03-11-2022, 08:40 PM
Veterans Affairs officials expect to have 27 congressionally mandated reforms to GI Bill benefits in place
by 1 AUG, but many of those changes may not be immediately visible to all students. That’s because the
bulk of the changes, included in the Johnny Isakson and Phil Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits
Improvement Act of 2020, deal with specific programs and eligibility requirements that individually don’t
affect a large number of veterans. When combined, however, these small changes amount to significant
updates across the breadth of the benefit.
“These provisions greatly assist VA in providing benefits more efficiently and effectively … [including]
improved oversight and accountability and expanded opportunities for service members, veterans and
eligible family members,” said Charmain Bouge, executive director of the Veterans Benefits
Administration’s Education Service. Bouge faced questioning 20 JUL from House Veterans’ Affairs
Committee members regarding the progress of the changes.
Several provisions have been in place since the start of the summer, including the extension of
protections for beneficiaries attending colleges whose schedules were upended by the ongoing coronavirus
pandemic.
Students forced out of classes due to changes to class meetings or availability can retain their GI
Bill eligibility under the measure, on-campus jobs and apprenticeship stipends were extended
through the end of the pandemic, and payouts for hybrid classes will be adjusted under language
approved last fall.
The bill also expanded the popular Veteran Employment through Technology Education Courses
earlier this year and expanded VA’s Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship program.
It also, for the first time, made foster children of servicemembers eligible for GI Bill benefits
transfer, in alignment with Defense Department rules regarding dependents.
Upcoming changes include:
Expansion of the Fry Scholarship to include spouses and children of service members —
including reservists — who died in non-combat events, and new requirements for schools to
provide cost estimates to potential students ahead of enrollment.
Students will be required to “electronically verify” their enrollment status with VA monthly.
Bouge said officials are testing the technology for that now, with a plan to require the check-ins
to launch next month for students enrolled in non-college degree programs and for other students
at the end of the year. “We want to make sure that we have the latest and greatest mobile
information for our students, and that they understand the process and how it’s important for them
to reach out to VA to notify us of any issues,” she said.
Lawmakers promised continued oversight on the reforms in the months to come. “The devil is in the
details and Congress’ work doesn’t end with just a final stroke of the president’s pen,” said Rep. Barry
Moore (R-AL).
by 1 AUG, but many of those changes may not be immediately visible to all students. That’s because the
bulk of the changes, included in the Johnny Isakson and Phil Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits
Improvement Act of 2020, deal with specific programs and eligibility requirements that individually don’t
affect a large number of veterans. When combined, however, these small changes amount to significant
updates across the breadth of the benefit.
“These provisions greatly assist VA in providing benefits more efficiently and effectively … [including]
improved oversight and accountability and expanded opportunities for service members, veterans and
eligible family members,” said Charmain Bouge, executive director of the Veterans Benefits
Administration’s Education Service. Bouge faced questioning 20 JUL from House Veterans’ Affairs
Committee members regarding the progress of the changes.
Several provisions have been in place since the start of the summer, including the extension of
protections for beneficiaries attending colleges whose schedules were upended by the ongoing coronavirus
pandemic.
Students forced out of classes due to changes to class meetings or availability can retain their GI
Bill eligibility under the measure, on-campus jobs and apprenticeship stipends were extended
through the end of the pandemic, and payouts for hybrid classes will be adjusted under language
approved last fall.
The bill also expanded the popular Veteran Employment through Technology Education Courses
earlier this year and expanded VA’s Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship program.
It also, for the first time, made foster children of servicemembers eligible for GI Bill benefits
transfer, in alignment with Defense Department rules regarding dependents.
Upcoming changes include:
Expansion of the Fry Scholarship to include spouses and children of service members —
including reservists — who died in non-combat events, and new requirements for schools to
provide cost estimates to potential students ahead of enrollment.
Students will be required to “electronically verify” their enrollment status with VA monthly.
Bouge said officials are testing the technology for that now, with a plan to require the check-ins
to launch next month for students enrolled in non-college degree programs and for other students
at the end of the year. “We want to make sure that we have the latest and greatest mobile
information for our students, and that they understand the process and how it’s important for them
to reach out to VA to notify us of any issues,” she said.
Lawmakers promised continued oversight on the reforms in the months to come. “The devil is in the
details and Congress’ work doesn’t end with just a final stroke of the president’s pen,” said Rep. Barry
Moore (R-AL).