The deaths of three American soldiers in Afghanistan this week are a tragic reminder of why it’s so important for the nation to keep its promises to military men and women, Veterans, no matter where they served, have volunteered to put their lives on the line — and some make the ultimate sacrifice. Those courageous enough to go into battle should face zero delays in getting the education benefits they’ve earned. 
 
 Unfortunately, financial aid has been late or gone AWOL this fall for thousands of veterans and their families relying on the GI Bill to get through school. The reason: a big information-technology glitch that surfaced with what seemed like a relatively minor change in how the aid is calculated. 
 
 While the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is trying to fix this, a lack of communication by the agency about the delays, coupled with inaction by the U.S. Senate, has left service members-turned-students facing severe financial hardships. This week, the agency was still working to process more than 58,000 student aid claims. 
 
 On Wednesday, the VA announced that the information technology fixes will not be completed until December 2019 — more than a year past the original Aug. 1 deadline for finishing this work. This is a national disgrace, one that should prompt congressional leadership to move quickly on short- and long-term solutions. A good start would be swift passage of a Senate bill that would prohibit schools from penalizing student veterans for late VA assistance payments. This would address a major concern that students with accounts in arrears due to delayed payments may not be allowed to enroll for 2019 coursework. Given that the VA has said the tech problems will continue until the end of 2019, this protection is a sensible step. 
 
 The House merits praise for unanimously passing hold-students-harmless legislation, which has been dubbed the “SIT-REP” bill. But the legislation is bogged down in the Senate. 
 
 “If ever there was a time that it was obvious this bill needed to be passed, now is the time,” said Tanya Ang, vice president of the Veterans Education Success organization, in a statement provided for a Nov. 15 House Veterans Affairs subcommittee hearing. 
 
 Other testimony provided at the hearing made it clear that long-term solutions are urgently needed, too. The VA has lacked a permanent chief information officer since January 2017, which is unacceptable given how technology is so critical to delivering service members’ benefits. 
 
 President Donald Trump nominated a well-qualified Minnesota native, James Gfrerer, last summer, but the Senate has yet to confirm him. The Senate is expected to take this up soon, but the delay is inexcusable. 
 
 Both houses of Congress also need to scrutinize a much larger problem — the antiquated IT systems relied on by the VA and other federal agencies. A statement provided to the House by Booz Allen Hamilton, the private contractor originally hired to update the VA system, makes clear the root of the GI Bill problem: “The unfortunate delay has been caused by the confluence of outdated systems being asked to perform ever complex tasks.” 
 
 A 2016 Government Accountability Office report put the age of the VA’s benefits delivery platform at more than a half century. At that time, other agencies, such as the Treasury Department, also had so-called “legacy systems” in that age range. “Many use outdated software and hardware parts that are unsupported,” the report warned. 
 
 The GI Bill delay shows how a tweak to these dated systems can be complicated and time-consuming. There’s likely little appetite in Congress to tackle the daunting task of modernization, but leadership is sorely needed. ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. 
 
 Nov. 29, 2018, 1:40 AM GMT / Updated Nov. 29, 2018, 1:52 AM GMT By Phil McCausland 
 
 For weeks, student veterans across the country have raised an alarm about delayed or incorrect GI Bill benefit payments, which the Department of Veterans Affairs has blamed on computer issues. 
 
 But on Wednesday, the department told congressional staffers that it would not reimburse those veterans who were paid less than they were owed, two committee aides told NBC News. 
 
 The news conflicts with a promise VA officials made to a House committee earlier this month that it would reimburse those veterans who received less than the full amount they were due. 
 
 According to the aides, however, the VA said it could not make retroactive payments without auditing its previous education claims, which it said would delay future claims. The aides asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly. 
 
 NBC News previously reported that some veterans were forced into desperate financial straits stemming from a change in calculating housing allowances under the Forever GI Bill, which President Donald Trump signed into law in July 2017. When its computers were unable to process that change, the VA quickly faced a backlog of veterans’ claims three times higher than normal. 
 
