GI Bill & Other Education Benefits

Factsheet: Defense Department Tuition Assistance Program: Enrollment and Credentials Earned, by Institutional Sector, for Fiscal Year 2019

In fiscal year (FY) 2019, almost 250,000 servicemembers participated in the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Tuition Assistance (TA) program. The program allows eligible servicemembers to take postsecondary classes on a part-time basis during [...]

Our Analysis: Project’s Findings on the Effect of Closing the 90/10 Loophole Have Serious Shortcomings

In February 2021, the Veterans Education Project (the Project) released a report on the impact of closing the 90/10 loophole. The report’s authors were Jason Delisle, a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), [...]

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 [...]

Issue Brief: Investigative Analysis: Advertising Trends for Selected Postsecondary Institutions during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Click here to download a PDF copy of the report. Click here to download the Appendix including screen-captured ads as part of the analysis.  Highlights Our investigation examined how a [...]

Investigative Analysis: Advertising by For-Profit and Other Schools in Response to COVID-19

Statement by Veterans Education Success (August 5, 2020) - "Veterans Education Success regrets to inform you that this report has been removed. Although we are confident in our findings about the number of ads that [...]

COVID-19 and Postsecondary Enrollment: Lessons from the Last Recession

Click here to download a PDF of the report.  On June 8, 2020, the National Bureau of Economic Research announced that the U.S. economy had peaked in February 2020 and officially [...]

Coronavirus-Related Legislation and Its Relevance to GI Bill and Other VA-Supported Students

Click here to download a PDF copy of the report.  This paper is intended to serve as a primer on recent Public Laws and legislation intended to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus emergency [...]

SAS Global Forum 2020 Report: Post-9/11 GI Bill: Teasing Out Insights about Veterans’ Success in Postsecondary Education

By Walter Ochinko, Research Director, Veterans Education Success Abstract This paper (1) examines the challenges researchers face in using publicly available databases to track veterans use of GI Bill benefits and their success in earning [...]

The 85-15 Rule and Related GI Bill Safeguards

The impact of the 85-15 rule—a requirement that education programs enroll at least 15% non-veterans to ensure schools are not bilking VA, as occurred after WWII—has evolved over time. This Issue Brief presents the Congressional [...]

GI Bill Payments and Enrollment, Fiscal Years 2009 to 2018

Total GI Bill payments and enrollment grew significantly after the implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits in August 2009. Eighty three percent of the $105 billion in expenditures on educational benefits from Fiscal [...]

Learn about the Protect the GI Bill Act

Overview of The Protect the GI Bill Act Gives Student Veterans the Same Rights as Other Students Contained within the larger Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement [...]

VA and SAA Approval and Disapproval Authority Should Be Clarified

Executive Summary State Approving Agencies (SAAs) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are expected to work in tandem to approve, disapprove, and oversee the educational benefits provided under 38 United States Code (U.S.C.) [...]

Our Testimony to the California Senate Judiciary Committee on Assembly Joint Resolution No. 12

William Hubbard, Veterans Education Success Testimony California Senate Judiciary Committee July 2021 Good afternoon to the Honorable Members and your staff: I speak with you about Assembly Joint Resolution No. 12, and wish to register [...]

Letter from The Nation’s Leading Military and Veteran-Serving Organizations to California Legislators on Assembly Joint Resolution No. 12

Good morning, Nearly 20 veterans organizations oppose AJR-12, and for good reason. This is contrary to information shared by the California-Accredited Law Schools and their lobbyists (ref. letters attached). Despite all the arguments their lobbyists [...]

Our Letter to the VA Advisory Committee on Education Regarding June 9-10 Meeting

June 7, 2021 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 Meeting June 9-10 Dear Members of the Advisory [...]

Our Statement for the Record: Legislative Priorities for 2021

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES SUBMITTED TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE COMMITTEES ON VETERANS AFFAIRS FIRST SESSION 117TH CONGRESS March 18, 2021 Chairmen Tester and Takano, Ranking Members Moran and Bost, and Members of [...]

