RESEARCH & REPORTS
Published reports by VES and other organizations regarding college quality and student outcomes.
Should Colleges Spend the GI Bill on Veterans’ Education or Late Night TV Ads? And Which Colleges Offer the Best Instructional Bang for the GI Bill Buck?
Every year, around 700,000 Post-9/11 GI Bill students enroll in an institution of postsecondary education,1 a benefit earned through sacrifice and service to our nation. The GI Bill represents America’s thanks for veterans’ military [...]
Proposed Education Department Regulatory Changes Should Be Reevaluated Based on GI Bill Oversight Lessons
ED’s rulemaking should be revaluated based on the lessons learned from GI Bill oversight and the impact on veterans. In each of the areas ED is proposing changes, veterans have been disproportionally harmed in a [...]
Veteran Student Loan Debt 7 Years After Implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill
In May 2018, we reported on trends in veteran student loan debt from just before the 2009 implementation of the more generous Post-9/11 GI Bill (2007-08) to 3 years after the new benefit became available [...]
Could Education Corporation of America’s Sudden Closure Have Been Avoided?
Earlier this month, another for-profit college chain closed abruptly, leaving more than 20,000 students and 4,000 GI Bill beneficiaries wondering why this happened and how this will affect their future educational endeavors. On December 5, [...]
Career Education Colleges and Universities: Outcomes at Selected Member Schools
After a brief history of CECU, this report provides “key takeaways” from our analysis of both descriptive and outcome data for the 26 CECU-member schools. The report concludes with a discussion of some of the [...]
Postsecondary Non-Completion Among Veterans: Contributing Factors and Implications
This paper uses Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS), a longitudinal survey conducted by the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to examine factors contributing to and the impact of non-completion for “first-time” student [...]
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 [...]
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 – [...]
Enrollment Trends and Student Outcomes at Ashford University
We analyzed publicly available data, conducted interviews, and made a public records request to construct a chronology of Ashford’s fight to maintain its GI Bill eligibility. To assess revenue trends, we used ED’s analyses of [...]
Is Trident University a Good Choice for Military-Connected Students?
Trident, a University that focuses heavily on recruiting military-connected students, has a mixed record. Its outcomes are better than Ashford’s, another for-profit school that is exclusively online, and the proportion of Trident students with federal [...]
Student Outcomes at Colleges Approved by the Accreditor ACICS
Veterans Education Success analyzed the most recent U.S. Department of Education (Department) data to determine student outcomes at the approximately 100 schools still accredited by the Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). ACICS [...]
Proposed Borrower Defense Rule: Worse than 2016 for Military-Connected Students
This chart makes clear the differences between the 2016 rule and the proposed 2018 rule at the US Education Department.
VES ADVOCACY LETTERS
Veterans Education Success works with our military and veteran allies to send policy advice to government officials.
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 will close the 90/10 loophole for DoD's Tuition [...]
Proposed Rules for Accrediting Agencies
Letter to the Office of Post Secondary Education About Proposed Rules for Accrediting Agencies.
VES to VA: It’s Time to Do Your Job
After multiple for-profit colleges have been caught defrauding veterans, the VA has still failed to act. VES 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
Gainful Employment – Proposed Changes
VES urges US Education Department to improve disclosures on college performance under Gainful Employment rule
CDVA Offers Better Protections of GI Bill
19 Veterans and Military Organizations, along with two education organizations, write in support of proposed regulations by the California Department of Veterans Affairs to better protect the GI Bill and student veterans
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
Tanya Ang Recommended to Represent Veteran Students
Recommendation to the US Education Department of negotiators representing veterans and military students in 2019 Negotiated Rule-Making
Automatic Loan Forgiveness for Disabled Veterans
A letter to the Department of Education requesting automatic loan forgiveness for disabled veterans.
Education Department Rolls Back Protections for Veterans
A letter by veteran organizations in opposition of the Education Department's rollback of veteran protections. Individual veterans also filed their own public comments about their experiences.
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. [...]
MORE NEWS & INFO
Press Release: Statement by Veterans Education Success on the Presidential Memorandum on Discharging the Federal Student Loan Debt of Totally and Permanently Disabled Veterans
August 21, 2019 For Immediate Release Contact: Barrett Y. Bogue | Senior Communication Advisor (202) 670-5587 Statement by Veterans Education Success on the Presidential Memorandum on Discharging the Federal Student Loan Debt of Totally and [...]
TICAS Updated Gainful Employment Rule Fact Sheet (August 2019)
The Institute for College Access and Success published an updated "What to Know About the Gainful Employment Rule,"which worked to improve quality, lower costs, and save taxpayer money. The Trump Administration rescinded the rule on [...]
Proposed Rules for Accrediting Agencies
Letter to the Office of Post Secondary Education About Proposed Rules for Accrediting Agencies.
Washington Denies Ashford University’s Application to Recruit, Advertise, or Offer Field Placements to Students
On May 3, 2019, the Washington Student Achievement Council notified Ashford University that it is not permitted to engage in any actions that constitute "operating" in Washington, as defined in the state's Degree-Granting Institutions Act. [...]
Veteran Student Loan Debt 7 Years After Implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill
In May 2018, we reported on trends in veteran student loan debt from just before the 2009 implementation of the more generous Post-9/11 GI Bill (2007-08) to 3 years after the new benefit became available [...]
American Heroes Network: Veterans Education Success’ Mike Saunders explains severely disabled veterans’ right to student loan forgiveness
As the Director of Military and Consumer Policy, Mike leads Veteran Education Success’ consumer protection policy work, including servicemembers’ protections under the Military Lending Act and Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Mike joined VES as Legal [...]
Military Times Rebootcamp: Could This Government Program Wipe Away All Your Student Loan Debt?
Until recently, if you were 100 percent disabled or had a finding by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of Individual Unemployability (IU) you could get your student loans forgiven, but with one expensive caveat: [...]
UPI: Lack of info, fear causing thousands of U.S. vets to default on student loans
Earlier this year, tens of thousands of disabled U.S. veterans became eligible to have their student loans entirely forgiven -- but more than half are in default, new figures show. In April, the Education Department [...]
CNBC: Many disabled veterans eligible for student loan forgiveness are still paying
The U.S. Department of Education continues to seek repayment on more than $1 billion in federal student loans from tens of thousands of severely disabled veterans who have been deemed unable to work and are [...]
Politico: New Data on Veterans Eligible for Student Loan Discharges
More than half of the veterans with disabilities whom the Education Department has identified as eligible to have their student loans canceled are already in default on their debt, according to new federal data.
AP: How military service impacts student loan repayment options
Veterans tend to be older than traditional undergraduates and are likelier to be employed while in school, says Kathy Payea, senior research fellow with Veterans Education Success. They also may be supporting families.
ISSUES
Policy issues of Veterans Education Success
Veterans Education Success works to improve post-secondary quality and student outcomes to ensure military-connected students enjoy a solid education leading to a successful civilian career. You will find research reports and coalition letters related to college quality and student outcomes.
Veterans Education Success seeks to ensure students have adequate protections and rights and also believes bad actor colleges should be held accountable if they’ve trampled on students’ rights. You will find research reports and coalition letters related to student protections and college accountability.
Vterans Education Success works to protect the GI Bill and other federal education benefits.