 Because of those issues, the VA had announced earlier on Wednesday that it would delay the Forever GI Bill housing allowance changes until December 2019 — and again promised that retroactive payments would be made to those who did not receive a correct amount. 
 
 But VA officials told congressional staffers in a telephone call on Wednesday morning that once the system is made right next year, they will not make retroactive payments to those who were underpaid because of the housing miscalculations. 
 
 "They are essentially going to ignore the law and say that that change only goes forward from December 2019," one aide told NBC News. 
 
 The reason the VA decided that it would not make the retroactive payments is because it would have to audit all its previous education claims prior to December 2019, meaning the VA would potentially have to inspect 2 million claims, the aide said. 
 
 VA officials said this could cause further delays in processing future claims, according to the aides, an issue that caused some veterans to suffer earlier this year. 
 
 While this decision could mean the agency is flouting the law because it would not provide the correct amount of money to student veterans as required by two sections of the Forever GI Bill, the VA told the congressional staffers that they have a legal justification that would allow them to move forward with this decision. 
 
 They did not share that justification, however. 
 
 When asked for comment, a VA spokesman did not address the issue directly. Instead he reiterated that the agency would delay paying housing allowances in accordance with the new Forever GI Bill until the spring term of 2020 and instead pay housing allowances based on Department of Defense's older Basic Housing Allowance rates. 
 
 Attempting to implement the law would put “an enormous administrative burden for schools in which some 35,000 certifying officials would have to track retroactively and re-certify hundreds of thousands of enrollment documents,” Curtis Cashour, the VA spokesman, said over email. 
 
 Cashour also said that students who were overpaid because of the law’s changes or because of issues in implementing the law “will not be held liable for the debt.” 
 
 But he did not comment on those who were underpaid and rampant confusion continues to surround the issue, as it is unknown how many students have been underpaid thus far, how many more could be underpaid because of the changes to the law and how much money these veterans are owed. 
 
 Congressional aides described the situation as “frustrating.” One, who commented on the shifting answers and constant confusion stemming from VA, asked, “I mean, am I taking crazy pills?” 
 
 Under Secretary for Benefits Paul Lawrence is scheduled to testify Thursday morning before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. 
 
 One of the committee aides said that members of Congress will attempt to clear this issue up before they move forward with the hearing. 
 
 “They need to figure it out,” the aide said. ||||| After blowing through the initial deadline to bring its GI Bill housing stipends in line with the Forever GI Bill law, Veterans Affairs Department officials said Wednesday that they will not be able to implement the fix until December 2019. 
 
 The big delay comes after months of technology hiccups that have plagued the agency, which failed to meet the original Aug. 1 deadline to put the changes in place. These problems have contributed to a backlog of claims for veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill to attend school this fall, and the agency has come under fire in recent months as thousands of student veterans have had to wait longer than usual for their tuition and housing payments. 
 
 “Redesigning the way (Veterans Benefits Administration) calculates Post-9/11 GI Bill housing rates during a busy academic season was like flying a plane while building it, and that was unfair and frustrating to veterans and taxpayers. That’s why we are resetting our implementation of the law for the next year to ensure we get the technology and formula right to put Veterans first,” VA Sec. Robert Wilkie said in a news release. “In the meantime, beneficiaries receiving Post 9/11 GI Bill housing allowances will be paid at the DoD (basic housing allowance) rate, which in many cases will be equal to or higher than their current payment.” 
 
 Rebootcamp Recommendations 
 
 Congressional leaders who have taken the VA to task for the slow implementation said Wednesday they are glad Wilkie is choosing to focus on getting student veterans their payments, even if it means pushing back the deadline for the IT updates to be completed. 
 
 “While I am disappointed that the VA does not yet have an effective IT system in place, I understand Secretary Wilkie’s decision to reset implementation of certain sections of the ‘Forever’ GI Bill while improvements continue to be made,” Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said in a statement. “Right now, the VA’s priority must be to ensure accurate payments are sent to student veterans in a timely manner. Student veterans rely on the GI Bill to support themselves and their families while they are in school, and the VA is responsible for keeping those payments going, even as it implements the new law.” 
 
 Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., whose House Committee on Veterans Affairs’ pressed VA leaders for a new deadline in a hearing on Capitol Hill earlier this month, said Wilkie’s move “will ensure that monthly housing payments are made with minimal delays.” 
 
 Both lawmakers said they would continue their efforts to hold the VA accountable. ||||| CLOSE Dr. Hilary Miller of MTSU works with veteran students on the GI Bill that are affected by VA technical difficulties Mark Zaleski and Michael Schwab 
 
 Staff Sergeant Robert Baker and his family have been affected by VA tech issues that has delayed GI Bill Benefits for months (Photo: Submitted) 
 
 Staff Sgt. Robert Baker was so stressed about money that he made a “spur of the moment decision” and dropped out of all his classes. 
 
 It was already October and he hadn’t received his GI Bill benefits for the start of his fall semester at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville. 
 
 The 30-year-old communications major and his wife, in her last semester of nursing school, are full-time students. At home, they have three young kids, ages 2 to 6. 
 
 “I freaked out,” Baker said in an interview with the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee. “I told them I was going to fall behind on my mortgage. I was expecting to be paid by the VA, but since it wasn’t happening, I needed to get to work.” 
 
 His wife had already picked up a second job bartending to make ends meet. 
 
 “They’re too young to know about the money aspect, but they know mommy is gone so much,” Baker said of his kids, who he watches at alone at night after a day of classes. “They were feeling our stress.” 
 
 Baker left the Army this summer after 12 years in the service, including deployments to Iraq in 2008 and Kuwait in 2012. He was stationed in Fort Campbell for four years. 
 
 He wanted to take advantage of his GI Bill so he enrolled for classes just a month after the Army discharged him. But the money never came, he said. 
 
 "We were just shocked. We were angry because we figured this would be automatic," Baker said. "Come to find out, there were big problems going on at the VA." 
 
 There are many veterans, like Baker, in Tennessee and across the country who are still waiting for the Department of Veterans Affairs to clear a backlog created after President Donald Trump signed the Forever GI BIll in 2017. 
 
 While the landmark legislation expanded benefits for a new generation of veterans and their families, it didn’t upgrade the VA’s antiquated technical capabilities to account for those changes. 
 
 Problems are centered within the VA’s Office of Information Technology, which is tasked with implementing the change to how housing allowances are calculated, the VA said. 
 
 The new bill changed it so that veterans housing would be based on the school’s ZIP code, rather that where the veteran lived. Problems arose when the VA attempted to stress test their outdated system, as well as a contract dispute. As a result, the VA waited until July 16 to tell schools to begin enrolling students. 
 
 The delay caused a backlog of claims, meaning thousands of students had to wait for their benefits just as they were headed back to school for the fall semester. Post-Sept. 11 military-affiliated students, particularly first-time students like Baker, were mostly impacted. 
 
 On Nov. 14, state Rep. Jay Reedy, R-Erin, and leaders in the Tennessee House and Senate wrote a letter to U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-Johnson City, and members of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs urging them to take immediate action. Roe chairs the committee. 
 
 Nationally there are fewer than 1,000 Veterans who have an education claim that has been pending over 60 days and less than 10,000 who have a claim that’s been pending for over 30 days, as of Nov. 28, according to VA spokesman Curt Cashour. 
 
 Universities step in to help students 
 
 But where the VA failed, universities across the state have stepped up to help students. 
 
 Many schools are utilizing 0 percent interest loans and tuition deferment as ways to ensure student veterans receive the financial support they need continue their education. 
 
 As a result, institutional funds at several schools have been heavily drawn down, creating budget concerns. 
 
 Baker said after he dropped his classes, he came to the realization that he would have to pay the school back for the months he's already been in class. 
 
 "It was just going to hurt me more financially. I was freaking out and called admissions," he said. "They said 'It's OK. We'll fix it.'" 
 
 APSU has some 2,400 military-affiliated students on campus, according to retired Brig. Gen. Scott Brower, who joined the institution this year as its first military adviser in residence. 
 
