The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Student Veterans Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6322, Military.com reported.
The measure makes a number of technical fixes to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits to address COVID-19 issues. The proposed bill would:
allow the VA to continue to pay VA work study allowances to veterans, even if their campuses are shut down and/or veterans are unable to reach their place of employment;
expand on provisions in current law to ensure that veterans can receive an additional monthly housing allowance payment if their institution closes due to COVID-19;
clarify that veterans can have their education entitlements – normally limited to 36 months – restored if their campus closes or the veteran needs to withdraw due to the COVID-19 emergency;
and allow veterans who are currently enrolled and approaching their delimiting date (the date on which their benefits would expire) to apply to VA for an extension.
The Senate is expected to consider companion legislation. AACRAO joined a letter to strongly support the passage of the bill.
"As the extent of the crisis began to spread last month across the country, Congress acted swiftly to ensure that student veterans did not lose access to their GI Bill benefits and housing allowances as their institutions moved coursework online. As the pandemic continues to impact the ways in which student veterans work and learn, additional flexibility will continue to ensure our military-connected students have their financial needs met and can continue with their studies," the letter states.
"These and other changes will help ensure that veterans' education benefits are not negatively impacted by campus programming changes and/or closures necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic that are beyond their control."
Related Link
Military.com
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/03/24/bill-would-save-gi-bill-benefits-student-veterans-canceled-classes.html
Letter to Senate Veterans Committee on the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act
https://www.aacrao.org/docs/default-source/statements-and-letters/letter-senate-veterans-student-veterans-coronavirus-response-act-041320.pdf?sfvrsn=d30d6c7e_3