CLOSING THE BY RACHEL WINSTON
roviding veterans with the help and
resources to pursue a higher education is
a challenge for any college. It’s especially
tough in California, where, until recently,
veterans were entitled to a fraction of the
benefits they might have received in other states.
P
To blame was a formula in the new
GI Bill that provides funding equivalent to
the highest-priced postsecondary under-
graduate institution in the state. Because
California’s public
schools have
traditionally
charged “fees”
for services and
not traditional
tuition, many
veterans
attempting
to attend
California
colleges were
excluded from
these benefits.
California’s public
universities have
since adopted a new
billing line item
Rep. Howard
“Buck”
McKeon
called “Educational Fee/Tuition” that
the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs has agreed to use when calculating maximum payments.
The effort was spearheaded in part
by U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon
(R-Calif.). “California’s prohibition on
tuition was meant to hold college costs
down, not unfairly drive them up for
our state’s veterans,” says McKeon.
Veterans attending California com-
munity colleges face myriad challenges
obtaining the resources to which they
are entitled. Extraordinary processing
times for benefits are but one conse-
quence of a state mired in financial
troubles. Cutbacks in counselors and
staff and a federal program working
overtime to serve a massive influx of
requests are others. Some California
students report waiting for months to
receive benefits—one reason the Ameri-
can Council on Education and military
advocacy groups recommend colleges
defer tuition for veterans waiting for
their reimbursement.
Congressional offices have received
numerous requests for assistance from
veterans who have not been able to pay
their rent, afford their books, or cover
their tuition. Meanwhile, veterans’
offices in California are flooded with
students returning home from Iraq
and Afghanistan.
Reductions in staff, combined
with an additional pending 10 percent
budget reduction at California’s
community colleges, make the challenge tougher still. Many veterans
have become frustrated with the
process, and it is estimated that half
of all GI Bill benefits go unused.
The numbers speak volumes. More
veterans reside in California than
any other state in the country. It is
estimated that some 2 million veterans
will return from their service within
the next few years. Many California
community colleges have experienced
100 percent increases in the number
of veterans served. A combination of
increased enrollments and stiff budget
cuts has given rise to frustration.
Many feel the process of applying for
veterans’ benefits is too complex, and
proper support is not available. Still,
California program officers say they
are making strides to increase the resources available to returning soldiers.
Programs such as Boots to Books,
the Veteran Student Alliance, and the
