Protecting Veterans' Educational Choice Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I submit this statement in support of H.R. 5047, the Protecting Veterans' Educational Choice Act of 2016. I will be unable to submit my recorded vote but I fully support this legislation that ensures that veterans will not be unwittingly exploited by deceptive recruiters.

H.R. 5047 is a bipartisan bill that reinforces our commitment to the success of our service members, on and off the battlefield. The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to supply all information regarding articulation agreements to service members who wish to use their VA education benefits. The bill will inform service members, in advance, if and how they can transfer credits and avoid unwittingly misusing their VA education benefits.

In 2010, Congress passed the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act which expanded educational benefits to include more service members and allows them to use their benefits to receive not only traditional degrees but also apprenticeships, vocational training certifications, and on-the-job training. This expansion was vital in providing access to a variety of educational platforms but some for- profit institutions focused on recruiting and scamming service members out of their benefits. H.R. 5047 provides education career counseling to make sure service members are informed of their options.

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