Letter to Congress on Closing the 90/10 Loophole from 36 Education and Consumer Groups

Our Letter to President Biden – Ideas for an Executive Order

February 17, 2021   President Joseph R. Biden The White House Washington, DC  20500   Dear President Biden: Thank you for committing to protect veterans, servicemembers, and military families from predatory colleges that deceive them [...]

Veterans Education Success Celebrates Landmark Law Protecting the GI Bill

Veterans Education Success Celebrates Landmark Law to Protect Student Veterans and Ensure Better Oversight of GI Bill Colleges January 5, 2021 For Immediate Release Contact:  Carrie Wofford: carrie@vetsedsuccess.org Veterans Education Success celebrates landmark legislation to [...]

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 Written Testimony for the House Veterans Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing on 2021 Legislative Priorities

TESTIMONY OF TANYA ANG, VICE PRESIDENT CONGRESSIONAL AND ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT CONGRESS SUBMITTED TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 8, 2020 Chairman Levin, Ranking [...]

Our Letter to VA and Georgia SAA Regarding House of Prayer Christian Church

In August 2020, we asked the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Georgia State Approving Agency to investigate alleged abuses of the GI Bill program by House of Prayer Christian Church's bible seminaries. To protect [...]

FOIA response from VA regarding GI Bill payments to the Art Institute of Colorado

Veterans Education Success sent a FOIA request to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), seeking the number of students using VA funding and enrolled at the Art Institute of Colorado between November 2017 and [...]

Our Statement for the Record: September 16 House Veterans Affairs Joint Subcommittee Hearing on Modernizing VA’s Education Services IT

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON MOVING BEYOND PATCHWORK SYSTEMS: THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION SERVICES IT SUBMITTED TO THE SUBCOMMITTEES ON TECHNOLOGY MODERNIZATION AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES [...]

Chicago Sun-Times: FBI Agent Who Fought VA for GI Bill College Benefits Wins Appeal; Case Could Help Vets Nationwide

The case has been watched by veterans and educational organizations around the country. The nonprofit organizations National Veterans Legal Services Program and Veterans Education Success filed briefs in support of Rudisill. Read the full story [...]

Letter from Chairman Levin to VA re CEHE and Florida Coastal

Bloomberg: Senators Want More Transparency About Veterans’ Education Money

But without accountability on how the money is used, veterans have been preyed upon, especially by for-profit colleges, according to Walter Ochinko, research director at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. Legislation to improve the [...]

Marine Corps Times: Now is a great time for veterans to enhance their education

A recent bill, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, was unanimously approved by U.S. House and Senate just one month ago. The non-profit group Veterans [...]

Battle Borne: Trade School Scams, Trucking, and the Uncertain Future of Veteran Work

"One of the few available analyses into G.I. Bill-eligible trade schools comes from the policy non-profit Veterans Education Success (VES). In a 2019 report, they found that ten years after their trade schooling, less than half of [...]

More than 30 Veterans and Military Organizations Urge Congress to Close the 90/10 Loophole in Reconciliation

  March 5, 2021   The Honorable Patty Murray, Chairwoman The Honorable Richard Burr, Ranking Member US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairwoman Murray and Ranking Member Burr: [...]

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 [...]

Senators raise GI Bill questions at nomination hearing for VA Nominee Denis McDonough

In case you missed our live-tweeting, Senators asked important GI Bill questions of VA Secretary Nominee Denis McDonough at his confirmation hearing on January 27, 2021.  We are grateful that Senators on both sides of [...]

NBC-9 KTSM: U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act approved

The bill passed through Congress, gaining bipartisan support and endorsement from Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans Education Success and Student Veterans of America. It passed through the House of Representatives with a 400-1 vote. See [...]

Military Times: Women Veterans, Students Would See Expanded Services and Benefits Under New Law

After a lengthy wait, President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law a sweeping veterans policy measure that includes new protections for women veterans, student veterans and individuals struggling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.... 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 [...]

Stars & Stripes: Congress passes sweeping end-of-year bill impacting ‘every corner’ of the veteran community

WASHINGTON — Congress approved a bill Wednesday that increases resources for homeless veterans, creates a Department of Veterans Affairs advisory committee for Native American veterans and mandates that every VA hospital hire a dedicated women’s [...]