The Department of Veterans Affairs unveiled a new online tool allowing current and former service members or their dependents to compare colleges and universities, calculating what their G.I. Bill benefits provide at each institution.
The link provides such information as the amount of tuition the government will cover for a school, how many veterans are attending and graduation rates.
The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill that was passed in 2008 provides education benefits to veterans or service members who were on active duty status for at least 90 days after Sept. 10, 2001. Since 2009, $30 billion has gone toward higher education for veterans, troops and family members.
The government also launched online sites where troops or veterans can file a complaint if they have problems using their educational benefits.
Who should submit a complaint?
If you or your family member receives tuition assistance or is a Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Scholarship recipient, you are encouraged to submit feedback here.
If you are not using TA or MyCAA education benefits, please submit your complaint to the appropriate agency:
- Montgomery or Post 9/11 GI Bill® – Department of Veterans Affairs
- Federal financial aid, for example Pell Grants and federal loans – Department of Education
- Private student loans – Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
When to submit a complaint
You may submit a complaint if your school is failing to follow the Principles of Excellence. This initiative is designed to empower you and your family members to report misleading or unfair actions by education institutions. Examples of education related issues may include, but are not limited to, misrepresentation or deceptive actions concerning multiple unsolicited phone calls or emails used as a high-pressure recruitment tactic, false representation about degree programs, misleading statements regarding accreditation or promoting costly private or institutional loans. The types of complaints DoD will review include the following:
Recruiting and marketing practices, Quality of education, Accreditation, Grade policy, Financial issues
(for example, tuition and fee charges) Release of transcripts, Student loans, Transfer of credits, Post-graduation, job opportunities, Refund or collection issues, Change in degree plan, and requirements, Other
If you are experiencing issues specific to your TA or MyCAA education benefit, for example, eligibility, application/request form or payment, please direct them to your DoD military service education representative.
How to submit a complaint
If you are using TA or MyCAA education benefits, please click the Submit a Complaint link below to file your complaint.
http://www.militaryonesource.mil/voluntary-education?co
After submitting a complaint
The process and subsequent actions after a complaint is submitted include the following steps.
1. Student submits a complaint. Upon submission of a complaint about an issue with a school, you will receive status updates via the email address you provided when you submitted the complaint.
2. DoD and the military service review school complaints. Complaints will be sent to your DoD military service education representative for review. The education representative will work with your school and provides you with a response to your complaint. If they determine another government agency would be better able to assist, we will forward your complaint to them and provide you an update. Please note that all verified complaints will be submitted for the record to the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network.
3. DoD, military service and the school respond to the complaint. As your complaint is being reviewed, the DoD/military service education representative will communicate with you as needed and, with feedback from the school, will prepare a response to your complaint.
4. Student receives a complaint response. Upon completion of the school’s response, you will receive a case closure notification via the email address you provided when you submitted the complaint.
5. DoD will follow up on the complaint. Complaint data is shared with state and federal law enforcement agencies as necessary. Complaints tell us about practices that may pose risks to students. If we need more information, we’ll contact you.
U.S. VETERANS LIGHTHOUSE 