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 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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Department of Education Data Shows Increased Targeting of Veterans and Servicemembers, Highlighting Urgency of Closing 90/10 Loophole

For several years, the media has reported on the declining enrollment in the for-profit sector. However, our analysis of federal revenue flowing to the for-profit sector from the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Defense [...]

Our Statement for the Record: Legislative Priorities for 2022

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES SUBMITTED TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE COMMITTEES ON VETERANS AFFAIRS 117TH CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION March 1, 2022 Chairmen Tester and Takano, Ranking Members Moran and Bost, and Members of [...]

Background on the Protect the GI Bill Act: Understanding Section 1016 In 2016, a unanimous Congress enacted the Career Ready Student Veterans Act, preventing GI Bill funding to be wasted at education programs which leave [...]

Our Letter to the VA Advisory Committee on Education

October 18, 2021   U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Education Service 810 Vermont Avenue NW Washington, DC 20420 Via electronic submission to EDUSTAENG.VBAVACO@va.gov Re: Advisory Committee on Education Meeting October 19-20   Dear Members of [...]

Letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs on Agency Information Collection Activity and the Assurance of Compliance with 85 Percent Enrollment Ratios

September 24, 2021 Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue NW Washington, DC 20420 Submitted via electronic portal Re: Agency Information Collection Activity: Statement of Assurance of Compliance with 85 Percent Enrollment Ratios, 86 FR [...]

Our Letter to the U.S. Department of Education Requesting Information Regarding the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

September 24, 2021 U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue SW Washington, DC 20202 Submitted via electronic portal Re: Request for Information Regarding the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, Docket ID: ED-2021-OUS-0082 To Whom It [...]

Memorandum From William Hubbard to Department of Veterans Affairs on Changes to VBA Webpage

MEMORANDUM  TO: James Ruhlman, Education Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs FROM: Veterans Education Success DATE: August 17, 2021 RE: Veterans Benefits Administration Webpage: Restoration of Benefits After School Closure or if a School is [...]

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 [...]

Department of Veterans Affairs Email to Student Veterans About ACICS Losing Recognition

American Institutes for Research: Informing Improved Recognition of Military Learning

This report examines student veterans’ experiences with and perceptions of having their military learning recognized by a postsecondary institution. Previous research suggests recognition of military training and occupation helps to support student veterans as they [...]

Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill Procedural Update – Prohibitions on Advertising, Sales, and Enrollment Practices

Greetings Educational Institutions, Section 1020 of P.L. 116-315, Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, and section 7(a)(5) of P.L. 117-16, Training in High-demand Roles to Improve Veteran [...]

Military.com: Errors Cost Student Vets GI Bill Benefits. Now, Howard University Is Scrambling to Save VA Funding

Carrie Wofford, the president of Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group that often lobbies Congress on GI Bill issues, told Military.com that Howard surely has issues with processing veteran benefits, but it's a relatively small [...]

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 [...]