As Delayed GI Bill Checks Send Vets Scrambling, IAVA Unveils New GI Bill Calculator to Help Post-9/11 Veterans Prep for College

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 15th, 2012
CONTACT: Michelle McCarthy, (212) 982-9699 or michelle@iava.org

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NEW YORK- Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation’s first and largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization representing veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, launched a new online GI Bill calculator to help millions of new veterans freely and accurately determine their eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Originally launched in 2009, the updated calculator—anchored at IAVA’s NewGIBill.org—is the premier online educational resource for the GI Bill and has already been utilized by over 820,000 veterans and their family members.

“Over the past few days, IAVA has heard from hundreds of our members confirming that the VA is late—in some cases up to two months—processing GI Bill checks. For our vets and their families, this is more than just a “bump in the road.” It’s completely unacceptable. The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the most significant investment in veterans’ education since World War II. Not a dollar of that investment should be delayed or wasted. Secretary Shinseki and the VA must move quickly and aggressively to remedy this problem no matter how isolated. No veteran should be forced to pay out of pocket or drop out of school this semester because they have no idea when their GI Bill payments will arrive,” said IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff.

“As the February jobs report showed, hundreds of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are still coming home from these wars to unemployment checks. More and more are choosing to go back to school to make the transition from combat to career. If the VA can’t deliver, IAVA’s got their back. We fought hard to pass the New GI Bill and we’re committed to helping every vet make sound educational and job training choices. We’ve spent the past year innovating our GI Bill calculator so more vets can take advantage of the program and get the most out of their benefits. This GI Bill Calculator is the latest innovative IAVA product that takes service to scale--it gives vets a head start in ‘one click’. It’s a one-stop shop, providing free educational information, legislative updates, interactive tools and 24-hour customer support to help vets decide what school is right for them. Much like its predecessor, the New GI Bill is a sound economic investment and IAVA wants to ensure it sets our new veterans, their families and the entire country up for success in the decades to come.”

Explore IAVA's GI Bill Calculator at NewGIBill.org.

After months of development, IAVA’s GI Bill Calculator integrates critical legislative changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and more data and guidance from the Department of Education.  The revamped tool, a core component of IAVA’s veteran education program, also takes customer service to scale directly connecting new veterans with IAVA’s GI Bill experts on staff. The tool can calculate over 477 million different variations of GI Bill benefits and includes a “One Click” benefits estimator, the most accurate Department of Education data on tuition and fees, a Yellow Ribbon feature and comprehensive social media integration. To learn more and explore IAVA’s GI Bill Calculator, click here.

Over 500,000 new veterans, their spouses and children have taken advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill since IAVA spearheaded its passage in 2008. Last week, IAVA submitted testimony before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity outlining support for several bills introduced to protect the New GI Bill and improve veterans’ transition from combat to career. Read more about the impact of the legislation including the Veterans Education Equity Act and the TAP Modernization Act here.

If you would like to arrange an interview with IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff or an IAVA Member Veteran impacted by delays to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, please contact Michelle McCarthy, 212-982-9699, michelle@iava.org.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 200,000 Member Veterans and civilian supporters nationwide. Its mission is to improve the lives of this country's newest generation of veterans and their families.