New Year at American Veteran: G.I. Bill Fixes Signed; VA to Vet Small Businesses

The New Year is upon us at American Veteran magazine and this afternoon marks the start of the 112th Congress--with many shifts in leadership among the veterans affairs and armed services committees. Aside from the party shift in the House, the Senate is also slated to make significant changes to its committee assignments. American Veteran will follow today's developments and we will publish comprehensive lists of relevant committee assignments as they become available.

Over the next few weeks, AMVETS Acting Legislative Director Christina Roof will work diligently to deliver AMVETS Legislative Priorities for 2011 to each relevant committee member.

Yesterday marked another significant step in delivering quality educational and vocational training benefits to today's veterans with President Barack Obama's signing of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2010, which passed Congress during the lame duck session.

The bill includes many of the improvements which AMVETS has called for over the last two years in an effort to make the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill more equitable for today's war fighters.

Among the critical improvements are offering benefits to Active Guard & Reserve, or AGR, soldiers and members of the military activated on Title 32 orders for homeland defense missions. The new law also allows veterans enrolled in non-degree or vocational training programs an opportunity to utilize their Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits to defray costs, and also offers distance learners a portion of the living stipend benefit.

The changes could make Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits available to an additional 400,000 veterans and current service members.

Unfortunately, the total law did not satisfy all of AMVETS' expectations, as Congressional leaders scrapped break payments of living stipends for more than 350,000 veterans currently enrolled under the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. AMVETS recognized that offering break payments remained a budget-neutral proposal and asked Congressional leaders to keep the benefit intact. However, in the hours prior to the vote, the controversial proposal was kept in the bill.

Starting next fall, students enrolled under Chapter 33 will no longer be entitled to living stipend payments during winter and summer break months.

American Veteran will continue to follow implementation of the new G.I. Bill fixes.

On Monday, VA also announced its new plan to vet veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses seeking government contracts. To read VA's announcement of the new policy, Click Here.

AMVETS Acting Legislative Director Christina Roof, who previously served as a small business consultant, has consistently called on VA to audit its contractors to ensure compliance. Roof called the new policy a "step in the right direction," but expressed concerns that the new verification process could create a backlog of contractors looking for work.

Under the new policy, VA will require the 13,000 companies currently listed in the Vendor Information Pages, or VIP, database to verify their status within 90 days. After this time, VA will consider additional applications for the VIP database from other potential VOSBs and SDVOSBs.

AMVETS outlined contractor compliance as a top priority in the 2011 Legislative Agenda. American Veteran will continue to follow this story closely. Check back regularly for updates.

(Image: Cover of AMVETS Legislative Priorities for 2011. Photo courtesy of Architect of the Capitol.)

AMVETS Supports G.I. Bill Fixes

Yesterday, AMVETS Acting Legislative Director Christina Roof sent a letter to House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-Calif.) voicing AMVETS' support for legislation to improve the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Here is a copy of Roof's letter:

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvement Act of 2010, or S. 3447, passed the Senate last week and could be considered by the House prior to the closing of the lame duck session of Congress on Friday.

The bill was conceived by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Legislative Director Patrick Campbell, and received staunch support from the nation's other leading veterans' advocates, including AMVETS.

AMVETS has called for many of the bill's provisions--such as expanding eligibility to National Guard members who served under Title 32 orders, creating a more equitable tuition and fees reimbursement process, and opening educational options to include apprenticeships, certificate and other non-degree programs--in both the 2010 and 2011 Legislative Priorities books, available on the AMVETS National Web site.

The House is scheduled to consider the bill today, and Roof said that she hopes the bill will pass, ensuring equitable G.I. Bill benefits for today's war fighters.

American Veteran will continue to follow this bill closely. Check back regularly for updates, as Congress considers this critical series of Post-9/11 G.I. Bill updates.

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran we will recap last week's VSO/MSO summit at VA central office in Washington, D.C., where leaders from the nation's top veterans' service and member service organizations gathered to discuss VA's current initiatives to better serve the veterans' community.

We will also follow AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley and National Deputy Legislative Director Christina Roof to Capitol Hill, where they will sit in on the House Invisible Wounds Caucus roundtable to discuss tinnitus in today's returning service members. Tinnitus is commonly exhibited by ringing in the ears experienced by service members exposed to excessive noise, gun shots and explosions in the combat zone.

