IT “issues” leave Veterans without crucial GI Bill Benefits
A glitch with the Information Technology Department at the Veteran Affairs office has just about every news outlet talking. Over 82,000 United States soldiers are left without benefits they were promised. This issue has spread from veterans, to active duty soldiers to National guardsoldiers, myself included. So I sat down with Staff Sergeant (SSG) Branham, an Army National Guard Recruiter on Kent State University’s campus, to discuss what the GI Bill is and why it is so important for people like me.
SSG Branham: “Well the GI Bill for National Guard soldiers, is a federal funded paycheck that you can receive for being a full time student that will go directly into your bank account. It can be used for whatever you want it to be used for whether that be food, lodging, books, or whatever you need it for. So, it can be very important because that’s extra money, and we all know college kids need extra money.”
National Guard soldiers are given different payments depending on their military contracts with the government in order to assist them with college, but every soldier is granted a GI Bill.
SSG Branham: “You would also receive your monthly drill check which would also be direct deposited and is based solely for the amount of time you are in, and it goes off your rank. There may be additional funding depending on if you are using your Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) or depending on if you are using your 100% college tuition assistance scholarship. So that would not be money that goes into your bank account, but it does go towards your college.”
While these students receive more benefits than most active duty soldiers, Isaac Harvey, a Specialist in the Army and a Construction Management major at Kent State University discussed how important this money is for soldiers in the Guard.
Specialist Harvey: “The GI Bill, to me, really allowed me to afford things I otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford while attending college. So I can pay off rent, put money towards my car payment, buy food and just do extra-curricular activities.”
Another Student at Kent State University and Specialist in the National Guard, Devontae Bowens was unable to meet for an interview in person. I was able to speak with him over the phone though about this issue and asked him what he thinks will happen if the VA continues to make these mistakes.
Specialist Bowens: “I think people will just stop showing up to drill, it’s a big problem.”
After six months of not receiving a GI Bill payment and multiple calls to the VA… I finally got a response for my case. A man from the VA had great empathy about the money I was missing after I told him I no longer had the funds to pay for my housing or medical bills. The man explained the IT issues with the system, but it still took a week and a half to receive over $2,000 worth of payments I had not been given over the past few months.
Andrea to SSG Branham: Recently the VA had a mess up and withheld a lot of GI Bills from some of the National Guard soldiers. So, can you explain how crucial for them to have the GI Bill and what happens to them if they do not receive this money… especially for a long period of time?
SSG Branham: “Yeah I could see that being very problematic. For some, if they had another way to pay for their meals it may not be that big of a deal, but for others that is their only way to buy food. A lot of people rely on this money for their basic expenses. It’s to keep the lights on in their apartment or whether it’s to pay for the food that they are going to eat that day or put gas in their car to get to class and work. These soldiers do rely on this check, especially if they have been getting it for several years and are used to having that come in every month. So, I could definitely see this being an issue, yes.”
While my case was solved, this payment delay is still causing a lot of trouble for soldiers everywhere. If you are facing a financial hardship due to the delay in GI Bill payments, contact the education Call Center at 1-888-442-4551 between 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central Time, Monday-Friday or contact the VA throughthe GI Bill website.
In Kent, OH, this is Andrea Gump.
