DECEMBER 23, 2009
Despite Backlog, VA Vows To Process All GI-Bill Tuition Payments By January.
The AP (12/23, Hefling) reports on the angst of some 5,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who are "panicked that they'll be unable to return to class in January" because the VA has yet to remit GI Bill tuition benefits to their colleges. The AP notes that VA officials "promise to get them back into the classroom" by processing all applications by the end of the year, and say "the number of veterans with claims unprocessed is now fewer than 5,000 - down from tens of thousands. ... 'We continue to work on a daily basis with schools to make sure that no student is denied attending class as a result of delayed tuition payments,' Katie Roberts, a VA spokeswoman, said Tuesday." The piece reports that despite these assurances, many veterans have struggled to meet their tuition obligations along with books and other living expenses while waiting for the VA to come through. The AP notes parenthetically, "Last month, Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., chairwoman of the House Veterans subcommittee on economic opportunity, and John Boozman, R-Ark., the subcommittee's ranking member, wrote Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki suggesting ways the agency could better communicate with veterans so there's less confusion."Impact: Working down VBA backlog in GI Bill claims
VA Seen As Rushing To Implement Fichtner's Idea.
Federal
News Radio (12/23, Miller) reports that the VA "is wasting
little time in implementing Nancy Fichtner's idea to save money. The
fiscal program support clerk at the VA hospital in Grand Junction,
Colo., won the first annual Securing Americans Value and Efficiency
(SAVE) Award...for her suggestion to let veterans take home the
medication they receive at the VA hospital instead of throwing it
away. ... VA expects to run four-to-six pilots starting in the
spring and lasting about six months, says Katie Roberts, an agency
spokeswoman."
Impact:
Efficiency initiative based on VA
employee’s suggestion to White House
VA Offering Free GI-Bill LEED Exams For Veterans Houses.
The
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (12/23) reports that the VA
"in accordance with the G.I. Bill, has agreed to reimburse veterans,
eligible dependents and reservists for the cost of any of the LEED
professional exams administered by the Green Building Certification
Institute. Under this agreement, the VA will cover up to $2,000 per
exam for those who took a LEED professional exam after Dec. 3,
2008."
Impact:
VA assistance in paying for
professional certifications