American Veteran will also follow this week's hearing in the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs when VA Secretary Eric Shinseki will deliver testimony on VA's plan to implement the latest Agent Orange presumptive service-connected conditions, which AMVETS has expressed its support for in the past. Should Congress approve VA's proposed guidelines, more than 150,000 Vietnam veterans could be eligible to receive VA care and compensation for the new presumptive conditions.

This week, AMVETS leaders will also check back in with the Department of Education which is expected to start making decisions on grant awards for student-veteran "centers of excellence" by next Tuesday, Sept. 28. AMVETS has championed the effort to commission such federal grants over the last three years and the department has solicited grant applications throughout the summer.

This week we will also bring you highlights of recent 9/11 and National POW/MIA Recognition Day observances from AMVETS posts and departments around the country. If you have a story you would like us to highlight here on the blog or in the pages of American Veteran magazine, please send them along. And, as always, please feel free to comment on our stories.

Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Update: Living Stipend Make-Ups in August

Yesterday, Military Times reported that VA will automatically issue living stipend make-up checks in August to veterans who received inaccurate payments for the spring semester. Veterans will not need to apply for the updated payments.

By law, VA was obligated to update its living stipend payments to conform to the new Department of Defense Basic Allowance for Housing, of BAH, payments on Jan. 1. However, VA cited shortcomings in its IT infrastructure for the spring semester and chose to ensure that all enrolled veterans in the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill received compensation, rather than adjusting the existing payment model after facing issues with the program's roll-out in the fall.

AMVETS leaders have been closely monitoring the implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and calling for improvements to make the benefit more equitable. AMVETS also spearheaded recent efforts to commission federal grants for student-veterans' "centers of excellence" on college campuses nationwide, offering student-veterans all the tools necessary to succeed in the academic environment.

Department of Education is currently accepting grant applications from colleges and universities interested in commissioning such centers as part of the $6 million pilot program.

When news of G.I. Bill payment delays surfaced, AMVETS leaders were concerned that the hassles would foster attrition among student-veterans experiencing financial hardships as a result of the delay. Fortunately, AMVETS partner Supportive Education for the Returning Veteran, or SERV, reported that attrition rates among many of the nation's student-veterans were negligible in the first academic year of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, with many schools actually seeing a spike in veteran enrollment between the fall and spring semesters.

VA plans to have its automated Post-9/11 G.I. Bill claims system operational by December, ensuring that payment delays and other hiccups in the enrollment system are eliminated. AMVETS leaders will continue to monitor VA's implementation of the new system to ensure timely and accurate delivery of the landmark benefit.

American Veteran will continue to follow implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and continuing efforts by the veterans' community to ensure timely, accurate and equitable delivery of the benefit.

(Image: VA's official logo for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.)

Live from Capitol Hill: Senate to Host G.I. Bill Hearing

This morning the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs will listen to testimony from VA administrators on the progress of Post-9/11 G.I. Bill implementation. The hearing will take place in Russell Senate Office Building Room 418 at 9:30 a.m.

Veteran Benefits Administration Director of Education Services Keith Wilson will testify on recent progress in developing a digital education benefits processing system, the ongoing recoupment of emergency living stipend checks, and status of the benefit roll-out, including the issues faced during the fall semester.

Yesterday, Military Times reported that living stipends for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill would not be adjusted to the 2010 rate until this summer. VA has acknowledged that technological limitations under the current system are to blame, but that all veterans entitled to back pay will receive it this summer and those whose living stipend rates would have decreased will not be required to pay back the difference.

VA said that it has been transparent about this potential shortcoming for months, as VA focused on delivering benefits to all enrolled veterans, rather than attempt to adjust the living stipends in the midst of the program's roll out.

From the time VA was tasked to deliver the new benefit, VA officials acknowledged that there could be technological hiccups until the final IT solution could be activated in December 2010, and that it was more important to ensure all enrolled student-veterans were processed into the system and receiving timely payments. To date, VA says that all claims have been processed for enrolled student-veterans and that all payments are up to date.

American Veteran will follow this morning's hearing closely. Check back later for updates.

One in Five Young Vets Unemployed

This morning, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest figures on unemployment, showing that 21.1 percent of young Iraq and Afghanistan veterans cannot find work. To read the bureau's release, Click Here.

AMVETS leaders were saddened by the announcement, but cited reintegration and transitional shortcomings, along with legislative loopholes as key contributors to the disturbing figures.

