Blogs and published op-eds by our staff and students we are helping
Important Update for MGIB-SR Students Using Tuition Assistance
By Michael Saunders On May 5, 2021, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued a memorandum to the Department of Veterans approving concurrent usage of DoD Tuition Assistance (TA) and Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve Education Benefit [...]
Filing a VA Claim is Free – Beware of Companies that Charge
Filing a VA Claim is Free – Beware of Companies that Charge Aniela Szymanski Filing a claim with VA is free and veterans should beware of companies that charge for it. In fact, VA prohibits [...]
Policy Makers Need Additional Data to Better Understand Postsecondary Outcomes for Undergraduate Veterans of Color
Source: National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey, 2016. Blog Post By: Walter Ochinko May 2021 Our report, Postsecondary Outcomes for Veterans of Color, compares their outcomes to those of their white veteran counterparts using U.S. [...]
Our Article in the Personal Finance section of Military.com: “Service Members and Veterans: Beware of Paycheck Advance Apps and Easy ‘Credit'”
23 Mar 2021 Military.com | By Mike Saunders Service members and veterans need to be wary of new forms of credit-like products that have popped up in recent years, especially "paycheck advance" products and Income Share Agreements. [...]
Our Black History Month Blog: Black Veterans and the GI Bill
Black History Month compels us to explore the experiences of Black WWII veterans with the G.I. Bill and the historical forces that, today, present obstacles to current Black college students. I. Economic Impact of the [...]
Our op-ed in Stars & Stripes: VA Should Rein in Predatory For-Profit Schools
McDonough Should Prioritize Putting An End to the Fleecing of America’s Veterans by Predatory For-Profit Colleges By Carrie Wofford As Denis McDonough prepares to take the helm as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, he [...]
Be Careful of Income Sharing Agreements
By Alex Kish At this point in the game, it might seem cliché to talk about the impact COVID-19 has had on higher education and how students have been forced online. But that doesn’t [...]
Blog: We Must Increase Higher Education Attainment for Veterans of Color
As America confronts systemic racial injustice, it is more important than ever to look at how students of color are faring in their college education. Postsecondary education can be the “great equalizer” (as the Secretary [...]
Military.com: Act Now So You Don’t Fall Off the Student Loan Cliff on September 30, 2021
On January 21, 2021 President Biden directed the Education Department to pause payments and interest on all federally-held student loans until September 30, 2021. Read more about it here. This blog was originally posted [...]
Why Are So Many of Our Military Members Missing Out on Student Loan Forgiveness?
Originally posted here By Mike Saunders and Seth Frotman | November 11, 2020 In 2017, the CFPB reported that 200,000 servicemembers owe nearly $3 billion in federal student loan debt. As this debt looms over the lives [...]
Five Policies the Biden-Harris Administration Must Tackle to Protect College Students
Jointly authored by Carrie Wofford, Debbie Cochrane, Lanae Erickson, Antoinette Flores, Amy Laitinen, and Robert Shireman With the nation deep in a global pandemic that has forced an economic recession, the newly elected Biden-Harris Administration [...]
Our Response to the California Proposition 16 Loss
By Isaac McMahan We were disappointed that Californians did not vote in favor of Proposition 16 on Tuesday. We had hoped for a different outcome because Proposition 16 would have repealed Proposition 209, which banned [...]
The Stakes are High for Military-Connected Students in this Election
By Tanya Ang Elisabeth is an Air Force veteran who attended Brown Mackie college using the GI Bill. As a first generation student, she believed all colleges were created equal. She chose Brown Mackie because [...]
How California’s Proposition 16 Will Ensure Veterans of Color Have Greater Access to High-Quality Public Education
By Isaac McMahan Approximately 45 percent of America’s enlisted Armed Forces identify as a person of color. We urge Californians to support Proposition 16. It will ensure that veterans of color and their families have [...]
Race-Conscious Admission Policies are Important to Closing the Opportunity Gap for Veterans but are Under Assault
By Isaac McMahaon Race-conscious admissions policies are essential to closing the opportunity gaps in higher education and are under assault. Now, more than ever, America must ensure equity and access to higher education for students [...]
Vets deserve proper info from DOD to avoid GI Bill debt
This article was originally published by Stars & Stripes on September 16, 2020. Vets deserve proper info from DOD to avoid GI Bill debt Aniela Szymanski is senior director for Legal Affairs and Military Policy [...]
The Tennessean: How Tennessee’s leaders can protect vulnerable veterans in higher education
America is navigating an era of uncertainty as we address COVID-19 and prepare for what will likely be the worst recession in generations. The COVID-19 pandemic will impact every sector of our economy, including higher [...]