 About $960,000 in tuition was deferred by the university for students impacted by the delay, and 83 students have taken out short-term loans offered by the school, totaling $175,000, according to Brower. 
 
 "We recognize this is on the VA and that they will fix this problem. We've been treating it with good faith, knowing that money is not available for them right now," he said. "We want to make sure we are doing everything we can so that students are continuing on their goal for degree completion." 
 
 Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro has done the same for its students, according to Hilary Miller, the director of the Daniels Center, a resource for the nearly 1,100 veterans and military families on campus. 
 
 “It was terrible,” she said, speaking of the delays. She said about 682 students receive post 9/11 benefits. 
 
 Buy Photo Middle Tennessee State University Veterans and Military Family Center director, Dr. Hilary Miller on Monday, Nov. 26, 2018, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Miller works with veteran students on the GI Bill who haven't received their benefits for months due to VA technical difficulties. (Photo: Mark Zaleski /For The Tennessean) 
 
 Miller said the school deferred their tuition and had short-term loans available for students to hold them over until their benefits had been processed. The school also had template letters for students to use with landlords explaining their situation. 
 
 “We asked our community members to extend grace to our veterans and that this was nothing the veterans did,” she said. 
 
 Students reached out to say that they couldn't pay for books and that it impacted their productivity in the classroom. The school contacted staff and faculty to make sure they were aware of the situation and asked if they could make copies of textbook pages in certain cases. 
 
 "We did everything we could do to make it easier, but if you're not getting paid for a couple of months, there's not a lot we can do to make it easier," Miller said. 
 
 VA's 'alarm' didn't go off 
 
 The delays varied greatly for students at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City. Some students were processed within 72 hours, but in many cases, students had to wait months to see any money. 
 
 “We were calling a month later, then two months later and (the VA) said. ‘We meant to get to that,’” said Antonio Banchs, the director of veterans affairs at East Tennessee State. 
 
 “It was as if they put in an alarm clock or something," Banchs said. "But it never went off.” 
 
 As of mid-November, Banchs said all of the roughly 1,000 veteran-affiliated students on campus had at last received their benefits. But it came with costs. 
 
 “Some were put in a financial hardship,” he said. “Especially our first-time students who went through a more rigorous process.” 
 
 Buy Photo Middle Tennessee State University Veterans and Military Family Center director, Dr. Hilary Miller talks with geo science student and former United State Marine Corps Sgt. Brandon Watts, 25, in her office on Monday, Nov. 26, 2018, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Miller works with veteran students on the GI Bill who haven't received their benefits for months due to VA technical difficulties. (Photo: Mark Zaleski /For The Tennessean) 
 
 In Memphis, at least one student a day for three months came in to complain about their benefits, said Jeffrey Jones, the coordinator of veterans education benefits for University of Memphis. 
 
 Complaints ramped up by the end of September when students realized that the VA was taking longer than expected to send them their benefits, he said. 
 
 “It looks as if the majority of problems has been resolved now," Jones said. "But, now we’re at then end of our term." 
 
 The University of Tennessee in Knoxville reported no issues with their 455 veteran and military students, according to Jayetta Rogers, veteran services coordinator. 
 
 Vanderbilt University also said they didn't hear from any of their students regarding their GI Bill benefits. 
 
 "Vanderbilt has a relatively small number of veteran students and we were able to submit their benefits early, in anticipation of the VA’s regulatory changes," the university said in a statement. 
 
 Concerns for spring semester 
 
 Miller, at MTSU, said that staff at the veterans center has tracked the issue since last spring and told their students in advance about possible delays. The institution also used the summer to train staff. 
 
 "We started at that time really trying to ramp up what we are doing," Miller said. "I think we mitigated a lot of the problem before it happened." 
 
 Ten students are left to be paid as of mid-November. Miller said she is concerned that nothing has changed for the new spring semester and that the VA hasn't provided any clarity. 
 
 "We're not really sure what's going to happen. From what we are hearing, it's not resolved. There's not a time in which they foresee it being resolved," she said. 
 