"Young veterans are less attractive to employers compared to their civilian counterparts who simply have more experience in the civilian work force," said AMVETS Legislative Director Ray Kelley. "This is why AMVETS continues to advocate for improved transition programs from the military, such as TAPS, providing young vets skills like resume-building, allowing them to compete."

The latest bureau statistics do not include student-veterans, since student-veterans are not considered part of the work force. To Kelley, this only reinforces why Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits must be expanded to include non-degree job training costs, such as certificate and apprenticeship programs.

"College is not for everyone, so it's not enough to tell young veterans to go back to school if they can't find work," he said. "It's a tremendous disservice to withhold comparable opportunities to non-college bound veterans who just want to be competitive in the work force."

Reintegration and education are two of AMVETS' top legislative priorities for 2010 and AMVETS will continue to testify before Congress, proposing legislative changes to provide young veterans with the skills necessary to compete in the civilian work force.

Check back regularly with American Veteran Online for updates.

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran, we will cover a series of hearings in the House Committee on Veterans Affairs ranging from the structure of the 21st century VA to progress on VA's Center for Veteran Enterprise.

We will also continue to follow VA's efforts to recoup Post-9/11 G.I. Bill emergency check payments from student-veterans. AMVETS has heard from numerous student-veterans who have received notice, but are yet to receive back pay for the fall. AMVETS is also concerned about the lines of communication with VA, whose repayment hotline has been busy for the last week. Check back for updates as this story develops.

Over the weekend, AMVETS leaders gathered in Stevens Point, Mich., to honor AMVETS National Commander Duane Miskulin for his testimonial dinner. The annual tradition takes place in the national commander's home town shortly before the commander is scheduled to testify before the special joint session of the House and Senate committees on Veterans Affairs.

Cmdr. Miskulin is scheduled to testify next Thursday, March 18, at 9:30 a.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. This year, Miskulin's testimony will coincide with a series of events on Capitol Hill and around the region, as AMVETS, its subordinate organizations and its partners make their presence felt on Capitol Hill.

On Tuesday, March 16, AMVETS will join Paws With A Cause to push for responsible veterans' service dog legislation through a series of meetings with Congressional leaders and the Obama Administration. On Thursday, following Cmdr. Miskulin's testimony, AMVETS and Sons of AMVETS members will visit with dozens of legislators, as well, outlining AMVETS' legislative agenda for 2010, which was published on Veterans Day.

Thursday concludes when AMVETS honors Congressman Tim Walz (D-Minn.) with the 2010 Congressional Silver Helmet award.

On March 19, AMVETS leaders will gather at the Hilton Washington Dulles for the spring meeting of the National Executive Committee and the 56th annual Silver Helmet Awards banquet. American Veteran will be on hand covering the event on this blog.

This week, AMVETS leaders will also acknowledge Women in Military History Month, kicking off on American Veteran Online with more stories of heroism and valor among America's storied female service members.

American Veteran is also eager to highlight noteworthy female AMVETS members as part of our "Women in Service" series.

As always, we're eager to hear from you and eager to post any content from AMVETS posts and departments around the country.

Looking for Answers on Student-Veterans' Centers

This week, Cleveland State University professor John Schupp, founder of Supportive Education for the Returning Veteran, or SERV, is in Washington looking for answers on how colleges and universities can take advantage of the recently-approved federal grants to establish student-veterans' centers of excellence.

Thanks to the hard work of Schupp and the AMVETS legislative team, the provision commissioning such grants was included in the Higher Education Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008 and funding was secured in the Department of Education budget for FY2010.

Though Congress approved $6 million for a pilot program, the Department of Education has yet to clarify how these initial grants will be administered.

Since news of the grants became public in December, AMVETS and SERV have been inundated with calls, e-mails and letters from colleges and universities asking how their campuses could take advantage of the new program.

Some of the nation's top public schools, such as Indiana University, Kent State, University of California Santa Cruz, Mississippi State and Washington State, have formally inquired about how they can become involved. For this week’s meetings in Washington, Schupp has brought more than 60 of these letters with him to show key decision-makers.

AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley said he hopes that the Department of Education will start the grant process shortly to ensure that funds will be delivered in time to have true centers of excellence up and running for the fall 2010 semester.

AMVETS and SERV originally recognized the need for student-veterans' centers once the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill was signed into law, offering unprecedented educational opportunities for 21st century veterans.

American Veteran will continue to follow this story. Check back regularly for updates.

Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Update: VA to Recoup $3,000 Emergency Payments

Today, VA announced it will seek to recoup the fall $3,000 emergency check payments for student-veterans caught in the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill processing delays. Though any student taking advantage of a G.I. Bill benefit was eligible to take advantage of the advance payment, the intention was to help veterans taking advantage of the new Chapter 33 benefits, which were taking longer to process than VA had anticipated.

When news of Chapter 33 delays began to surface, AMVETS suggested that VA deliver a good faith payment to eligible student-veterans, similar to the emergency check program implemented in October.

On Stripes Central, the official blog of Stars & Stripes, Leo Shane explained that VA will send letters to student-veterans who took advantage of the emergency check program, outlining repayment options.

In the meantime, AMVETS leaders urge veterans not to panic. The VA has competent systems in place to audit its accounts, with appellate systems and safeguards in place to ensure accuracy.

American Veteran will work to secure an example of the letter and keep you posted in the coming days on how VA plans to balance its books on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Update: VA Says it's on Track for Timely Delivery in Spring Semester

On Wednesday, VA hosted a conference call to discuss progress on this semester's processing of pending Post-9/11 G.I. Bill (Chapter 33) claims. AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley participated in the call.

VA took the time to discuss the current volume of claims as well as the looming backlog from the fall semester when the new benefit rolled out with substantial delays.

VA assured veterans and veterans' advocates on the call that all claims received for the fall semester have started receiving payments and that nearly 70 percent of spring claims had already been processed.

To date, VA says it has received more than 100,000 claims from schools for the spring semester and that all paperwork received by Jan. 19 will be paid in full by Feb. 1.

Though the call presented encouraging trends, the figures left AMVETS confused. Earlier in the week, AMVETS received a critical call-to-action from a student-veteran at Lehman College in New York who was being barred from spring enrollment for an out-standing bill. At the time of VA's conference call, she had not received payment for her fall semester.

However, this does not necessarily mean VA is solely responsible for veterans slipping through the cracks. VA has continued to stress that schools must complete and send the necessary paperwork before any claims can be paid, which is why lines of communication among student-veterans, VA, and schools must remain open throughout the process.

In November, VA retained the services of ACS Federal to assist in claims-processing for the next two semesters while VA and Navy SPAWAR stand up the digital enrollment system. Today, VA has the equivalent of 1,200 claims-processors handling G.I. Bill claims.

As of the most recent VA Monday Morning Workload Report on Jan. 11, 42,220 pending Chapter 33 claims remain. To view the report, Click Here.

If you are still experiencing Chapter 33 payment delays, do not hesitate to let us know through this blog or via email. AMVETS remains committed to ensuring that all veterans seeking to take advantage of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill receive the benefits they have earned.

(Image: VA's official logo for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill)

In Case You Missed It... Congress Passes VA Budget in Omnibus

Over the weekend, Congress passed an omnibus federal budget for FY2010, which included $109.6 billion for VA.

While AMVETS leaders were happy to see that the VA will have the funding it needs for the year, AMVETS came far short of applauding Congress for delaying the budget's passage by more than 74 days.

Stars & Stripes reporter Leo Shane broke down the FY2010 VA budget in a recent posting on the Stripes Central blog. This year's VA budget is the first to include advance health care funding for FY2011--a provision AMVETS has advocated for for more than a decade. To read Shane's posting, Click Here.

AMVETS leaders were, however, excited about the conference version of the Department of Education budget, which passed as part of the omnibus package. This year's DOE budget included $6 million in funding for a pilot program commissioning federal grants for student-veterans' "centers of excellence" on college campuses nationwide--one of AMVETS' top legislative priorities since the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill was passed into law in 2008.

To learn more about AMVETS' work on the student-vets' centers issue, Click Here.

(Photo: Stock image of the U.S. Capitol Building from spring 2009 by Ryan Gallucci.)

Department of Education Budget to Include Funding for Student-Vets' Centers

This morning, AMVETS received confirmation from Congressional staffers that the FY2010 budget for the Department of Education will included funding for federal grants to colleges and universities to establish student-veterans' "centers of excellence."

Two summers ago, AMVETS worked with Congress to include a provision in the Higher Education Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008 that would commission the grants, however, actual funding for the grants remained a major question throughout this year's fiscal budget process.

AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley worked with leaders in the House to include $8 million in funding for student-vets' centers in their version of the bill, but the provision was absent in the original Senate bill.

