Glenn’s experience is not unique, according to Will Hubbard, vice president of veteran and military policy for Veterans Education Success.
According to Hubbard, there are three entities involved in providing accountability and oversight. They are:
- The states, which recognize the schools
- The accreditor, which determines if the school actually offers what it says it offers
- The Department of Education, which is where schools can tap into federal aid like student loans
Accreditation and state authorization are the two core issues at hand as the Department of Education continues to work toward resolving the issues mentioned by Glenn and others.
“If all three legs are not operating appropriately, you get schools that are getting away with bad stuff and students are the ones who have to shoulder that burden,” Hubbard said.
What makes universities — especially ones that primarily offer online programs — are difficult for those with GI Bill benefits is that the programs do not operate in a typical semester format. They often operate in a weeks or months format, which means benefits are depleted faster.GI Bill funds are funneled through the Department of Veterans Affairs, but the Department of Education has “gatekeeping” function, Hubbard said.
“The Department of Veterans Affairs and, for what it’s worth, the Department of Defense, which has a pretty significant pot of education funds, both of those entities rely on the Department of Education to be the expert and make sure that good schools are getting into the system,” Hubbard said. “If the Department fails and if those other two legs fail — the accreditors and states — this is why we end up with the kind of testimony that we end up with.”
Glenn, who works for Texas A&M University-Central Texas in Killeen, said she will begin working on a second master’s degree there while she is working.
Hubbard said that Congress would have to decide if veterans like Glenn can have their GI Bill benefits restored.
Read the full article at Fort Cavazos Herald here.