{"id":30021,"date":"2018-12-05T14:45:21","date_gmt":"2018-12-05T14:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/05\/what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-the-forever-gi-bill\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:43:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:43:25","slug":"what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-the-forever-gi-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2018\/12\/05\/what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-the-forever-gi-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s the VA\u2019s long, slow fix to the GI Bill cash crunch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For student veterans using the Post-9\/11 GI Bill to pay for school, last week was riddled with chaos and confusion, as the Veterans Affairs Department announced a new plan to implement portions of the Forever GI Bill<\/a> law after blowing through an August deadline now long past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawmakers called for action<\/a> and investigations<\/a>. VA officials appeared to say one thing \u2014 then the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But amid all the pandemonium, there\u2019s been an overlooked silver lining. After reports of severe payment delays for thousands of student veterans expecting housing stipends this fall, those planning to use the education benefit for the spring semester should get their money on time \u2014 even if those payments aren\u2019t yet 100 percent accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, starting in January, students who should have received a higher payment due to a cost-of-living increase in the fall will get a check for the difference, and VA spokesman Curt Cashour told Military Times the department will not hold veterans accountable for any overpayments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the next year, the VA will pay student housing stipends as if the relevant portion of the Forever GI Bill had not yet gone into effect. That law was set to change the way student housing stipends are calculated by bringing new students\u2019 payments in line with what the Defense Department pays E-5s with dependents and paying all students a rate based on where they take classes and not the location of their school\u2019s main campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though the original start date was Aug. 1, the VA has now given itself a controversial new deadline<\/a>: Dec. 1, 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\t