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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.

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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

Feds Suspend California Agency's Authority to Oversee Veterans' Education

Sep 11, 2019, 19:23 PM
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Summary : Dept. of Veterans Affairs cancels contract with state agency that approves colleges to receive GI Bill funds after a lengthy dispute over how to regulate for-profit and out-of-state schools.
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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently suspended its contract with the California State Approving Agency for Veterans Education (CSAAVE) after a lengthy dispute over how to regulate for-profit and out-of-state schools, KCBX Central Coast Public Radio reported. 

The decision, effective October 1, ends the state agency's ability to authorize colleges to be eligible to receive funds from Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. The VA will now determine veterans' benefits eligibility in the state, department officials said Friday.

California officials maintain that state law entitles them to carry out those responsibilities and that the state agency will seek to retain that authority, according to KCBX.

The VA has had several complex disputes with CSAAVE related to the state agency's attempts to crack down on online programs offered by out-of-state providers as well as its oversight of for-profit colleges, particularly a long-running conflict over Ashford University, Inside Higher Ed reported.

VA spokesperson Christina Mandreucci said the department will work closely with the state agency to ensure California veterans can use their education benefits at approved schools.

Related Links

KCBX Central Coast Public Radio

https://www.kcbx.org/post/va-yanks-authority-california-agency-overseeing-veterans-education

Inside Higher Ed

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/09/09/va-suspends-calif-agencys-authority

 
Michelle Mott
Categories :
  • Advocacy
  • State Relations
  • Veterans and Service Members
Tags :
  • Federal relations
  • for-profit colleges
  • gi bill
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