Military.com: Here’s Why Vets Need to Avoid Predatory Lenders More Than Ever
This article was originally published by Military.com on August 21, 2020. Here's Why Vets Need to Avoid Predatory Lenders More Than Ever Mike Saunders is a U.S. Army veteran and director of military and consumer [...]
What’s the Status of Reserve Component Duty Status Reform?
This article was originally published by Military Officers Association of America. By Aniela Szymanski and Cory Titus Since the spring, a number of news stories have looked at the pay and benefits of National [...]
For-Profit K12 Online Schools Are Doubling Down on Their Sales Pitches to Districts. Beware of Pandemic Predators
This op-ed was published by The 74 Million on June 22, 2020, here. Wofford & Boulay: For-Profit Online Schools Are Doubling Down on Their Sales Pitches to Districts. Beware of Pandemic Predators Since the coronavirus [...]
Baltimore Sun: Maryland First to Protect Veterans from For-profit Colleges
"Gov. Larry Hogan and the Maryland General Assembly have made the state the first in the nation to pass important protections for veterans who often fall prey to deceptive marketing practices of failing for-profit colleges. [...]
Military.com: What Veterans Need to Know About Federal Debts During the Coronavirus Pandemic
This article was originally published by Military.com on May 14, 2020. What Veterans Need to Know About Federal Debts During the Coronavirus Pandemic Mike Saunders is a U.S. Army veteran and director of military and [...]
Supporting Veterans with Disabilities Pursuing a Postsecondary Education
Supporting Veterans with Disabilities Pursuing a Postsecondary Education By: Walter Ochinko May 2020 This week we published a new report on the impact of disability on first-time student veterans’ pursuit of a postsecondary credential. Our [...]
What We’re Doing to Protect Your Rights During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Ramond Curtis Here are some of the steps we've taking to serve you as we work hard to protect your rights during the crisis caused by COVID-19: You won’t face any change in [...]
What Military-Connected Students Need to Know During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Mike Saunders is a U.S. Army Veteran and Director of Military & Consumer Policy at Veterans Education Success. Tanya Ang is Vice President of Veterans Education Success and has worked in higher education supporting military-connected [...]
Our Op-Ed in The Baltimore Sun: How to Stop For-Profit Colleges from Preying on Veterans
Our President Carrie Wofford's op-ed with Retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, and Aaron Ament, President of Student Defense. By Wesley K. Clark, Carrie Wofford and Aaron Ament For The Baltimore [...]
Arnold Ventures Podcast: Podcast: ‘Dollar Signs in Uniform’: How For-Profit Education Continues to Target GI Bill Money
"For 75 years, the GI Bill has provided military service members with invaluable educational opportunities. And for just as long, for-profit colleges and universities have sought to gain and maintain access to that funding stream. [...]
Stars & Stripes: Let Protect VETS Act teach for-profit schools a lesson
Let Protect VETS Act teach for-profit schools a lesson by Mike Saunders I’ve seen a lot during my years in the Army and now working in veterans’ organizations for the past decade. I thought I’d [...]
Higher Learning Advocates: State of the Military-Connected Student Community in 2019
State of the Military-Connected Student Community in 2019 By James Haynes This year we’ve enjoyed enormous momentum in policy, advocacy, and legislation on issues important to military-connected students that sets up ambitious goals for 2020. [...]
The Spouse Angle Podcast: Controversial Changes to Education Benefits, Explained
This podcast was published by The Spouse Angle on December 4, 2019. The Spouse Angle: Controversial Changes to Education Benefits, Explained By Natalie Gross Think the Post-9/11 GI Bill is just for veterans? Some recent [...]
The Trump Administration Is Going to Automatically Forgive the Student Loans of Severely Disabled Veterans – What Does that Mean?
by Mike Saunders You may have heard that the Trump Administration is now going to automatically forgive the federal student loans of veterans who have a 100 percent disability rating or who have been designated [...]
Higher Learning Advocates: Today’s Students: Inspiration for Higher Education
This post was originally published by Higher Learning Advocates on November 14, 2019. Today’s Students: Inspiration for Higher Education By Erica Hilton Today’s students are more diverse across multiple areas than any previous generation of [...]
Lumina Podcast: Time to Recognize Lessons Learned in the Military
This post was originally published on Medium.com on October 7, 2019. Lumina Podcast: Time to Recognize Lessons Learned in the Military By Dakota Pawlicki This is adapted from our Lumina Foundation podcast, “Today’s Student / [...]