Once the budget went to conference, both chambers compromised to include $6 million in funding for a pilot program for these student-vets' centers.

AMVETS anticipates that the conference budget should easily pass both the House and Senate, and that President Obama should sign it into law shortly.

Federal funding for student-veterans' "centers of excellence" has been a top priority for AMVETS since the passage of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. While AMVETS viewed the new G.I. Bill as an integral tool in ensuring student-veterans had an opportunity to go to college, AMVETS believed that student-veterans' centers would ensure that today's veterans would have all the tools necessary to succeed in the classroom.

AMVETS continues to work with Cleveland State University Professor John Schupp, founder of the Supportive Education for the Returning Veteran (SERV) program as a model for campuses to meet the needs of their student-veterans.

AMVETS and Schupp were the visionaries behind the original legislation in Congress to commission these grants in an effort to ensure college campuses were prepared for the influx of veterans seeking to use their education entitlements.

Once Department of Education clarifies the grant process, AMVETS will work with Schupp and other student-veterans' advocates around the country--such as John Powers at the University of Rhode Island--to ensure campuses have the tools necessary to receive federal grants and establish quality student-veterans' centers.

Stars & Stripes reports on student-vets' centers.

(Photos: Top: Ray Kelley speaks with John Schupp between meetings on Capitol Hill, advocating for student-veterans' "centers of excellence. Photo by Ryan Gallucci. Bottom: Student-veterans enrolled in Schupp's SERV program pose for a photo with the chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, Eric D. Fingerhunt, who visited Cleveland State University to see the merits of SERV first-hand. Photo courtesy of SERV.)

Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Update: In My Opinion...

Yesterday, I received a phone call from a colleague of mine who works as a student-veterans' consultant for the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College. He passed along a memo from the Buffalo VA Regional Office to campus education claims representatives across the Northeast asking them to square away their paperwork.

The memo discussed how claims-processors were not filing paperwork for the correct chapters of the G.I. Bill, which has contributed to incorrect payments and increased delays in benefits-delivery across the region.

At colleges around the region, payments have started to trickle in for tuition. However, living stipends remain MIA.

Matt Susko, an Army veteran of Iraq, said that his school, Cape Cod Community College, received his tuition, but he has not seen any kind of compensation from VA beyond his $3,000 emergency living stipend check.

On Monday, Bob Brewin from NextGov reported that DC-area student-veterans were still missing their G.I. Bill living stipends and that the VA Monday Morning Workload Report still showed only a slight reduction in claims awaiting adjudication.

Last month, VA retained the services of ACS Federal to assist with claims-processing--a move AMVETS hesitantly supported. However, as Brewin reported, the move hasn't changed much to this point in terms of the backlog.

I hate to keep harping on the G.I. Bill delays, but my own experiences leave me pessimistic about Chapter 33 implementation and the effects on today's student-veterans' community.

When I returned from Iraq, I sought to take advantage of my new Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP, Chapter 1607) benefits. After speaking with leaders in my unit and reading up on the new benefit, I went to apply with my VA representative at URI. She had never heard of Chapter 1607 or REAP and had me write in my query on the old Montgomery G.I. Bill paperwork.

Needless to say, nothing happened immediately. I had to re-file my paperwork and enroll under my old benefit, which was fine at the time. It took about six months to sort out Chapter 1607 and I was entitled to some significant back pay once it was sorted out.

At the time, REAP was a substantial increase in benefits, but in no way did it cover the complete cost of my education. I held down several part-time jobs and took out student loans to make up the difference.

Fast forward to 2009 with the complicated Chapter 33 benefits and more than 80,000 student-veterans immediately seeking to take advantage. Compound this with many students who were counting on Chapter 33 to cover all the expenses associated with a college education, including rent, utilities, and groceries, and campus employees who file these complex claims as a collateral responsibility and you're left with finger-pointing about who dropped the ball.

Though VA has the money to pay each of veteran filing for Chapter 33, time is critical. Though I had the luxury of waiting for my paperwork to be sorted out, many of the veterans enrolled in under the new benefit are literally down to their last dime. While schools may understand that the "check is in the mail," this story is a little more difficult to explain to the cashier at Stop & Shop or the clerk at the Sunoco station.

If there's anything veterans know how to do, it's hurry up and wait. But there's even a breaking point for us. Rumors have already started to circulate that veterans plan to drop out of school in the spring just to avoid what they see as an inevitable hassle.

