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

California Agency Suspends GI Bill Eligibility for Some Colleges

Sep 5, 2018, 16:29 PM
legacy id :
Summary : Three of the suspended colleges from Missouri—Park University, Webster University, and Columbia College—persuaded a judge to block the agency's actions.
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The California State Approving Agency for Veterans Education (CSAAVE), which certifies colleges to award federal education aid to veterans and service members, has suspended the eligibility of colleges from other states, reports Inside Higher Ed.

Three of the suspended colleges from Missouri—Park University, Webster University, and Columbia College—persuaded a judge to block the agency's actions, Inside Higher Ed reported. The agency has until September 21 to show why the suspensions should move forward.


CSAAVE, which determines which colleges are eligible for GI Bill reimbursement in California, sent suspension letters to several colleges outside the state based on the agency's "new interpretation of federal regulations," reported Inside Higher Ed. According to these letters, the suspensions are due to the location of the colleges outside of the state.

In Park University's suspension letter, CSAAVE stated that the university "is not recognized as a main campus or a branch campus by the Higher Learning Commission, but rather as an off-campus instructional site. According to HLC, an off-campus instructional site is operationally dependent on the main campus." The agency added that it may combine approval of courses offered by a college or university's extension location with its approval of the main or branch campus, but only if the extension is located within the same state as the campus on which it is dependent.

Other colleges have also received suspension letters, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Maryland University College, and Central Texas College.

Curt Cashour, press secretary for the federal Veteran Affairs Department, told Inside Higher Ed that students have been notified by CSAAVE if their school is at risk for losing GI Bill approval. He added that the VA is working with CSAAVE and the affected colleges to resolve the issue.


https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/08/30/colleges-challenge-californias-suspension-their-gi-bill-eligibility

Heather Zimar
Categories :
  • Advocacy
  • Financial Aid and FAFSA
  • State Relations
  • Veterans and Service Members
Tags :
  • Federal Regulations
  • gi bill
  • in the courts
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