VA Keeps Processing of New GI Bill Education Benefits In-House
The education benefits of the new GI Bill — which will provide eligible veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with four years of college funding — will be processed in-house by the Department of Veterans Affairs and not outsourced to a private contractor as originally planned, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education (“Veterans Affairs Department Cancels Plan to Outsource New Education Benefit,” Nov. 6, 2008).
The VA said it abandoned its controversial plan to put a private contractor in charge of processing the benefits — a proposal opposed by some veterans groups and members of Congress — after the department didn’t receive enough bids.
Out of 10 submissions, five were selected for review, but the proposals failed to prove that the vendors “could deliver in the very short time frame that we have to stand this up,” said Keith Wilson, director of the VA’s education service.
The American Legion lauded the department’s decision, saying that a contractor can’t offer veterans the same level of service that VA employees can provide.
“The VA employs IT personnel with intimate knowledge of how to best serve the veterans’ community,” said David Rehbein, national commander for the Legion.
Administering the new GI Bill benefits will be unusually complex, says Patrick Dunne, the VA’s undersecretary for benefits, since payment amounts are based on both in-state tuition and living costs, meaning benefits would vary by state and by region.
The new GI Bill, which Congress passed in June, will give veterans enough financial aid to cover up to the cost of in-state tuition at the most expensive public college in their state, along with a stipend for housing and books.
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