AMVETS leaders are doing all they can to reassure veterans that the money is on its way and that these initial hiccups should not repeat themselves over the next two semesters, but patience is understandably wearing thin.

Personally, I hope that ACS and VA can sort out this backlog quickly and deliver benefits in time for winter break, but a great deal of this still rests on the claims-processors working efficiently on the college campuses.

At some point, the blame has to shift off of VA. From what I've seen, they have been responsive to the concerns of the veterans' community, but the same cannot be said for the schools.

AMVETS leaders have been screaming for colleges and universities to prepare for the influx of veterans this fall. This latest memo from Buffalo indicates to me that certain schools did not take these warnings seriously.

So, I guess we can only reiterate what Buffalo is telling the claims-processors on college campuses: Pay attention to the details. You're the most critical step in ensuring our veterans receive the benefits they have earned.

-Ryan

If you have a Post-9/11 G.I. Bill issue that you would care to share, please feel free to leave your comments below.

Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Update: VA Contacting Veterans About Their Benefits

Yesterday, VA announced that it will be making phone calls to student-veterans who have applied for Post-9/11 G.I. Bill (Chapter 33) benefits throughout the week. The calls are designed to ensure that enrolled veterans understand the new benefits and that they are receiving their entitlements in a timely manner.

“The Post-9/11 GI Bill is one of our highest priorities,” said VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. “Instead of making people wait to hear from us, we’re reaching out to veterans, so they can get the money they need to stay in school.”

VA will also be making follow-up calls to veterans who took advantage of the emergency advance payments to ensure that all checks have been processed and funds have been delivered.

VA representatives will not ask for veterans' personal information over the phone.

AMVETS leaders will continue to follow VA's implementation of the historic education benefit. Check back regularly with American Veteran Online for updates.

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran, we will continue to follow the progress of H.R. 1610, the bill authorizing advance appropriations for VA health care. Last week, the bill quickly passed the Senate and now waits for a signature from President Obama. Check back regularly for updates.

As the veterans' community waits for a signature on the landmark bill, Congress continues to hash out the VA's budget for FY2010, which was due before Oct. 1. This marks the 20th time in 23 years that Congress has failed to deliver the budget on time, further demonstrating the need for advance appropriations. AMVETS leaders will continue to push Congress to pass the budget quickly. Today, the VA is operating on continuing resolutions.

This week, American Veteran will also continue to follow implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and the delays student-veterans have been experiencing around the country. Last week, Keith Wilson, VBA director of education services, testified before Congress that the department may not be caught up on claims until some time in December, raising concerns for AMVETS that veterans may face additional hardships as a result, whether it is through enrollment issues or additional strains on personal finances.

Last week, AMVETS received word that despite the success of VA's emergency check program, tensions continue to mount among student-veterans who are starting to lose faith in the system. AMVETS will continue to reach out to the student-veterans' community to restore confidence in the new G.I. Bill, which offers unprecedented educational opportunities for student-veterans.

AMVETS leaders remain confident that the delays experienced this semester only represent initial implementation hiccups that will be sorted our in the short term.

Finally this week, American Veteran Online will also post additional Keeping Posted content from around the country, highlighting the work of AMVETS posts nationwide. If you have something you would like us to highlight on the blog, please let us know. And as always, check back regularly for updates.

Live from Capitol Hill: House Listens to Testimony of Post-9/11 G.I. Bill

This afternoon, the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity will listen to testimony from VA's Director of Education Service Keith Wilson on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

To view video from the hearing, Click Here.

During his testimony, Wilson admitted that the VA may not have all claims sorted out by the end of the fall semester. Wilson also explained the issues with processing Chapter 33 claims and answered questions from the subcommittee on implementation issues and VA's potential remedies.

AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley, who watched the hearing, expressed concern over the situation, since VA's digital option for Chapter 33 claims processing will not be online for another year.

Kelley explained that due to the complexity of the benefit and the number of veterans expected to take advantage of the program, VA will likely face similar surges in claims each semester, prompting additional backlogs until the digital processing system can be implemented.

In the wake of a daunting backlog of initial benefits claims for Chapter 33, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki instituted an emergency payment program for veterans experiencing delays. AMVETS leaders have applauded the swift action of VA to implement the successful stop-gap.

