Post-9 : 11 GI Bill: Veterans Affected by School Closures. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives. GAO-19-553T / Melissa Emrey-Arras.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA's) largest educational program. It provides payments for eligible veterans to cover tuition and fees, housing and other costs while they pursue a higher education. However, for some veterans this pursuit is interrupted when the sch...
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Full Text (via ERIC) |
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[Place of publication not identified] :
Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse,
2019.
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| Summary: | The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA's) largest educational program. It provides payments for eligible veterans to cover tuition and fees, housing and other costs while they pursue a higher education. However, for some veterans this pursuit is interrupted when the school they attend unexpectedly closes. This testimony addresses: (1) the distribution of Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition and fee payments among schools; (2) outcomes of students at schools that receive the most Post-9/11 GI Bill payments; and (3) how school closures can affect student veterans. To address these topics, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed VA data on Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition and fee payments to schools for fiscal year 2017, the most recent school-level data available. GAO analyzed student outcome measures for these schools using Department of Education data reported for school year 2017-2018. GAO also reviewed its prior reports issued between 2013 and 2017 on school closures, credit transfers, and related challenges faced by student veterans. The Post-9/11 GI Bill has provided valuable education benefits to millions of veterans who attend a wide range of schools. However, when schools abruptly shut their doors, it can leave student veterans--who already face unique challenges in an academic environment--without a clear path to continuing their education and can force taxpayers to cover the cost of restoring their benefits and discharged student loans. As the number of school closures has increased in recent years, the risks and challenges associated with such closures are particularly salient for student veterans, their families, and the federal government. |
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| Item Description: | Availability: US Government Accountability Office. 441 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20548. Tel: 202-512-6000; Web site: http://www.gao.gov. Abstractor: ERIC. Educational level discussed: Adult Education. Educational level discussed: Higher Education. Educational level discussed: Postsecondary Education. |
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (16 pages) |
| Audience: | Policymakers. |