 "The VA keeps saying nobody has dropped out. I find that to be a very odd measurement of success," Miller said. "What about those who didn't eat for a month? Or who couldn't afford housing?" 
 
 Baker said he finally received his check on Nov. 1. 
 
 "I was ecstatic just because I figured I still wouldn't get paid 'til spring semester," he said. 
 
 He said 12 days after he was backpaid by the VA, he enrolled for his classes for spring. 
 
 "I'll stay enrolled until I can't," he said, before being interrupted by man asking for money. 
 
 "I get that," Baker said, handing the man some change. "That's all I've got, sir." 
 
 Yihyun Jeong covers veterans and military issues for USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee. Reach her at yjeong@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter @yihyun_jeong. 
 
 Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/11/28/post-911-gi-bill-delay-veterans-affairs/2068701002/ ||||| Forever GI Bill - Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act 
 
 Please click on the link below to find more information about each change, or you can download this fact sheet for an overview. 
 
 Effective immediately: 
 
 Changes coming: 
 
 Summaries 
 
 Reserve Duty That Counts Toward Post-9/11 Eligibility 
 
 The time that a Reservist was ordered to active duty to receive authorized medical care, be medically evaluated for disability, or complete a Department of Defense (DoD) health care study on or after September 11, 2001, now counts as active duty toward eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill program. An individual may use this entitlement to pursue a course of education beginning on or after August 1, 2018. 
 
 Purple Heart Recipients 
 
 Servicemembers and honorably discharged Veterans who were awarded a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001 will be entitled to Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits at the 100-percent benefit level for up to 36 months. This was effective on August 1, 2018. 
 
 Yellow Ribbon Extension to Fry and Purple Heart Recipients 
 
 Recipients of the Fry Scholarship and Purple Heart will be covered under the Yellow Ribbon Program. This was effective August 1, 2018. 
 
 Yellow Ribbon Extension to Active Duty Servicemembers 
 
 Active duty Servicemembers may use the Yellow Ribbon program effective August 1, 2022. 
 
 Consolidation of Benefit Levels 
 
 Eliminates the 40-percent benefit level and expands the 60-percent benefit level under the Post 9/11 GI Bill program. An individual with aggregate service of 90 days but less than six months of active-duty service (excluding entry and skill training) now qualifies at the 50-percent benefit level. An individual with aggregate service of at least six months but less than eighteen months of active-duty service (excluding entry and skill training) now qualifies at the 60-percent benefit level. This removes the 40-percent benefit level. This section will take effect August 1, 2020. 
 
 Member Serves Percentage of Maximum Benefit Payable At least 36 months 100% At least 30 continuous days on active duty and must be discharged due to service-connected disability or received a Purple Heart (Purple Heart effective August 1, 2018) 100% At least 30 months, but less than 36 months 90% At least 24 months, but less than 30 months 80% At least 18 months, but less than 24 months 70% At least 6 months, but less than 18 months 60% At least 90 days, but less than 06 months 50% 
 
 REAP Eligibility Credited Toward Post-9/11 GI Bill Program 
 
 Members of the Reserve who established eligibility to educational assistance under the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) before November 25, 2015, and lost it due to the sunset provision may elect to have that service credited towards the Post-9/11 GI Bill program. 
 
 Monthly Housing Based on Campus Student Attends the Majority of their Classes 
 
 The law requires the monthly housing allowance (MHA) under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program to be calculated based on the zip code of the campus where the student physically attends the majority of classes, rather than the location of the institution of higher learning where the student is enrolled. This applied to the first enrollment in an educational program on or after August 1, 2018. 
 
 Changes to Licensing and Certification Charges 
 
 Entitlement charges for licensing and certification exams and national tests under the Post-9/11 GI Bill will be prorated based on the actual amount of the fee charged for the test. 
 
 Assistance for Students Affected by School Closures and Certain Disapprovals 
 
 VA is now authorized to restore benefits and provide relief to education beneficiaries affected by school closures or certain disapprovals. This means payments of educational assistance will not be charged against an entitlement of educational assistance, or counted against the total period for which a beneficiary may receive educational assistance under two or more programs, if VA finds that the individual was unable to complete such course or program of study as a result of: 
 
 the closure of an educational institution; or 
 
 
 
 
 
 the disapproval of the course or a course that is a necessary part of that program by reason of a new law, regulation, or policy implemented after the individual enrolls. 
 
