Posted on 09/26/2009 8:09:20 AM PDT by fire4effect
WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has authorized checks for up to $3,000 to be given to students who have applied for educational benefits and who have not yet received their government payment. The checks will be distributed to eligible students at VA regional benefits offices across the country starting Oct. 2, 2009.
“Students should be focusing on their studies, not worrying about financial difficulties,” Secretary Shinseki said. “Education creates life-expanding opportunities for our Veterans.”
Starting Friday, Oct. 2, 2009, students can go to one of VA’s 57 regional benefit offices with a photo ID and a course schedule to request advance payment of their education benefits. Because not all these offices are located near students, VA expects to send representatives to schools with large Veteran-student bodies and work with Veteran Service Organizations to help students with transportation needs.
A list of those VA regional offices is available at www.vba.va.gov/VBA/benefits/offices.asp.
“I’m asking our people to get out their road maps and determine how we can reach the largest number of college students who can’t reach us,” VA’s Under Secretary for Benefits Patrick Dunne said. “Not everyone has a car. Not everyone can walk to a VA benefits office.”
Although VA does not know how many students will request emergency funds, it has approximately 25,000 claims pending that may result in payments to students.
The funds VA will give to students now are advance payments of the earned benefits for education. This money will be deducted from future education payments.
VA officials said students should know that after this special payment, they can expect to receive education payments on the normal schedule -- the beginning of the month following the period for which they are reimbursed.
“This is an extraordinary action we’re taking,” said Shinseki. “But it’s necessary because we recognize the hardships some of our Veterans face.”
More than 27,500 students have already received benefits for housing or books under the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, or their schools received their tuition payments.
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And you want to run my health care (Vandalay Industries plastics company)
This anti-American administraion is failing miserably - they’re done for...all of them.
Lets give some of the ACORN money that is now available to our wonderful veterans. That would drive the libs crazy.
My son is waiting for his check...fortunately he’s renting from an understanding guy who is being patient...and we’re close enough to buy groceries for him and his pregnant wife if necessary...
My daughter’s been waiting for 4 months just to get her certificate of eligibility. She paid for her first semester out of pocket, and the college VA office said everything was in order, but the VA was extremely backlogged. She can’t even line up for a check until she first gets her certificate...sigh
This is just my opinion, of course, but I find the VA Health System mostly full of people that are very motivated to provide their best effort with Vet medical services. On the other hand "benefit" claims folks are for the most part dullards at best who really could care less if the vet gets a monetary benefit or not.
These folks in claims, again my opinion, are rectum holes just looking for any reason at all to deny and/or delay claims for as long as possible.
Speaking from first hand experiences, I concur with your assessment.
My husband is going through the same thing.
He is 100% eligible and he applied through VONAP in July. He has a confirmation. When he called to check the status after the suggested six-week wait time, he was told his application was not on file.
He went to his local VA rep and had him resend the info to the Buffalo Office. That was received on 9-17. He is now waiting for his COE and then will head to the back of the line for reimbursement.
He probably won’t see anything before Christmas.
My assessment is pretty much based upon personal experience confirmed by many conversations with other vets.
And thank you for your service friend!
I spend a good bit of time volunteering at the VA in Lebanon, PA.
The people who work there at the Lebanon VAMC are second to none!
But there are a few who control the purse strings who are really pains in the rear ends. They think it’s more important to make themselves look good keeping a small bottom line in their departments, rather than follow their motto - “Veterans First!”
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