Our Letter to the Debt Management Center Regarding the Threshold for Reporting Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA” or “the Department”) Debts to a Consumer Reporting Agency (“CRA”)
September 21, 2021 Submitted via electronic portal Jason Hoge Director of Operations Debt Management Center Office of Management, 189 1 Federal Drive Suite 4500 Fort Snelling, MN 55111 Re: RIN 2900-AR20-Threshold for Reporting VA Debts [...]
Our Comment on the Computer Matching Agreement between the Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Affairs
We are providing comments on the May 6, 2021, Federal Register Notice (ED-2021-FSA-0005) concerning the re-establishment of the flawed computer matching agreement (CMA) between the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of [...]
Military.com: This GI Bill Rule Change Could Cost Veterans Thousands of Dollars a Semester
"That full-time status ensures their housing allowance remains steady, consequently helping them complete their post-secondary education," said Tanya Ang, vice president of advocacy group Veterans Education Success. "VA has been able to adequately address this [...]
Military.com: VA is Asking DOJ for Help Getting Back GIBill.com After Losing Domain Rights
"Veterans Education Success, a nonpartisan veteran advocacy group, sent a letter to Biden last week urging him to take steps to expand GI Bill protections, including reclaiming the lost domain GIBill.com, which has in the [...]
Marine Times: Congress finalizes sweeping veterans policy bill with new protections for women, students
“This landmark legislation will significantly weed out predatory colleges that seek to take advantage of veterans,” said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success. She praised lawmakers for “stepping up to protect veterans and their [...]
Veterans Education Success Hails Unanimous Passage of Landmark Legislation to Protect Student Veterans and Ensure Better Oversight of GI Bill Colleges
December 16, 2020 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford: carrie@vetsedsuccess.org Veterans Education Success hails unanimous passage of landmark legislation to protect student veterans and ensure better oversight of GI Bill colleges Veterans Education Success proposed, [...]
Our Letter to the VA Advisory Committee on Education
December 7, 2020 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Education Services 810 Vermont Avenue NW Washington DC 20420 Via electronic submission to EDUSTAENG.VBAVACO@va.gov Re: Advisory Committee on Education Dear Members of the Advisory [...]
Veterans Education Success Hails Senate Passage of Landmark Legislation to Protect Student Veterans and Ensure Better Oversight of GI Bill Colleges
December 9, 2020 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford (carrie@vetsedsuccess.org) and Tanya Ang (tanya@vetsedsuccess.org) Veterans Education Success hails Senate passage of landmark legislation to protect student veterans and ensure better oversight of GI Bill colleges [...]
Comment to VA on Its Employees’ Conflicts of Interest in For-Profit Schools
August 21, 2020 Dr. Paul Lawrence, Undersecretary for Benefits Veterans Benefits Administration Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue NW Washington, DC 20420 Via electronic submission Re: VBA’s Collection of Conflicting Interests Certification for Proprietary [...]
Our Letter to the VA Advisory Committee on Veterans’ Readjustment
Our letter to the VA Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans June 11, 2020 Department of Veterans Affairs Readjustment Counseling Service (10RCS) 810 Vermont Avenue Washington DC 20420 Via electronic submission to [...]
Veterans Education Success Thanks Congress for Passing Important COVID-19 Fix for GI Bill and other VA-Funded Students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tanya Ang, Vice President, (202) 838-5050 March 19, 2020 Congress Clears Important COVID-19 Fix for GI Bill and other VA-Funded Students WASHINGTON, DC: This morning, Congress cleared an important COVID-19 fix [...]
Letter to VA Regarding GI Bill Feedback Tool and 38 USC 3696 Compliance
January 21, 2020 Charmain Bogue, Executive Director U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration, Education Service 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20420 Re: 38 U.S.C. § 3696 and University of Phoenix, [...]
California backs down from threat to fight VA for GI Bill oversight
California backed down from a fight with the Department of Veterans Affairs over a decision that restricts the state’s power to regulate for-profit colleges enrolling students with GI Bill benefits. California had used its authority [...]
