Smoothing Out The Kinks: GI Bill Redux
After a hectic morning, the Veterans Administration is hoping the afternoon goes a little more smoothly. The fall administration of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill was confusing for veterans, institutions, and, seemingly, the VA itself. Some payments were delayed as the agency dealt with an upswing in demand for education benefits. The increased demand was probably due to the more generous provisions of this bill compared to other recent G.I. Bills, and the slow economy.
V.A. officials say the have received 132,000 enrollment certifications for the current term, and 105,000 have been processed. They didn’t say how many veterans have their benefits in-hand. The agency has promised all veterans who submitted materials by January 19 will have received their benefits by February 1. Materials received after that will be processed as soon as possible.
There are still about 500 veterans who have yet to receive their fall benefits. The V.A. and institutions blame each other for the fall delays, and relations between them are frosty. The V.A. says it didn’t receive some enrollment certification forms until the late fall; institutions say the V.A.’s work was backed up well before the late fall, and that they offered students leniency, and even interest-free loans, to help veterans stay in school and pay for necessities.
Both parties are hoping things will be easier this spring; the V.A. is expressing confidence about this; institutions are expressing doubt.
Tags: Veterans