Education Legislation

Military and Veterans Education Protection Act

Right now, a loophole in the 90-10 rule rewards predatory for-profit schools for targeting veterans benefits. The 90-10 rule sets up two pools of money, government money and private funds. 90% of a school’s money can come from government funds, like federal financial aid and loans, but 10% must come from private sources. But when Congress wrote the law, they left a loophole in that allowed New GI Bill and DoD educational benefits to be counted as private money rather than government funds. Because of this loophole, for every veteran a school enrolls, they can enroll another 9 students on federal financial aid. That boils down to more than $125,000 for every veteran a school enrolls in addition to the veteran student’s GI Bill benefits. The Military and Veterans Education Protection Act will address the 90-10 rule.

S. 2116 - Sen. Thomas Carper [D-DE]
Cosponsors: Sen. Jack Reed [D-RI], Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY], Sen. Richard Blumenthal [D-CT], Sen. Tim Johnson [D-SD], Sen. John Rockefeller [D-WV], Sen. Claire McCaskill [D-MO], Sen. Jim Webb [D-VA], Sen. Al Franken [D-MN], Sen. Tom Harkin [D-IA], Sen. Kay Hagan [D-NC] 

H.R. 4055 - Rep. Jackie Speier [D-CA12]
Cosponsors: Rep. Gary Peters [D-MI09], Rep. Steve Israel [D-NY02], Rep. Sam Farr [D-CA17], Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL01], Rep. Judy Chu [D-CA32], Rep. Joe Courtney [D-CT02], Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D-NY22], Rep. Mazie Hirono [D-HI02], Rep. Anna Eshoo [D-CA14], Rep. Bill Cassidy [R-LA06], Rep. Adam Smith [D-WA09], Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. [D-IL02], Rep. Chellie Pingree [D-ME01], Rep. Brian Higgins [D-NY27], Rep. Bill Owens [D-NY23], Rep. Keith Ellison [D-MN05], Rep. Betty McCollum [D-MN04], Rep. Elijah Cummings [D-MD07], Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D-CA06], Rep. Barbara Lee [D-CA09], Rep. Jared Polis [D-CO02], Rep. Dennis Kucinich [D-OH10], Rep. Raul Grijalva [D-AZ07], Rep. Colleen Hanabusa [D-HI01], Rep. Walter Jones [R-NC03], Rep. Jim Cooper [D-TN05], Rep. Mike Honda [D-CA15], Rep. Mike Quigley [D-IL05], Rep. Rosa DeLauro [D-CT03], Rep. Gene Green [D-TX29] 

Stop the Deceptive Marketing Campaigns

In order to get veterans enrolled, some predatory for-profit schools are engaging in aggressive and deceptive marketing campaigns tailored for veterans. They advertise special rates for veterans, put up websites that claim these schools are “GI Bill friendly,” and continually hound veterans with calls, emails, and mailings about their schools. And they are paying for these marketing campaigns with federal dollars, from federal financial aid and programs like the New GI Bill. IAVA is working with Congress to enact legislation that prevents schools from using federal money for advertising campaigns.

H.R. 4390 - Rep. Raul Grijavala [D-AZ07]
Cosponsors: Rep. Bill Cassidy [R-LA6], Rep. Judy Chu [D-CA32], Rep. Gene Green [D-TX29], Rep. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. [D-IL2],Rep. Mike Quigley [D-IL5], Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL1], Rep. Adam Smith [D-WA9]

S. 2296 - Senator Kay Hagan [D-NC]
Cosponsors: Sen. Richard Blumenthal [D-CT], Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL], Sen. Al Franken [D-MN], Sen. Tom Harkin [D-IA], Sen. Bernard Sanders [I-VT]

Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012

Creates a comprehensive online tool that will inform veterans of all their educational and career training options. This tool will use data from the Department of Education and the State Approving Agencies to help veterans make choices that meet their needs.

H.R. 4057 - Rep. Gus Bilirakis [R-FL09]
Cosponsors: Rep. Ken Calvert [R-CA44], Rep. Tim Ryan [D-OH17], Rep. Brad Sherman [D-CA27], Rep. Carolyn McCarthy [D-NY04], Rep. Bob Filner[D-CA51], Rep. Colleen Hanabusa [D-HI01], Rep. Bill Cassidy [R-LA06], Rep. Brian Higgins [D-NY27], Rep. Chellie Pingree [D-ME01], Rep. Daniel Lipinski [D-IL03], Rep. Bill Owens [D-NY23], Rep. John Carter [R-TX31], Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL01], Del. Madeleine Bordallo [D-GU01], Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. [D-IL02], Rep. John Culberson [R-TX07], Rep. Gene Green [D-TX29], Rep. Betty McCollum [D-MN04], Rep. Michael Michaud [D-ME02]

Military and Veterans Educational Reform Act of 2012

This bill will protect student veterans by ensuring schools and programs of education at schools are tied to legitimate educational and job training programs. It will mandate that schools report data on student success and services available at the school. It will also improve oversight of schools receiving DoD and VA benefits as well as individual counseling available to student veterans. Finally, it will provide a means for students to report fraud, waste and abuse by schools.

S. 2179 - Sen. Jim Webb [D-VA]
Cosponsors: Sen. Kay Hutchison [R-TX], Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY], Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D-MD], Sen. Jon Tester [D-MT], Sen. Tom Udall [D-NM], Sen. Jack Reed [D-RI], Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA], Sen. Richard Blumenthal [D-CT], Sen. John Kerry [D-MA], Sen. Thomas Carper [D-DE], Sen. Claire McCaskill [D-MO], Sen. Mark Begich [D-AK], Sen. Bernard Sanders [I-VT], Sen. Tom Harkin [D-IA], Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL], Sen. Scott Brown [R-MA]

Recognizing Excellence in Veterans Education Act of 2012

This bill establishes an Excellence in Veterans Education Award.  This will be issued to GI Bill friendly schools by the VA based on the level of support schools give to their student veterans. It will provide an unbiased (and not marketing driven) way for student veterans to choose “Vet Friendly” schools and receive quality job training.

H.R. 4052 - Rep. Marlin Stutzman [R-IN03]
Cosponsors: Rep. Colleen Hanabusa [D-HI01], Rep. Bill Cassidy [R-LA06], Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. [D-IL02], Rep. Brian Higgins [D-NY27], Rep. Judy Chu [D-CA32], Rep. John Culberson [R-TX07], Rep. Gene Green [D-TX29], Rep. Brad Sherman [D-CA27], Rep. Carolyn McCarthy [D-NY04], Rep. Andre Carson [D-IN07], Rep. Daniel Lipinski [D-IL03]

GI Bill Consumer Awareness Act of 2012

This bill will help ensure that veterans will receive quality job training when using their DoD or VA education benefits. It will collect data on student and institutional outcomes, educate consumers through improved counseling services, protect student veterans by curbing fraudulent recruiting and establish methods to ensure overall student success.

S. 2241 - Sen. Patty Murray [D-WA]
Cosponsors: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen [D-NH], Sen. Patrick Leahy [D-VT], Sen. John Rockefeller [D-WV], Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI], Sen. Mark Begich [D-AK], Sen. Daniel Inouye [D-HI], Sen. Daniel Akaka [D-HI], Sen. Tom Harkin [D-IA], Sen. Sherrod Brown [D-OH], Sen. Christopher Coons [D-DE], Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY], Sen. Jack Reed [D-RI], Sen. Jon Tester [D-MT], Sen. Richard Blumenthal [D-CT]