OUR RESEARCH & REPORTS
Our published reports regarding college quality and student outcomes.
Annual and Cumulative Student Loan Debt Among Veterans Using and Not Using GI Bill Benefits
This Fact Sheet examines student loan borrowing in academic year 2015-16, comparing undergraduate veterans who received any GI Bill educational benefits (beneficiaries) to those who did not (nonbeneficiaries). In addition to their borrowing during that [...]
Weak Return on Investment at Trade Schools that Enroll GI Bill Beneficiaries
Highlights We found that student outcome data at Title IV- participating trade schools that enroll GI Bill beneficiaries in certificate programs showed a disappointing return-on-investment but robust retention and graduation rates (see table 1). For [...]
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, a benefit earned through sacrifice and service to our nation. The GI Bill represents America’s thanks for veterans’ military [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Veteran Student Loan Debt Before and After the Post-9/11 GI Bill
A major goal of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which modernized veterans’ educational benefits, was to provide veterans with the opportunity of a debt-free, postsecondary education—or, at a minimum, to mitigate their student loan debt. The [...]
Despite a 2016 Statute, the GI Bill Still Pays for Degrees That Do Not Lead to a Job
VES’s 2015 report, The GI Bill Pays for Degrees that Do Not Lead to a Job, identified 8-degree programs offered by 15 different schools, at both brick and mortar campuses and online, that failed to [...]
Enrollment Trends and Student Outcomes at Ashford University
This Fact Sheet examines the enrollment trends and student outcomes at Ashford University, including (1) how much of the school's revenue comes from the GI Bill; (2) what are its veteran enrollment trends; (3) how [...]
The GI Bill Pays for Degrees That Do Not Lead To a Job
Unfortunately, some programs approved for GI Bill benefits leave graduates de facto ineligible to obtain a job in their field of study because the school (1) lacks the appropriate accreditation or (2) fails to meet [...]
OUR ADVOCACY LETTERS
Veterans Education Success works with our military and veteran allies to send policy advice to government officials.
42 Veterans and Military Organizations Request Senate Action on HR 4625, Protect the GI Bill Act
42 of the nation's leading veterans service organizations and military service organizations wrote the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to request its speedy passage of HR 4625, Protect the GI Bill Act, which cleared the House [...]
Our letter urging stronger accreditor oversight of colleges
Letter to the Office of Post Secondary Education About Proposed Rules for Accrediting Agencies.
37 Veterans and Military Service Organizations write Congress to share our priorities for Higher Education Act reauthorization
37 undersigned organizations representing the interests of more than 2 million military-connected current students in higher education, write to ensure that reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) increases college access and improves college completion [...]
Our recommendations to Senators regarding the needs of students of color
Thank you for the opportunity to share our thoughts on the needs of student borrowers of color as you undertake Higher Education Act reauthorization. Veterans Education Success represents veterans, servicemembers, military families, and survivors. According [...]
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
Veterans Organizations Recommend Tanya Ang for 2019 Negotiated Rulemaking
Recommendation to the US Education Department of negotiators representing veterans and military students in 2019 Negotiated Rule-Making
28 Veterans Organizations Call on the Education Department to Stop Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
Public comment from 28 veterans and military service organizations urging the Education Department to maintain strong integrity rules against waste, fraud, and abuse, and to expand competency-based education.
Our Letter to FTC Regarding “Military Friendly” Schools
19 Veterans and Military service organizations' public comment on US Federal Trade Commission's proposed settlement with Victory Media's "Military Friendly Schools" Additional comments by Student Veterans of America Additional comments [...]
Letter from Consumer and Veterans groups regarding 2018 NDAA and fair debt collection practices
Consumer, Education, and Veteran organizations urge for updated regulations for debt collectors.
Education Department Hearing: Testimony of Tanya Ang, Veterans Education Success
Good morning. I am Tanya Ang, Director of Policy and Outreach at Veterans Education Success. Our mission is to protect and defend the integrity and priority of the GI Bill and other federal education programs [...]
MORE NEWS & INFO
Letter to the Education Department Urging it Revoke Recognition of ACICS as an Accreditor
March 24, 2020 Herman Bounds Director, Accreditation Group U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20002 Dear Mr. Bounds: On February 27, 2018, twenty-nine Veterans and Military Service Organizations wrote to ask [...]
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 [...]
USA Today: This college was accredited by a DeVos-sanctioned group. We couldn’t find evidence of students or faculty
"Reagan National University was supposed to be a place of higher learning, but it was unclear how it awarded degrees. By all appearances, at present, it has no students, no faculty and no classrooms. An [...]
New York Times: Protect Veterans from Fraud
On January 1, 2020, the New York Times ran a full-page editorial by the Editorial Board featuring Veterans Education Success' work: "Nevertheless, a 2018 report from Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit that provides legal help [...]
Report from New America: “The Bermuda Triad: Where Accountability Goes to Die”
New America released a report detailing the role of the Triad (federal government, states, accreditors) in holding institutions of higher education accountable and provided recommendations for how to strengthen the Triad. Link here.
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Reacts to Department of Education’s Delay Discharging Student Loan Debt for Disabled Veterans
For Immediate Release Contacts: Carrie Wofford, President | carrie@vetsedsuccess.org (202) 422-6338 Veterans Education Success Reacts to Department of Education's Delay Discharging Student Loan Debt for Disabled Veterans & New Effort to Reduce Student Loan Interest [...]
Georgetown Center on Education & the Workforce: A First Try at ROI: Ranking 4,500 Colleges
Using data from the expanded College Scorecard to rank 4,500 colleges and universities by return on investment, A First Try at ROI: Ranking 4,500 Colleges finds that bachelor's degrees from private colleges, on average, have higher [...]
Learn About HR 4625: The Protect the GI Bill Act of 2019
Overview of HR 4625, The Protect the GI Bill Act of 2019 A bipartisan bill that passed unanimously out of the full House of Representatives on Nov. 12, 2019, after passing unanimously out of [...]
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.