A GI Bill loophole that currently allows public flight schools to charge exorbitant costs for veteran students would be addressed under legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) on Thursday.
Wenstrup, the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health, learned from the Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans’ advocacy groups that the GI Bill doesn’t limit the amount that public flight schools can charge to veteran students. As a result, some programs charge more than $500,000 per student.
Wenstrup’s GI Bill Education Quality Enhancement Act, H.R. 4149, would cap public school flight training programs at the same level as private school programs. In the 2017 school year, the private school cap was set at $22,805.
“For our warfighters who return home from service, the GI Bill often plays an essential role in assisting their transition back to civilian life. Ensuring its sustainability for future generations is vital,” Wenstrup said. “H.R. 4149 is a common sense correction to help ensure veterans using the GI Bill for flight schools can do so effectively, while reining in certain out of control costs.”
Under the bill, veterans could continue to receive accelerated payments to complete flight training programs faster. They would be eligible to receive double the cap for a shorter period of time in those cases. In addition, an individual training for a private pilot’s license would be able to have that training paid for under their GI Bill benefits.
U.S. Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said that as a veteran and former chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Wenstrup knows the importance of preserving the GI Bill for future generations.
“I’m grateful for his leadership on this legislation that will close a loophole for flight schools taking advantage of the GI Bill program and create a more sustainable GI Bill for all student veterans,” Roe said.