Congressional investigators are urging the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to step up efforts to help veterans choose among colleges, saying some veterans feel pressured by institutions to enroll, reported The Chronicle of Higher Education. Given the many ways that colleges market to and communicate with potential students, the VA needs to improve the counseling it provides to veterans seeking to use their education benefits, the Government Accountability Office said in a report Tuesday.
As part of its investigation, the GAO interviewed officials at nine colleges and reviewed the websites of 30 others. The agency also interviewed a sampling of student veterans. Almost a quarter reported excessive contacts from colleges, and roughly 10 percent said they had felt pressured to enroll. Nearly a quarter felt they had received inaccurate information from a college, and half were not aware of the VA's counseling services.
The report recommends that the agency better promote its educational counseling services and set realistic timetables for putting in place programs for student veterans.
Related Links
VA Education Benefits: VA Should Strengthen Its Efforts to Help Veterans Make Informed Education Choices
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-324
The Chronicle of Higher Education
http://chronicle.com/article/US-Is-Urged-to-Do-More-to/146541