A bill introduced Wednesday to the House of Representatives would give the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) the flexibility to not reduce GI Bill benefits for student veterans, if their colleges or universities close or move entirely online due to the coronavirus outbreak.
According to Roe, a ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, GI Bill beneficiaries at schools that are closing or going online-only might risk receiving lower monthly housing payments or, in a worst-case scenario, having their degree program disapproved by the VA.
Moreover, an in-person training program that has been approved by the VA as eligible for GI Bill benefits might lose its eligibility if it were moved online. That means veteran students could have their tuition and housing allowances stripped, because the academic program they take is no longer VA-approved.
“The uncertainty facing student veterans in the wake of unexpected school closures and changes in response to COVID-19 is unprecedented,” said Jared Lyon, CEO and national president of Student Veterans of America, an advocacy group for student veterans. “This critical, time-sensitive legislation explicitly ensures student veterans will be able to continue to attend school and experience no changes to monthly housing allowances as more schools take COVID-19 prevention measures.”
“We appreciate the swift attention brought to this issue by the sponsors and urge them to move this legislation forward to the President’s desk to be signed into law as soon as possible,” Lyon said.