Report: VA wasting billions on ineligible schools
March 03, 2019
The GI Bill is one of the nation’s best tools for helping military veterans to successfully transition from active duty to civilian life. Many have used the GI Bill to advance their education and greatly improve their lives and those of their family members.
Sadly, a new federal report suggests billions of dollars are being wasted on GI Bill payments to ineligible schools. Those schools do not have the required accreditation to participate in GI Bill programs. Yet, the VA continues funneling large sums of money to schools that do not provide suitable educational and training opportunities for veterans.
The VA Office of the Inspector General recently reported the VA could waste $2.3 billion in GI Bill funding over the next five years by sending the cash to schools that do not qualify based on their accreditation. The VA obtains information on qualifying schools from State Approving Agencies. Unfortunately, up to a whopping 86 percent of those agencies did not properly review the schools and programs recommended for participation in the GI Bill.
The Inspector General’s report cautions that, without correcting the situation, the VA could pay billions to schools that do not meet accreditation standards. When schools receive GI Bill funding but do not have the requisite accreditation, veterans wind up missing out on an invaluable opportunity to improve their skills and advance their civilian careers. Veterans also lose the best opportunity to improve their lives by obtaining a high quality education from one of the many great universities in Michigan and around the nation.