Emergency Funds Available for GI Bill Applicants

The backlog for the Post 9/11 GI Bill continues to plague veterans, reserve and active duty that are now several weeks into school. In an effort to process the long-due education benefits of military students, the Department of Veteran Affairs has authorized up to $3,000 per student that has not yet received their Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, translating into millions of dollars in emergency funds. The $3,000 is also available to military students that have applied for different military financial aid programs for school and have still not received funds.

There is an estimate 75,000 veterans, reserve, and active duty eligible for the emergency funds, including 25,000 that have served since September 11. Statistics also show, however, that over 27,5000 military students have already received benefits for housing or books under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, and hundreds of thousands more have received benefits under its other available programs.

In a statement to CNN, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said that this is “an extraordinary action we’re taking,” a process that is prompted by the necessity to recognize the hardships of military students.

The delay in benefits has been the product of numerous concerns for veterans, reserve, and active duty that are currently attending school thanks to the Post 9/11 GI Bill’s promised benefits. Military students are afraid of dropping out of school due to lack of funds and their frustrating experiences have been recounted on blogs such as: Army of Dude, The Common Ills, and LeftFace.

Lag was caused in the Post 9/11 GI Bill‘s dispersion due to some schools not yet filing for the tuition and also from a backlog at the Department for Veteran Affairs, according to department officials.

Emergency funds will be deducted from the total educational benefits available to the military student and are to be used for housing and books. VA spokeswoman Katie Roberts assured that the VA has been communicating with the colleges of military students to ensure they remain enrolled despite tuition still not being paid.

“Veterans were having a lot of financial issues, and we needed to address them,” she said.

Seven hundred extra processors have also been hired by the VA to help with the continual influx of applications.

Veteran groups like AMVETS, a veterans’ service center, are pleased with the secretary’s decision to disperse emergency funds.