legislation would address these deficiencies in the program and allow the GI Bill participants to continue to receive their benefits.
The text of the Senate-passed legislation is is available here.
The House is also working on a companion bill that addresses this problem.
Congress Looks to Correct COVID-19-related GI Bill Problems
Both chambers of Congress are expected to take up legislation that would correct a problem in the GI Bill program caused by Covid-19.
As a result of how the current statutes and regulations are written and interpreted, the sudden transition of academic programs from traditional on-campus models to on-line programs without prior approval would lead to the loss of education and associated housing benefits for the recipient of the GI Bill. The veterans community as well as the higher education community, including individual institutions like the University of Washington, have become aware of the problem and have weighed in, asking for a solution.
The letter to the Senate from the higher education associations is available here while the letter to the House is available here. We will share a letter led by Student Veterans of America as it becomes available.
First “Minibus” Signed Into Law
As expected, President Trump signed into law earlier today the first “minibus” appropriations package for FY2019, a measure that combines the Energy and Water, Veterans Affairs-Military Construction, and Legislative Brach Appropriations Bills.
Congress and the White House must still agree on nine more bills for FY2019.