We advocate for student veterans before VA
VA’s Obligation to Stop Colleges’ Deceptive Recruiting
We have pushed VA for years to stop colleges’ deceptive recruiting. We helped bring to VA’s attention a Vietnam-era statute, 38 USC 3696, that requires VA to cut off GI Bill funding to schools that engage in deceptive recruiting. We continue to prod VA to comply with the law, including engaging Congressional pressure on VA.
GI Bill Reinstatement for Students Whose School Closed
The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 allows VA to restore entitlement to beneficiaries affected by school closure or disapproval (if the disapproval was due to a change in law or VA interpretation of statute).
National GI Bill Delays
We worked to ensure that GI Bill delays were addressed immediately, and has fought to make sure the VA makes back payments on all missed payments.
VA Proposes to Waive Ethics Rule for VA Employees
When the Department of Veterans Affairs announced a rule to waive federal ethics rules to legalize bribery of VA employees, we alerted and worked closely with ethics experts, and our military, veteran and education allies to organize opposition efforts to force VA to reverse its decision.
OUR LETTERS TO VA
Our Letter to VA regarding Florida Career College, UEI College, and United Education Institute
We are writing to urge VA and the appropriate State Approving Agencies (SAAs) (copied on this letter) to exercise your oversight authority with respect to three affiliated schools – Florida Career College (FCC), UEI College, and United Education Institution. Specifically, we urge you to reassess the approval status for FCC, in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 3675(b)(4) and 38 U.S.C. § 3696, and to conduct risk-based surveys for UEI College and United Education Institute. (According to the Department of Education, these three institutions are all owned by IEC Corporation (IEC)).
Our Letter to VA Regarding Hussian College
July 19, 2023 Joseph L. Garcia, Executive Director Education Service Veterans Benefits Administration Via email Re: Hussian College Closing Dear Director Garcia, We write to urge the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the appropriate State approving agencies (copied on this letter) to take action to protect student veterans attending [...]
Our Follow-Up to VA re: Risk-Based Survey SOPs
July 10, 2023 James Ruhlman, Deputy Director Program Management Education Service Veterans Benefits Administration Via email Dear Mr. Ruhlman, In response to concerns we raised about the standard operating procedures for the risk-based surveys as required by 38 U.S.C. §3673, Director Garcia wrote to inform us that VBA had developed [...]
Our Letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs on the Marine Corps Excess Leave Program
June 21, 2023 Joseph L. Garcia, Executive Director Education Service Veterans Benefits Administration Via email Re: Marine Corps Excess Leave Program Policy Dear Director Garcia, We write to advise the Department of Veterans Affairs that its sudden change in policy with respect to the Marine Corps Excess Leave Program (Law) [...]
Our Letter to VA regarding the VETS Credit Act
June 14, 2023 Joseph L. Garcia, Executive Director Education Service Veterans Benefits Administration Via email Re: School closings and GI Bill Restoration information Dear Director Garcia, As you requested in our meeting on May 24, I am sending this letter to more fully explain how we believe the Veterans Eligible [...]
Letter Reply from VA re: Risk-Based Survey SOPs (June 15, 2023)
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Veterans Benefits Administration Washington, D.C. 20420 June 15, 2023 Carrie Wofford, President Veterans Education Success 1501 K St., Suite 200 Washington, DC 20005 Dear Ms. Wofford: Thank you for your letter, dated June 1,2023, to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expressing additional concerns regarding the [...]
VA REPORTS & PRESS RELEASES
VA: Conflicting Interests Certification for Proprietary Schools
PURPOSE: This form informs individuals that the law has restrictions concerning any potential conflict of interest.
VA Report to Appropriations 2018 CTR – State Accrediting Agency Oversight
Despite adequate statutory and regulatory provisions, VA has identified additional steps that can be taken to further strengthen SAA compliance with the conflict of interest laws and regulations and ensure SAAs are aware of ethics rules.
VA’s Resolution of 3696 Violations by 5 schools
On July 2, 2020, VA notified 5 schools at risk of losing eligibility to enroll GI Bill students over deceptive recruiting that their prior resolutions with federal and state law enforcement would suffice, rendering 38 USC 3696 meaningless. VA's letters are below
MORE NEWS & INFO
Our Public Comment Seeking Changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Proposed Rule on Reporting Debts to Credit Reporting Agencies
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 to Consumer Reporting Agencies Dear Mr. Hoge: I write on behalf of Veterans Education Success [...]
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 Veterans Affairs (VA). The objective of the CMA is to assist ED with verification 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 situation for years, so it only makes sense they continue to do so without the [...]
