Veterans & Service Members

AACRAO recognizes and honors the sacrifices these men and women have made and its members are proud to assist them and meet their educational needs. Veterans and students on active military duty and their families face special circumstances and challenges.

Changes in federal statute and executive actions have greatly promoted the expansion of services toward veterans and their families. Since the Post-9/11 GI Bill was passed in 2009, close to 1 million veterans, service members, and eligible dependents have taken advantage of the educational benefits available to them. With the passage of more recent legislation, such as the Forever GI Bill in 2017 and the Isakson Roe and THRIVE Acts in 2021, there will be significant changes to military education benefits over the coming years.

Capitol

Latest Actions

AACRAO recently hosted a webinar to discuss the implementation of veteran legislation passed in December 2020, also known as the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act. This law will have a transformative effect on the mission of Education Service to provide ready access to, and timely and accurate delivery of, education benefits to Veterans, Service members, and their families, as well as further enable the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to empower GI Bill beneficiaries to achieve their vocational and career goals.

Other recent legislation introduced in both the House and Senate include important provisions to help ensure veterans can continue to receive their education benefits as well as technical corrections to the legislation passed last year.

UPDATES

Biden Releases Higher Ed Recommendations

Jul 16, 2020, 13:15 PM
legacy id :
Summary : Proposals lay out the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's higher education policy agenda, echoing previous plans and recommendations.
Url :

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, released a set of policy recommendations late last week on a range of issues from climate change to education, Inside Higher Ed reported.

The plan calls for canceling up to $10,000 in student debt relief per borrower during the coronavirus pandemic. The recommendations include Biden's previous proposal to excuse those making less than $25,000 from making monthly payments on student loans, without interest. For those making more, payments would be capped at 5 percent of their discretionary income. For both groups, any remaining loan balances will be forgiven after 20 years.

The recommendations also include:

  • Doubling the size of federal Pell Grant awards,
  • Student loan dischargeability in bankruptcy,
  • Tuition-free community colleges and four-year universities for those making less than $125,000, including undocumented students, and
  • Increasing federal funding for programs that help first-generation college students, students with disabilities, veterans and other underrepresented groups apply to and complete college, among other things.

Related Links

Inside Higher Ed

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/07/10/biden-and-sanderss-joint-higher-ed-recommendations

 
Michelle Mott
Categories :
  • Advocacy
  • Community Colleges
  • Financial Aid and FAFSA
  • Veterans and Service Members
Tags :
  • bankruptcy
  • covid-19
  • Debt
  • Federal relations
  • forgiveness
  • free college
  • pell grant
  • student loans
  • tuition free
  • undocumented
Related people

STATEMENTS/LETTERS

ARTICLES