{"id":57264,"date":"2021-04-15T21:47:16","date_gmt":"2021-04-15T21:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/04\/15\/va-dumps-plans-to-stop-students-from-adding-non-degree-classes-to-keep-gi-bill-benefits\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:05:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:05:00","slug":"va-dumps-plans-to-stop-students-from-adding-non-degree-classes-to-keep-gi-bill-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/education-transition\/2021\/04\/15\/va-dumps-plans-to-stop-students-from-adding-non-degree-classes-to-keep-gi-bill-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"VA dumps plans to stop students from adding non-degree classes to keep GI Bill benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Veterans Affairs officials are backtracking on plans to bar student veterans from \u201crounding out\u201d their degree programs with non-required courses to maintain their GI Bill benefit<\/a>s, saying they\u2019ll look for other ways to ensure the system isn\u2019t being abused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Department leaders had planned to end the practice this August, a move that could have cost some veterans thousands of dollars in tuition payouts and housing stipends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But on Thursday, VA Secretary Denis McDonough announced the department will no longer make the change, allowing the practice to continue into the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe department\u2019s goal is to not only support the economic well-being of veterans and their families but also ensure we are serving as fiscal stewards of dollars entrusted to our agency,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cThe new \u2018rounding out\u2019 policy allows VA to accomplish both.<\/p>\n\n\n\t