Stakes are High for Veterans as Congress Debates the Higher Education Act
The post was originally published by The Tennessean on August, 27, 2019. Stakes are High for Veterans as Congress Debates the Higher Education Act By Maj. Chris Davis, USMC What drew me and so many [...]
The Military Lending Act and You
This post was originally published by Military.com on August 13, 2019. The Military Lending Act and You By Mike Saunders, Director for Military and Consumer Policy, Veterans Education Success As an active-duty service member, you [...]
The ’90-10 rule’ in higher education is a target on veterans’ backs
Note: This post was originally published by The Hill on June 24, 2019. The '90-10 rule' in higher education is a target on veterans' backs By Tanya Ang and Lauren Augustine For the past 10 [...]
On the 75th Anniversary of the GI Bill, Military-Connected Students Need The College Transparency Act
Note: This post was originally published by The Institute for Higher Education Policy on June 22, 2019. On the 75th Anniversary of the GI Bill, Military-Connected Students Need The College Transparency Act By Tanya Ang, [...]
Oregon Legislature should close for-profit college loophole, protect student veterans
Student veteran Jay Hernandez wrote an op-ed in the Oregon newspaper. "I became a U.S Marine because I wanted more out of my life. I was born into poverty and into a disability-stricken family: my [...]
Here are Some Surprising Ways Troops and Vets Can Cut Their Student Loan Debt
Note: This advice column was originally published by Military Times on February 19, 2019 and can be found here. By Mike Saunders, Director of Military & Consumer Policy | VES Hundreds of thousands of veterans, [...]
Our New York Times op-ed: Betsy DeVos vs. Student Veterans
Our President Carrie Wofford authored an op-ed in the New York Times: "As the political makeup of the 116th Congress begins to congeal, the question of what, if anything, this divided government can do together [...]
Opening a Dangerous Floodgate: A Former For-Profit College Executive Says the Education Department Shouldn’t Weaken College Oversight
Thomas Corbett, a former for-profit college executive, speaks out against plans by the U.S. Department of Education to weaken requirements for oversight of college quality.
The Predatory Underworld of Companies that Target Veterans for a Buck
The recent law enforcement crackdown on for-profit colleges is well documented. These schools mislead students by promising a fast track to a brighter future and then loaded students up with mountains of debt for worthless [...]
Creating Student-Centric Support Systems for Military-Connected Students
Prior to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, little focus was put on promising practices to support military and veteran students in their pursuit of higher education. With the passage of this comprehensive benefit in 2009, [...]
Advice for Accreditors
Recruiting practices by institutions of higher learning is an area fraught with deceptive and misleading practices, due to a number of competing incentives. While veteran recruiting practices differ from civilian recruiting in some respects – [...]
The Hill: Protect the Military Lending Act
Standing with the troops requires more than lip service. It also requires action. When the Pentagon found that predatory payday loan shops and unethical car dealers were trolling military bases and aggressively targeting the troops [...]
Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette: Global Concern: Kaplan Roll-Out Exposes Un-Purdue-Like Actions
On its face, Purdue University's acquisition of Kaplan University can be good for students. Purdue, part of the Big Ten and a major research university, has long-standing traditions of academic excellence. One would expect they would impose [...]
Press Release: Ed Department Proposes Rules to Help Predatory Schools Instead of Veterans
DeVos’s Proposed Borrower Defense Rule Rewrites Epitaph For Predatory Schools Like Corinthian and ITT July 26, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Walter Ochinko, Research Director, who served as a Borrower Defense negotiator representing military and [...]
GOP Higher Education Legislation Will Hurt Service Members, Veterans and their Families
Note: This was originally published by The Denver Post on June 25, 2018. GOP Higher Education Legislation Will Hurt Service Members, Veterans and their Families By Jarrod Thoma After serving approximately four years in the [...]
The Hill: Higher Ed Bill Fails its Mission to Protect Deserving Military-Connected Students
This past week, nearly a dozen national veterans and military service organizations assembled on Capitol Hill in a united front to voice their concerns about the House of Representatives’ Higher Education Act reauthorization, known as [...]
The Hill: A Call To Service Without Debt
As a country, we have encouraged our children to strive for bright futures. We prod them to go to college, pursue apprenticeship programs, and otherwise climb the ladder of opportunity by seeking educational opportunities beyond [...]
Ed. Dept. Hearings | Cancel and Revise Student Protections: Testimony of Navy veteran Kevin Thompson
I am E-6/AWO1 (Ret) Kevin Thompson, I have served in the US Navy for 20 years, have over 3,500 flight hours, multiple tours to the gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield, OEF and OIF [...]
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