VA gears up to implement new GI Bill p1 - GI Bill Benefits - Tuition Assistance for the Military - Military Times EDGE

Anticipating a tidal wave of GI Bill claims this summer when a new full-tuition benefits plan takes effect, the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to hire 400 people for its regional offices in a push that began Dec. 1 and have new staff on board to begin training by March 1.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, which takes effect Aug. 1, is so generous compared with existing benefits that VA officials are preparing to deal with an estimated 526,000 benefits claims next year, said Keith Wilson, director of VA’s education service.

Wilson, testifying before a House subcommittee that is concerned about whether VA will be ready, said initial plans to use a completely automated claims process have not worked out and that most claims will be manually processed, with help from a computer program to help make sure all necessary information is available.

Wilson described manual claims processing as a “throwaway” solution that would be abandoned as soon as an automated system is ready. He expects that to take up to two years more.

Wilson did not say what would happen to the 400 new hires after the automated system is available, but members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee — who have been monitoring startup problems — said they expect the claims workers would be transferred to other duties, because VA also has a large backlog of disability benefits claims that needs to be tackled.

Implementing the Post-9/11 GI Bill is more complicated that processing claims for current educational benefits because the programs have major differences, including who gets paid. The new program will send tuition checks directly to schools, while the student will receive a living stipend and book allowance. The living stipend will be based on housing costs in the ZIP codes where the schools are located.

Benefits will cover the full cost of tuition and fees for a four-year-public college or university, with a maximum rate set for each state.