Noteboom The Law Firm

Veterans Education Benefits May be Affected by Budget Cut

According to an article in The Air Force Times, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction was charged with producing $1.2 trillion in government spending cuts. Considering this, the near future will likely show a decrease in the availability of educational benefits for veterans and veterans with disabilities.

Part of that plan includes reducing veterans' educational benefits by $7 billion over the next 10 years. This is going to be accomplished by placing a cap on the yearly increase in tuition rates at 3%.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is only 2 years old and a generous but costly educational benefit. Lawmakers saw a need to spend available money on "core veterans programs," which include health care programs for disabled veterans.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has spent $11 billion on the GI Bill since its inception, and given the poor economy and job market coupled with a surge of veterans returning from deployment and wanting to enter college, that number is expected to rise significantly. Essentially, this may mean those who qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill who are currently deployed won't be able to utilize the benefit to its fullest extent.

The cap would only apply to fees and tuition, and not the offered living stipend. Students already enrolled wouldn't be affected unless they switched schools.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.