Veterans Frustrated By Wait for GI Bill
Thousands of veterans who flocked to colleges and universities around the service in Iraq and Afghanistan waiting for GI Bill benefits, some frantically scrambling to pay rent, food and textbooks.
Delays due to the large number of applications for Department of Veterans Affairs from 1 August, when the most extensive educational benefits for veterans after World War II came into force.
Tom Tiefry, Eastern Michigan University student and U.S. Marine, was among thousands waiting for their money. Without any income, veteran of the war in Afghanistan has been draining their savings, can't move from his mother's home in Gibraltar, and hopes his beat-up 1994 Chevrolet Camaro driven not survive winter Michigan.
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\ "It's very frustrating,"said Tiefry, 23
He made the commitment of his country for four years of service and delays in the views of its assets GI Bill as a government is not honoring its commitment to him.
\ "My word is good,"said Tiefry."But this was not the'ta, as their"was. It never crossed my mind that these things could happen."
Veterans Affairs officials pledged this week to get their students benefit. Number of veterans with claims unprocessed is less than 5000 - down from tens of thousands - and the goal is to have them all processed by the end of the year, officials said.
\ "We continue to work with schools on a daily basis to make sure that did not deny a student attends class as a result of delays in payment of tuition,'VA spokesperson Katie Roberts said."It'sa VA a top priority to ensure that students can concentrate on their studies rather than their bank accounts. "
\ "It's People's life'
The new GI Bill benefits cover the cost of the largest public university tuition - paid to school - and also pay housing benefit directly to veterans - worth about $ 1300 per month in Michigan - and the $ 1000 annual book scholarship.
Delays in the living allowances represent some veterinarians must take a loan to support their families. Others must go to the bank to eat food, one mother received eviction notice, said Derek Blumke, president of Student Veterans of America, which has been meeting with VA officials in Washington about the problems.
\ "It's not just the dollar, it's not just a number, it's People's life,"said Blumke, University of Michigan students.
Veterans Affairs is under enormous stress due droves Veterans - VA officials assessed this summer reached 460,000 or 20 per cent to 25 per cent increase compared to last year. But the complexity of the formula used to determine what the veteran has received, and clunky information technology system to VA means any claim, which takes about 90 minutes to process manually on four different computer systems.