Congress Should Consider Authorizing VA to Require Letters of Credit from Schools in order to Mitigate Risks to Veterans and Taxpayers
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) lacks the authority to require letters of credit (LOC) from schools eligible to enroll GI Bill beneficiaries. In contrast, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) can require schools [...]
Sacramento Bee: Veterans Affairs Moves to Strip California’s Power in Fight Over For-Profit Schools
“It’s hard to argue that the VA has the interests of veterans and taxpayers at heart when it allows things like Thomas Jefferson. Why would they rescind these actions?” said Walter Ochinko, research director for [...]
House Veterans Chairman Takano’s statement on VA’s suspension of California SAA
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement after the Department of Veterans’ Affairs decided to break with the California State Approving Agency for Veterans Education [...]
Press Release: We Respond to VA’s Decision to Suspend California’s Role as a State Approving Agency for GI Bill
September 6, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: CARRIE WOFFORD, PRESIDENT (202) 838-5050 VETERANS EDUCATION SUCCESS RESPONDS TO VA’S DECISION TO SUSPEND CALIFORNIA’S ROLE AS A STATE APPROVING AGENCY FOR GI BILL Washington, DC -- Today’s [...]
Politico: Trump Administration Strips CalVet Regulation of For-Profit Colleges
Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, characterized VA's move as another instance of finger-pointing between Washington and California. "All they've been doing is fighting with each other," she said in an interview. "There's going [...]
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment 2018 Longitudinal Study
The Department of Veterans Affairs published the results for Fiscal Year 2018 of its Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment longitudinal study. The main goal of the study is to examine the post-program outcomes for the VR&E [...]
Why Aren’t More Undergraduate Student Veterans Enrolling at Selective Colleges? Veteran Undergraduate vs Graduate Student Demographics
Selective colleges with high graduation rates enroll far fewer veterans pursuing undergraduate certificate, associate’s, or bachelor’s degrees than those seeking post-baccalaureate degrees such as master’s, PhD’s, or certifications. This Issue Brief explores demographic and enrollment [...]
Veterans Education Success Hails Final Passage of Career Ready Student Veterans Act, Thanks Sens. Blumenthal, Cassidy, Tillis, and Reps. Miller and Takano
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Walter Ochinko, Policy Director Carrie Wofford, President December 12, 2016 SENATE PASSES CAREER READY STUDENT VETERANS ACT Legislation Headed to President’s Desk WASHINGTON, D.C. – Veterans Education Success (VES) today hailed the [...]
Letter from VA to Sen. Durbin on VA’s Authorities with Respect to State Approving Agencies
On September 4, 2015, the Undersecretary for Veterans Affairs for Benefits wrote to Sen. Durbin that the authority for the approval of educational programs that enroll GI Bill beneficiaries was specifically granted to State Approving [...]
VA Releases New Version of the GI Bill® Comparison Tool
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today launched an improved version of the GI Bill®Comparison Tool, which was first launched in February 2014. The GI Bill Comparison Tool is designed to make [...]
U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions: Is the New GI Bill Working? For-Profit Colleges Increasing Veteran Enrollment and Federal Funds (2014)
Almost three years ago the HELP Committee determined that eight of the top 10 recipients of veterans’ educational benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits were large, publicly traded companies that operate for-profit colleges. A [...]
New Online GI Bill Comparison Tool Available
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs launched today an online GI Bill® Comparison Tool to make it easier for Veterans, Servicemembers and dependents to calculate their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and learn more about [...]
Federal Agencies Partner to Protect Veterans, Service Members and their Families Using GI Bill Education Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Education and Justice, along with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission announced today the launch of a new online complaint system designed [...]
VA Registers “GI Bill” as a Trademark
WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that GI Bill is now a registered trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and VA is the sole owner of the mark.
Supporting Our Troops: The Post 9/11 GI Bill
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama celebrated the beginning of implementation of the Post 9/11 GI Bill. This bill, through its Yellow Ribbon Programs and partnerships with colleges and universities throughout the nation, will provide our [...]