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4 months in, GI Bill still plagued by delays

Twenty-six thousand veterans now in college still have not received their living stipends and book allowances under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, a big sign of continuing problems in the program that may lead some students to drop out.

“The next semester is just a month away,” said Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., chairwoman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s economic opportunity panel, which held a Thursday roundtable discussion on how to fix the new benefits program.

Launched Aug. 1 with great fanfare and high expectations, the new education benefits program has been tarnished by delays that occurred when it became clear the Veterans Affairs Department wasn’t ready to pay the living stipends many student-veterans need so they can afford to go to school full-time.

Margaret Young Baechtold of Indiana University said she has heard from students who are considering dropping out of school because they cannot afford to continue. Indiana University has made loans to veterans who have not been paid.

VA officials said some benefits claims are more complicated than others and they hope that better procedures will be in place by the spring semester.

Brian Hawthorne of Student Veterans of America said his organization has heard from hundreds of students still waiting on payments — many of whom are not getting by on the one-time emergency payment of $3,000 authorized by VA earlier this year.

The payment covers about 90 days of rent in the Washington, D.C., area, Hawthorne said, adding: “Landlords don’t care if they are going to be paid ‘eventually.’ ”

Rep. John Boozman, R-Ark., said problems with timely payments are not surprising, because it is now taking an average of 47 days to process claims.

“Clearly, that is unacceptable,” Boozman said.