When the Covid-19 pandemic in America forced many colleges to shift classes online, Congress granted emergency authorities to Veterans Affairs officials to ensure the changes wouldn’t disrupt veterans’ education benefits.
Now, with most campuses returned to normal operations and those authorities expired, a group of lawmakers wants to grant similar powers to VA leadership in cases of similar future emergencies.
In early June, Reps. Mike Levin, D-Calif., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C., introduced the Student Veteran Emergency Relief Act to take immediate action to protect students’ benefits in cases where the White House declares a national emergency, without having to wait for Congress to act.
“The pandemic exposed the gaps in GI Bill benefits that exist when emergencies cause veterans’ educational programs to be cut short, canceled, or moved online,” Levin said in a statement.
“While we were able to pass several bipartisan bills to protect veterans’ GI Bill benefits during the pandemic, it’s critical that we reauthorize those protections and extend them to any other national emergency.”
The main issue is how VA education benefits are paid out to students who attend college classes remotely, rather than in-person.
Students using the Post-9/11 GI Bill — the most popular veterans education benefit — receive money for tuition as well as a monthly housing stipend. Individuals enrolled in traditional in-person classes receive the full financial benefit, while students in online-only classes are granted just half of that housing stipend.
The difference between half of a housing stipend and the full payout can range from a few hundred dollars to nearly $2,000, since the payouts depend on the location of the student and school.
When the coronavirus pandemic forced colleges to shift courses from physical classrooms to internet meeting rooms in spring 2020, nearly all students were reclassified as online-only, triggering a reduction in their housing benefits.
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Author: Military Times
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