Nye: “As we work to rebuild our economy, we must not leave our veterans behind”

Washington, DC –From the Office of Rep. Nye -Veterans will have an easier time attending and affording college, if a new bill supported by Congressman Glenn Nye (VA-02) becomes law.

The bill (H.R. 3221) included provisions that will expand aid available under the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, allow servicemembers to transfer credits earned while serving in the military, and encourage colleges and universities to hire dedicated, Veterans Resource Officers to assist student veterans.

The measures were passed by a bipartisan vote of 253 to 171 as part of a larger bill designed to save money for taxpayers by reforming the student lending industry, expanding aid to students, and cutting unnecessary spending.

“Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have a 21% higher unemployment rate than the rest of the country, and as we work to rebuild our economy, we must not leave our veterans behind,” said Congressman Glenn Nye, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Veterans Affairs Committee. “This bill will help veterans to get the full benefit of the GI Bill so they can concentrate on getting a degree and finding a job.”

Congressman Nye has been fighting to help create jobs for veterans. He is the author of the Veterans Business Center Act, which will create a network of resource centers to help veterans start and run their own businesses. Nye sponsored a tax credit in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1) to give a tax cut to businesses that hire unemployed veterans. On July 2^nd, he organized a Veterans Job Fair in Norfolk bringing together over 300 veterans and 24 local businesses.

The bill passed by the House today, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (H.R. 3221) is the single largest investment in aid to help students and families pay for college – and it saves taxpayers a total of $10 billion. The bill reforms the federal student lending system to cut unnecessary spending, and it uses the savings to expand Pell Grants, keep student loan interest rates low, and simplify the financial aid application process.

Background on H.R. 3221 The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009: Provisions that Will Assist Military Personnel and Veterans

Supplemental Education Grants for Veterans (Section 106)

• Right now, many veterans attending college under the Post-9/11 GI Bill may not be receiving the full benefit to which they are entitled.
• Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, veterans are eligible to receive funds in two categories: tuition and fees. However, if there is any money left over after paying the fees at a particular college, the veteran is not allowed to use those extra funds to help pay for tuition.
• Section 106 of the bill fixes this problem by creating a Supplemental Education Grant that lets veterans use any extra money from their “fees” award to pay for tuition.  
• Based on information from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that up to 25,000 veterans would receive an average of an additional $9,000 in 2010 to help pay for college as a result of this bill.

Veterans Resource Officer Grants (Section 102)

• The bill also creates a grant to allow colleges and universities to hire Veterans Resource Officers to serve as advocates for student veterans on campus.
• The grants would go to colleges or universities that have at least 100 veterans as full-time students.
• The Veteran Resource Officers would serve as a liaison between student veterans and the college or university, assist student veterans in working with the Department of Veterans Affairs (including mental health services), organize veterans groups on campus, and help new student veterans transition to into their new college or university.
• This would also help create new jobs for veterans. The bill states when hiring the new Veteran Resource Officers, colleges should give preference to veterans.

Additional Measures to Assist Veterans and Military Personnel in H.R. 3221

• The bill directs the Department of Education to reserve funds for local educational agencies that serve a geographic area that contains a military installation selected for base closure.
• It allows servicemembers to transfer academic credits earned while serving in the military between institutions of higher education.
• It adds veterans to the list of priority grantees under the American Graduate Initiative and allows funds to be used to support programs that prepare students to enter careers serving veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• It grants priority for state Innovation Completion grants to entities that promote activities to increase degree or certificate completion for veterans.

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