Letter to Tammy Kennedy, Acting General Counsel of Veterans Affairs - Helping Illinois Veterans Take Full Advantage of Their Education Benefits

Letter

August 25, 2014

Ms. Tammy Kennedy
Acting General Counsel
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420

Dear Ms. Kennedy,

I am writing to support a proposed waiver to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) policy regarding the use of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and Illinois student veteran education benefits. The waiver request, submitted by the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, Illinois Department of Military Affairs, and Illinois Student Assistance Commission, would help veteran students in Illinois use the benefits they have earned to pay for tuition, books, and housing during college.

Currently, a problem arises when veteran students in Illinois who qualify for less than 100 percent of the Post-9/11 GI Bill use State of Illinois veterans' benefits in conjunction with their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. VA policy requires state benefits to be applied before Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, so veteran students must spend down all state benefits before they can access these federal benefits. Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits can be used to help pay for housing while state veterans benefits cannot, which leads many students to forgo the state benefits to which they are entitled so they can take advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.

The State of Illinois hopes to change eligibility rules for its program to require postsecondary institutions to apply the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the students' accounts first. This would allow veterans to pay for housing and books first. State veterans benefits would then be used to cover remaining eligible tuition and fees. The State requests that USDVA waive the "payer of last resort" policy as it has for several other states.

It was not the intent of Congress to require veteran students in a state like Illinois, which provides 100 percent tuition and fee coverage for eligible veterans, spouses, and children, to choose between their state benefits and the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. The requested waiver would marry the Post-9/11 GI Bill with Illinois' state benefit programs.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for all that you do for our nation's veterans and their families. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or to have your staff contact Anne Kierig on my staff at (202) 224-2152.

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