42 of the nation’s leading veterans service organizations and military service organizations wrote the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to request its speedy passage of HR 4625, Protect the GI Bill Act, which cleared the House unanimously Nov.  2019.

 

November 21, 2019

 

The Honorable Johnny Isakson                            The Honorable Jon Tester

Chairman                                                                    Ranking Member

Committee on Veterans Affairs                              Committee on Veterans Affairs

U.S. Senate                                                                 U.S. Senate

Washington, DC  20510                                           Washington, DC  20510

 

Dear Chairman Isakson, Ranking Member Tester, and Members of the Committee:

Thank you for your many years of strong leadership for America’s veterans. We remain indebted to you for all you have accomplished.

For nearly a decade, Veterans and Military Service Organizations have been asking for veterans and other military-connected students to have the same rights as Title IV students.

Thankfully, parity for veterans and military-connected students is finally close to reality with the bipartisan, unanimously-enacted House Veterans Affairs Committee’s bill, HR 4625. We are so grateful.  Please support HR 4625 in your committee.  This important legislation provides the following provisions to support and protect GI Bill students:

  • Restores veterans’ and military-connected students’ education benefits if their school suddenly closes (providing parity with students protected under Title IV);
  • Requires schools, not students, to repay tuition overpayments since schools receive tuition funds directly from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (providing parity with students protected under Title IV);
  • Protects veterans’ and military-connected students’ education benefits from schools terminated by the Education Department (ED). Earlier this year, ED terminated Argosy for stealing Title IV federal student aid, but VA did not have statutory authority to protect veterans’ education benefits;
  • Requires common-sense oversight of schools following punitive action by federal or state government or the accreditor; and
  • Strengthens existing statutes to ensure VA compliance.

We humbly request your leadership to ensure this bill’s passage as soon as possible.  We would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss this legislation.

We thank you.

 

Download the PDF:

letter to SVAC re HR 4625.Signed