Government officials released an updated version of the G.I. Bill Comparison Tool recently, according to Stars and Stripes. The newest version of the tool is intended to give post-9/11 servicemembers, veterans and their families greater access to the tools necessary to learn about the educational benefits of certain learning institutions and discover more about VA-approved learning institutions and programs across the country.
Calculating the cost of school
Now, prospective students enrolled in the military can use the online tool to see how far their military benefits will take them based on what educational pursuit they intend to become a part of. The calculator will tell users how much GI Bill funds they may receive based on the length of their military service, according to New York Daily News. This is especially beneficial because users would normally have to visit a flurry of websites in order to estimate their costs themselves.
"In the past a student veteran would have to visit 15 to 20 websites just to estimate covering the cost for a single school," Will Hubbard, Student Veterans of America's vice president of government affairs, told the Daily News. "This is important for veterans to know upfront how far their benefits will take them when it comes to paying for school."
Warning veterans about for-profit colleges
One of the key reasons for developing a more effective cost calculator for veterans involves warning them against predatory for-profit institutions. According to the Daily News, President Barack Obama has already warned for-profit academic recruiters against preying on susceptible military personnel working to transition to civilian life.
The number of veterans enrolling in for-profit institutions has increased substantially over time, according to a report by the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. While the overall number of veterans using the G.I. Bill program has more than doubled from 2009 to 2013 – up to 697,500 from 330,000 – the number of past military personnel joining nonprofit schools has climbed only slightly, while public college enrollments have actually decreased 12 percent. At the same time, veteran enrollments to for-profit schools has risen 8 percent.
For-profit schools can be a dangerous investment for veterans for various reasons, according to U.S. News & World Report. In an article published last year, past for-profit school recruiters and salesmen warned about some of the suspicious and detrimental details behind the scenes. In the article, for-profit school officials warn that they are pushed to promise prospective students jobs with higher salaries after graduation and forced to take advantage of and target military personnel specifically.
Senate Education Chairman Tom Harkin has openly criticized for-profit school programs after spearheading an investigation into the matter, U.S. News & World Report stated.
"For-profit schools see our active-duty military and veterans as a cash cow, an untapped profit resource," Harkin said, according to the news source. "It is both a rip off of the taxpayer and a slap in the face to the people who have risked their lives for our country."
The future of veteran education
The for-profit school trend may turn around, according to Stars and Stripes, however. Reportedly, nearly 350,000 people have used the G.I. Bill comparison tool over the past six months. Among the most popular schools researched were Harvard, University of Texasat Austin, American Public University, Arizona State University and University of Washington – all public or not-for-profit schools. Meanwhile, the refurbished program will offer estimations regarding educational outcomes from specific schools to judge whether investments in some institutions are actually worth what salesmen and particular marketing efforts claim.