Carper, Ernst Ask VA to Give Veteran Students More Information about Flight Schools Prohibited from Enrolling Veterans Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill

Statement

Today, Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), a retired Navy captain, and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lieutenant Colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard, sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Deputy Under Secretary Curtis Coy requesting that the department provide more information about the status of flight training programs that have been suspended by VA on the GI Bill Comparison Tool.

"Ten schools were found to have flight programs in violation of the 85/15 Rule, and VA suspended these programs from enrolling new veteran students until they become compliant with the law," the Senators wrote. "We believe that this information should be available to all prospective students who intend to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill to help finance their higher education."

The GI Bill Comparison Tool offers important resources to veterans with Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits who are seeking to pursue higher education programs. It's critical that veterans know when a program listed on the tool has violated federal regulations regarding veteran enrollment, and whether or not that program has been suspended from enrolling new students. Adding more information about these programs to the GI Bill Comparison tool will help ensure veterans can make smart choices about enrolling in educational programs.

Last month, Senators Carper and Ernst sent a letter to VA Secretary Robert McDonald requesting more information about flight schools that contract with public colleges and universities after news reports claimed that some schools were charging taxpayers over $500,000 to train veterans using Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits.

The Senators recently received a preliminary response from the department, identifying among other troubling findings that the Post-9/11 GI Bill expenditure on aviation-related degree programs at public institutes of higher learning (IHLs) has nearly doubled to $80 million per year for fewer than 2,000 students. A comprehensive summary can be found here.

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