U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) on Dec. 4 sponsored bipartisan legislation that would require the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay individuals who are owed educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance program any monies they are entitled to by law.
The Fix Immediately Outstanding Underpayments (IOUs) for Student Veterans Act, S. 5, would require the VA to pay student veterans any money they’re owed, but didn’t receive due to a VA error, Sen. Gardner said after introducing the bill with U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL).
“The VA let these veterans down and this cannot be tolerated,” Sen. Gardner said.
Many student veterans didn’t receive their educational assistance benefits when the VA failed to implement the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, H.R. 3218, which became law in August 2017.
“My office has been informed by multiple universities in Colorado that numerous student veterans are not receiving benefits in a timely or accurate manner,” Sen. Gardner wrote in an Oct. 29 letter sent to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “I am troubled to hear stories of veterans being forced to make difficult choices between housing, supplies, food, and tuition due to breakdowns at the VA.”
In his letter, the senator demanded that the VA rectify the situation, but this week said the VA has sent “mixed signals” about its plans to provide retroactive payments to underpaid students, according to his statement.
If enacted, S. 5 would establish a commission at the VA to ensure all monthly stipends are audited; that the VA pays back underpaid students; and to guarantee the VA doesn’t take back money from students who may have been overpaid due to a VA error, according to Sen. Gardner’s office.
“First, the VA made a mistake and did not properly pay student veterans the money they are entitled to; and now the VA is failing in their responsibility again by not providing a plan to pay those students back quickly,” Sen. Gardner said. “Most problems Congress addresses are complicated and do not have one ‘right’ answer. This is not one of those issues.”
“To me, it’s pretty clear what the right thing to do is: Congress must act to ensure our student veterans receive every penny they are entitled to,” he said.
“When I heard that thousands of veterans in Alabama and across the country were being underpaid – or not paid at all – for their GI Bill benefits and that the VA might not make them whole, I was appalled,” Sen. Jones said. “While I’m glad the VA has since begun to reverse course, action from Congress is needed to make sure that these veterans receive what they’re owed.”
S. 5 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.