VA Educational Checks Available

October 28, 2009
By Air Force News Service
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive

| RSS |

Del.icio.us

Air Force News Service

WASHINGTON - Checks for up to $3,000 are now available to students who have applied for Veterans Affairs educational benefits and have not yet received their payment.

The checks are now being distributed to eligible students at VA regional benefits offices across the country, said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki Sept. 25.

“Students should be focusing on their studies, not worrying about financial difficulties,” Shinseki said. “Education creates life-expanding opportunities for our veterans.”

As of Oct. 2, students can go to one of VA’s 57 regional benefit offices with photo identification, a course schedule and an eligibility certificate to request advance payment of their housing and book allowance.

Because some students don’t live near one of those offices, VA officials expect to send representatives to schools with large veteran-student bodies to work with veteran service groups in helping students with transportation needs, officials said.

“I’m asking our people to get out their road maps and determine how we can reach the largest number of college students who can’t reach us,” said Patrick Dunne, the VA’s undersecretary for benefits. “Not everyone has a car. Not everyone can walk to a VA benefits office.”

Although VA officials said they don’t know how many students will request emergency funds, about 25,000 claims are pending that may result in payments to students.

The funds VA will give to students now are advance payments of the earned benefits for housing and books, and will be deducted from future education payments. VA officials said students should know that after this special payment, they can expect to receive education payments on the normal schedule, the beginning of the month following the period for which they are reimbursed.

“This is an extraordinary action we’re taking,” Shin-seki said. “But it’s necessary, because we recognize the hardships some of our veterans face.”