To date, American Veteran Online has received dozens of comments from veterans who continue to experience delivery issues with the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

Patrick Campbell, chief legislative counsel for IAVA who helped to draft the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, submitted testimony for the record on how his organization views the backlog and potential solutions.

Check back regularly with American Veteran Online for updates on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

VA Reaches Out to Student-Veterans on Post-9/11 G.I. Bill

This weekend the Department of Veterans Affairs will be making customer service phone calls to veterans taking advantage of their Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits.

VA officials are making the calls in an effort to imrpvoe services for veterans currently using the benefit and those who plan to take advantage of their benefits in the future.

AMVETS leaders encourage veterans to take a few moments to speak with VA to help their fellow veterans down the road, in the wake of initial implementation hiccups.

VA has assured veterans that they will not ask for personal information during these brief customer service calls.

For more information, visit www.VA.gov.

AMVETS leaders and American Veteran Online will continue to follow VA's implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Check back regularly for updates.

Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Update: VA video on advance payments

This afternoon, VA released a video explaining the G.I. Bill emergency stipend program. In the video, VA Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Tammy Duckworth apologizes to veterans experiencing payment delays and explains how affected student-veterans can take advantage of the advance pay system.



This afternoon, AMVETS received messages from veterans who registered online to receive emergency stipend checks but have not received payment. AMVETS urges veterans to be patient with the process. Checks will be issued by the Treasury Department within three business days of veterans filling out the online forms. From this point, it may take an additional three days within the U.S. Postal Service.

Keep checking your mailboxes and don't hesitate to post to American Veteran Online, if you continue to experience delays.

Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Update: Emergency check payments going smoothly

This morning, VA's 57 regional offices across the country started distributing checks to student-veterans experiencing G.I. Bill payment delays. AMVETS National Service officers were on hand at regional offices monitoring the situation and AMVETS National Headquarters has received updates throughout the morning.

Most regional offices have reported that veterans arrived early to receive their checks. In Atlanta, AMVETS National Service Officer Bobby Rand reported that the office opened its doors at 7:30 and as of noon veterans did not have to wait in line. Atlanta-area veterans told Rand that the VA employees handling the check process were professional, efficient and courteous.

AMVETS State Service Officer Richard Kenton at the Oakland VA Regional Office reported that 30 to 40 veterans were on hand as soon as the doors opened and Northern California veterans also seemed very happy with the process.

Photos and positive reports have also come in from VA Regional Office in Phoenix, where AMVETS National Service Officers Paul Zanger and Dale Tiberg are on hand speaking with veterans.

By 5 p.m., VA had processed more than 8,500 checks at VA Regional Offices and accepted more than 7,500 online applications. VA reported its heaviest volume in Washington, Chicago, and Waco, Texas.

"Based on what we've seen today, we're cautiously optimistic that the operation will continue running smoothly," said Brandon Friedman, VA Director of New Media. "It's taking a lot of patience on everyone's part, but we're determined to get these checks out to the people who need them. We know how this backlog has upended people's lives, so we're doing what we can to make it right."

Friedman went on to say that some regional offices had seen long lines and minor delays, but lines were moving and veterans were leaving with their emergency payments in-hand.

This morning, VA also announced that VA Regional Offices will be open tomorrow at 8 a.m. to continue processing emergency check payments for veterans who could not make the trip on Friday.

As reports come in from around the country, American Veteran Online will keep posting on the response from the veterans' community. If you have an emergency payment story that you would like to share, please let us know on the blog.

(Photos: Top: Veterans line up at the VA Regional Office in Phoenix to receive their emergency G.I. Bill payments. Photo by AMVETS National Service Officer Dale Tiberg. Bottom: Veterans wait outside of the VA Regional Office in Winston-Salem, N.C. early this morning to collect emergency checks. Photo by AMVETS National Service Officer Bobby Rand.)

Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Update: VA to issue emergency checks today

This morning, the VA will start issuing emergency checks to veterans experiencing delays in G.I. Bill payments. Veterans who can make it to one of VA's 57 regional offices need only produce a photo ID and proof of enrollment to collect a hard check on site for up to $3,000 to cover the payment delays.

Veterans who cannot easily commute to a VA regional office may also register for emergency checks online. Checks will arrive withing three business days. To register for the emergency payment online, Click Here.

The advance payment checks are intended only for veterans who did not receive G.I. Bill payment yesterday, Oct. 1. For more information, visit www.VA.gov.

AMVETS will monitor the emergency check process throughout the day. Check back with American Veteran Online for updates.