GI Bill & Other Education Benefits

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 [...]

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.) [...]

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 [...]

Large For-Profit Schools Remain Dependent on Recruiting GI Bill Students Despite Overall Enrollment Declines

For several years, the media has reported on the decline in for- profit schools’ student enrollment. Missing in these articles are data on a key subset of students who are specifically targeted by for-profits—GI Bill [...]

For-Profit Schools’ Post-9/11 GI Bill Revenue and Enrollment Declined from 2014 to 2016

In this brief, we report separately on total GI Bill enrollment and enrollment for only the Post-9/11 benefit. Post-9/11 revenue includes tuition payments for qualifying GI Bill students through the Yellow Ribbon program under which [...]

Schools Receiving the Most Post-9/11 GI Bill Tuition and Fee Payments Since 2009

This issue brief focuses on cumulative Post-9/11 payments to schools, not enrollment. Eight of the top 10 recipients of Post-9/11 tuition and fee payments from fiscal years (FY) 2009 through 2017 were for-profit schools. These 8 [...]

Repayment Status for First-Time Student Veterans 12 Years After Enrolling

Drawing on the National Center for Education Statistics' First Look report on Student Loan Debt, Repayment and Default, this Issue Brief highlights key findings on veteran student loan debt.

Thank You Letter to House Appropriations Committee for DOL VETS DVP Program

Below is a thank you letter from 17 veterans organizations to the House Appropriations Committee for including funding for the 2020 Department of Labor VETS program to establish a Disabled Veteran Program (DVP).   [...]

Joint Letter in Support of Shalala Amendment on DoD Tuition Assistance

On July 25, 2019, twenty-six student, education, military, and veterans service organizations expressed their support for an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 that would require the Defense Department to make public [...]

Protecting Servicemember Loan Rates

Military and veteran groups wrote to the Department of Defense thanking them for automating SCRA rights and asking for restitution to servicemembers who previously were not accorded to these rights that they were entitled to. [...]

Our Letter urging VA to follow the law on schools that defraud veterans

After multiple for-profit colleges have been caught defrauding veterans, the VA has still failed to act. We wrote a letter to the VA reminding the agency of its duty to protect veterans.

Free Credit Monitoring for Servicemembers

VES and other veterans and military service organizations write to US Federal Trade Commission regarding free credit monitoring for servicemembers

DOL Urged to Exercise Caution With Apprenticeship Programs

Letter urging the US Department of Labor to ensure adequate quality controls in apprenticeship programs approved for GI Bill

Our Letter to FTC Regarding Fake Military Recruiting Websites

28 Veterans and Military Leaders ask US Federal Trade Commission to release the names of the schools that participated in fake military recruiting websites   Related letter to US Congressional Armed Services Committees [...]

Veterans Organizations Call for Automatic Loan Forgiveness for Disabled Veterans

A letter to the Department of Education requesting automatic loan forgiveness for disabled veterans.

Career-Ready Student Veterans Act

Veterans and Military Organizations Write VA to Fix Delays in GI Bill Payments

As an IT issue wreaked havoc on GI Bill payments, 15 veteran and military organizations wrote a letter urging VA Secretary Wilkie to find a prompt solution.

CFPB and DoD: Protect Servicemembers’ Rights

38 veterans and military service organizations call on the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and US Defense Department to stop the rollback of servicemembers' rights under the Military Lending Act   Resubmitted Sept. [...]

U.S. Navy position paper opposing “PROSPER” Act

The US Navy issued a position paper opposing the House PROSPER Act, which would curtail Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which the Navy relies upon for military recruiting and retention.

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, (949) 244-7690 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 for [...]

Veterans Education Success Hails Maryland as the 1st State in the Nation to Close the 90/10 Loophole

Veterans Education Success Hails Maryland as the First State in the Nation to Close the 90/10 Loophole FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ANNAPOLIS, MD – As they prepare to adjourn over Coronavirus concerns, lawmakers in Annapolis, MD, [...]

Letter from Chairman Scott of the House Ed and Labor Committee to Perdoceo Education Corp. re 90/10 Compliance

Reveal: Veterans Affairs Bans University of Phoenix From New GI Bill Enrollments

"Wofford said the trade commission’s $191 million settlement with the University of Phoenix left the VA little choice but to enforce the law. 'The law is clear,' she said. 'Colleges found to use erroneous, deceptive [...]

The Bellevue Leader: VA Will Suspend Enrollment of New GI Bill Students at Bellevue University, Other Colleges

"The president of Veterans Education Success, Carrie Wofford, praised Monday’s move by the VA. 'This sends a powerful message, one we’ve been advocating for VA to exercise since 2012, that the federal government and taxpayers [...]

WTOP: VA Moves to Suspend New GI Bill Enrollment at 5 Universities

Carrie Wofford, president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, said in a statement that the VA’s decision was “more than justified” and sends the message that “the federal government and taxpayers will no longer [...]

KOAA News: VA moves to suspend new GI bill enrollment at 5 universities

Carrie Wofford, president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, said in a statement that the VA’s decision was “more than justified” and sends the message that “the federal government and taxpayers will no longer [...]

Arizona Republic: VA Plans to Suspend New GI Bill Enrollments at University of Phoenix

Carrie Wofford, the president of Veterans Education Success, said the organization is grateful the VA intends to suspend new GI Bill enrollments at these five schools. “This sends a powerful message, one we’ve been advocating [...]

Inside Higher Ed: GI Bill Enrollment to be Halted at Five Universities

“This sends a powerful message, one we’ve been advocating for VA to exercise since 2012, that the federal government and taxpayers will no longer tolerate schools that seek to defraud veterans and other military-connected students [...]

Washington Post: VA Plans to Suspend University of Phoenix and Other Colleges from Accessing GI Bill Benefits

“We’re grateful VA intends to suspend enrollment of new GI Bill students at these institutions,” said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. “This sends a powerful message … that the federal [...]

Our Statement for the Record: Legislative Priorities for 2020

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES SUBMITTED TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE COMMITTEES ON VETERANS AFFAIRS SECOND SESSION 116TH CONGRESS March 9, 2020 Chairmen Moran and Takano, Ranking Members Tester and Bilirakis, and Members of [...]

Stars & Stripes: VA to Suspend Some GI Bill Enrollments, Holding Back More Than $200 Million from ‘Deceptive’ Universities

“We’re grateful VA intends to suspend enrollment of new GI Bill students at these institutions. This sends a powerful message, one we’ve been advocating for VA to exercise since 2012, that the federal government and [...]