U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University
Veterans for Higher Education Committee 2920 Lerner Hall, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
Milvets@gmail.com
22 April 2011
Re: Support for H.R. 1383
To Whom It May Concern:
The U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University, representing over three hundred student veterans at the university, supports H.R. 1383: the Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act, although we also note that there is need for further revisions (inclusions) in order for this legislation to be most effective. H.R. 1383 has the potential to provide crucial relief to our nation’s veterans who have enrolled in private and out-of-state public schools before the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 capped tuition at $17,500. We recognize that Congress will have to make difficult decisions as it begins confronting the nation's deficits, but we believe there is an obligation to protect veterans who have made long-term plans and life-changing decisions with the understanding that their benefits would remain.
The transitional period that H.R. 1383 will provide is necessary by allowing veterans the chance to adapt their lives. Several of our veterans studying at Columbia are married with families, and many more come from low socio-economic backgrounds. Most veterans are independent, adult students who do not receive financial support from their families. The grandfather clause will allow these veteran students to make the decisions necessary to accomplish their goals. Without H.R. 1383 many veterans and their families, who made the decision to receive a low-cost or no-cost education, will leave school or be forced to incur substantial debt. We hope that H.R. 1383 will solve this unfortunate dilemma.
Additionally, we hope that H.R. 1383 will address not only veterans attending private schools, but also those who are attending public institutions outside of their home states. They too have been severely hampered financially with the changes to the G.I. Bill due to the high cost of attending out-of-state public schools. They made an educated decision to attend these schools with the information available at the time. Now our veterans find themselves not only cut out of the current law, but also not included in H.R. 1383. They must be added in order for “Restoring GI Bill Fairness” to meet its intent.
We ask only for what will be needed to cover the tuition received under the original Post-9/11 GI Bill. By using a cut-off date of April 1, 2011, the affected student-veterans are properly included. We do not seek or support any clauses that will bring back "break pay" for this particular piece of legislation. Additionally, we do not support any efforts to grandfather active duty service members attending school in H.R. 1383. As we understand, they fall under the Department of Defense and are duly compensated under DOD’s separate education policies. The intent of our initiative - and, we believe, the heart of this legislation - is to protect those who have no other means of funding and ease transition to the new bill. With the goals of keeping this bill cost-neutral and expediting its implementation, we request that separate issues be addressed at a later juncture.
We thank you for the support and leadership you have shown for veterans’ issues. This bill will help a new generation of veterans obtain a top-notch college education. We appreciate the determination you have shown to help make this possible and urge a passage prior to August 1, 2011 in order to protect negatively affected veterans who have acted in good faith to fulfill the agreement promised in the Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.
For further information please contact me at the address provided below.
Sincerely,
Richard B. Baldassari
General Secretary Elect, U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University
Chairman, Veterans for Higher Education
milvets@gmail.com
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