 
 
 
 
 not receiving credit, or losing training time, toward completion of the program being pursued. 
 
 VA may treat a course of education that is disapproved under this chapter as being approved, if VA determines, on a case-by-case basis, that the course was disapproved for one of the reasons stated above and continuing the course is in the best interest of the individual 
 
 This provision takes effect 90 days after August 16, 2017 and applies to courses and programs of education discontinued after August 1, 2015. For courses or programs discontinued during the period beginning January 1, 2015, and ending on August 16, 2017, an individual who does not transfer credits can have all his/her entitlement restored. 
 
 VA may also continue awarding a monthly housing allowance stipend under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program following a permanent school closure or certain disapproval of a course of study. The changes to monthly housing allowance took effect on August 1, 2018, and apply to courses and programs of education discontinued on or after August 16, 2017. Click here to find out more and apply. 
 
 Changes to Transfer of Benefits (TEB) 
 
 Veterans who transferred entitlement to a dependent can now designate a new dependent if the original dependent dies before using the entitlement. 
 
 Dependents who received transfer of entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill can transfer their entitlement to another eligible dependent if the Servicemember or Veteran who made the transfer subsequently dies. 
 
 This law applies to deaths on or after August 1, 2009. This took effect August 1, 2018. 
 
 Find more information at our Reallocation Webpage. 
 
 More Benefits for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Programs 
 
 VA will provide up to nine months of additional Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to certain eligible individuals who: 
 
 have or will soon exhaust entitlement of Post-9/11 GI Bill program. 
 
 
 
 
 
 apply for assistance, and 
 
 
 
 
 
 are enrolled in a program of education leading to a post-secondary degree that, in accordance with the guidelines of the applicable regional or national accrediting agency, requires more than the standard 128 semester (or 192 quarter) credit hours for completion in a standard, undergraduate college degree in biological or biomedical science; physical science; science technologies or technicians; computer and information science and support services; mathematics or statistics; engineering; engineering technologies or an engineering-related field; a health profession or related program; a medical residency program; an agriculture science program or natural resources science program ; or other subjects and fields identified by VA as meeting national needs. 
 
 ; or other subjects and fields identified by VA as meeting national needs. 
 
 
 
 has completed at least 60 standard semester (or 90 quarter) credit hours in a field listed above, or has earned a post-secondary degree in one of these fields and is enrolled in a program of education leading to a teaching certification. 
 
 Priority would be given to individuals who are entitled to 100 percent of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and to those that require the most credit hours. 
 
 VA can pay each eligible individual the benefits for up to nine additional months, but the total may not exceed $30,000. VA will not be authorized to issue any Yellow Ribbon payments. 
 
 These additional benefits cannot be transferred to dependents. 
 
 This expansion becomes effective on August 1, 2019. 
 
 Elimination of 15-year Limitation to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill Program 
 
 The law removes the time limitation for the use of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for individuals whose last discharge or release from active duty is on or after January 1, 2013, children of deceased Servicemembers who first become entitled to Post-9/11 GI Bill program benefits on or after January 1, 2013, and all Fry spouses. 
 
 All others remain subject to the current 15-year time limitation for using their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. 
 
 Reserve Components Monthly Housing Allowance 
 
 VA will prorate the monthly housing stipend (also referred to as the “monthly housing allowance”) under the Post-9/11 GI Bill for members of the reserve components of the armed forces. 
 
 This change will be applicable to a quarter, semester or term that commenced on or after August 1, 2018. 
 
 Pilot Programs for Technology Courses 
 
 VA will develop a pilot program to provide eligible Veterans who are entitled to educational assistance under chapter 30, 32, 33, 34, or 35 of title 38, United States Code, or chapter 1606 or 1607 of title 10, United States Code, with the opportunity to enroll in high technology programs of education that VA determines provide training and skills sought by employers in a relevant field or industry. This change will take effect 180 days after August 1, 2018. 
 
