Acknowledging that an administrative snafu has caused financial distress for thousands of veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced over the weekend that this Friday it will begin providing up to $3,000 in immediate educational assistance to those waiting to receive G.I. Bill benefits for the fall semester.
Under the new program, veterans who bring a printed copy of their course schedule and photo identification to one of the V.A.'s 57 regional offices can request what amounts to an advance payment of their educational benefits.
"This is an extraordinary action we're taking," Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said in a statement. "But it's necessary because we recognize the hardships some of our veterans face. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that at least 25,000 students are still waiting to receive G.I. Bill benefits. Veterans rely on the payments to cover tuition, rent and school supplies such as computers and textbooks.
The V.A. introduced a new benefits package this summer, called the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. It allows students to attend in-state public universities at no charge and private schools at greatly reduced rates. More than 230,000 veterans have applied for benefits under the new G.I. Bill.
The popularity of the new bill led to a flood of new applications, according to a V.A. spokesman. Under the original program design, the agency stated that it would only disburse checks to schools for tuition after receiving written confirmation that a veteran was enrolled at the institution.
Those confirmations have been delayed, however, because some universities did not set tuition rates until late this summer, which pushed back their ability to send enrollment certifications to the agency, according to a Veterans Affairs spokesman.
As Forbes previously reported, many veterans who did not receive G.I. Bill benefits when expected were forced to rely on student loans or consumer debt.
"I'm living off of my credit cards right now, and even when I get the money I'll have to use it to cover what loans I had to take out," one veteran told Forbes.
Students who request an advance payment will have those funds deducted from future benefits. The V.A. expects all veterans to start receiving regularly scheduled payments by Nov. 1.
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