 Work Study Expansion 
 
 The law removes the expiration date of June 30, 2022, for certain qualifying work-study activities for which an individual may be paid an additional educational assistance allowance. These activities include outreach services for an SAA, providing hospital and domiciliary care and medical treatment to Veterans in a State home, or performing an activity relating to the administration of a national cemetery or a state Veterans' cemetery. 
 
 Changes to Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance 
 
 The new law decreases the amount of entitlement that new eligible individuals will receive under the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program from 45 months to 36 months. This change applies to individuals who first enroll in programs of education on or after August 1, 2018. Individuals who first enrolled in a program of education prior to August 1, 2018, would still qualify for a maximum of 45 months of entitlement. 
 
 This law also increases the amount of educational assistance payable for pursuit of institutional courses and institutional courses under the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program. An eligible person will be entitled to a monthly allowance of $1,224 for full-time coursework, $967 for three-quarter time, and $710 for half-time coursework. The increases were effective October 1, 2018. 
 
 Using the GI Bill at Technical Schools and non-Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) 
 
 Beneficiaries will now be able to use their Post-9/11 educational assistance to pursue accredited independent study programs at the following educational institutions that are not institutions of higher learning (IHLs): area career and technical education schools that provide postsecondary level education and postsecondary vocational institutions. This change went into effect August 16, 2017. 
 
 Priority Enrollment 
 
 VA will improve outreach and transparency to Veterans and Servicemembers by providing information on whether institutions of higher learning administer a priority enrollment system that allows certain student Veterans to enroll in courses earlier than other students. This change went into effect August 16, 2017. 
 
 Informing Schools about Beneficiary Entitlement 
 
 VA must make available to educational institutions information about the amount of educational assistance to which a beneficiary is entitled under chapter 30, 32, 33, or 35. This information would be provided to the educational institution through a secure information technology system accessible by the educational institution and would be updated regularly to reflect any amounts used by the Veteran or other individual. A beneficiary pursuing a course of education may elect not to provide the information to an educational institution. This section was effective on August 1, 2018. 
 
 Reserve Component Benefits 
 
 The law authorizes service by Guard and Reserve members under 10 U.S.C 12304a and 12304b to receive Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. An individual entitled to educational assistance as a result of this section was authorized to use such entitlement to pursue a course of education beginning on or after August 1, 2018. 
 
 This applies to service in the Armed Forces occurring on or after June 30, 2008. 
 
 GI Bill Monthly Housing Allowance 
 
 Individuals who first used the Post-9/11 GI Bill program on or after January 1, 2018 will receive monthly housing allowance based on DoD’s reduced basic housing allowance (BAH) for monthly housing rates. Those that began using benefits prior to January 1, 2018 will continue to receive a higher monthly housing rate based in the non-adjusted BAH rates.
– A major snafu has hit benefit payments to student veterans under the GI Bill—and congressional aides tells NBC that they have been told the veterans are never going to be paid back. The aides say they were told by the Department of Veterans Affairs that the VA will not be making retroactive payments to veterans who were underpaid for their housing allowance because it would mean reviewing around 2 millions claims, further delaying implementation of a new system, which has already been pushed back to Dec. 2019. Under the Forever GI Bill signed into law by President Trump last year, students are supposed to be paid housing allowance based on where they take the most classes, not on where the school's main campus is located. Tanya Ang, vice president of Veterans Education Success, tells the Military Times that the VA's excuse of retroactive payments creating too much work isn't good enough. "That could be hundreds of dollars for some students—per month," she says. "If this was a disability benefit, this would never fly." The issue, which is the result of new legislation being introduced before the VA's outdated computer system could handle it, has contributed to a backlog of claims that has forced some veterans facing financial hardship to abandon their studies, the Tennessean reports. The agency is still working to process more than 58,000 claims, reports the Star Tribune. The paper's editorial board calls the delays a "national disgrace." "Those courageous enough to go into battle should face zero delays in getting the education benefits they’ve earned," they write.