Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are based, in part, on an individual’s length of  active-duty service. VA reaches out to  eligible servicemembers by providing information at Transition Assistance  Program (TAP) briefings offered at the time they separate from the  military and has sponsored marketing campaigns for the new Post-9/11 GI  Bill. For example, officials from veterans’  organizations told us that some individuals may have difficulty  determining which VA education program may be right for them. VA Targets Outreach and Support for Education Benefits to All Eligible Individuals, Not Necessarily to Those with Disabilities

Most of VA’s outreach and support activities for education benefits are  targeted to the general population of servicemembers and veterans, not  necessarily to those with disabilities. VA Has Few Efforts to Measure the Effectiveness of Outreach and Support Activities

Little is known about the effectiveness of VA’s education outreach and  support because VA currently does not have outcome-oriented  performance measures for these activities. Those we interviewed also said that this coordination has  become necessary with Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition and fee payments being  sent directly to schools. VA and school officials we interviewed attributed  this increase to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. School Certifying Officials Were Generally Satisfied, but Reported a Lack of Comprehensive Policy Guidance, among Other Challenges

Although about 62 percent of school certifying officials stated they were  generally or very satisfied with VA’s implementation of the Post-9/11 GI  Bill, officials identified a range of challenges in fulfilling their  responsibilities under the program (see fig. In addition, school certifying officials cited challenges due to the lack of a  comprehensive source of policy information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill  program, such as a VA policy manual. VA Lacks Comprehensive Information on the Effectiveness of Its Oversight of States and Schools

		VA Monitors States’ Approval and Supervision of Schools, but Its Approach Has Limitations

VA monitors SAAs’ performance in approving and supervising schools  through a range of oversight activities, such as reviewing reports SAAs  submit on their activities (see table 4). In particular, VA  has not set minimum standards for the review of student files. Absent standards, VA lacks  assurance that the data collected from these file reviews by different SAAs  are valid, comparable, and useful for determining whether schools are in  compliance with federal requirements. Despite the federal requirement to conduct monitoring and oversight, in  fiscal year 2010, VA suspended its audit program in order to reassign  compliance staff to help process a backlog in Post-9/11 GI Bill claims. Although VA has resumed its audits of schools, there are indications that it  may not be able to complete all required audits in fiscal year 2011. Going  forward, VA plans to include audits that it did not conduct in fiscal year  2010 into its schedules for the next 2 years. VA Does Not Systematically Compile and Review Findings of School Audits

VA does not systematically consider the findings of its own or other  entities’ audits of schools when carrying out its oversight. Recommendations for Executive Action

To improve VA’s outreach and support for eligible servicemembers and  veterans, communication with school officials, and oversight of its  education benefit programs, we recommend that the Secretary of Veterans  Affairs take the following five actions:    Develop outcome-oriented performance measures for outreach to  servicemembers and veterans who are seeking VA education benefits. VA concurred in principle with our fifth recommendation to undertake a  systematic review of VA’s and SAA’s oversight of schools. GAO staff members who made key contributions to this  report are listed in appendix V.

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

The objectives of our report were to examine: (1) what is known about the  effectiveness of VA’s outreach to and support for individuals applying for  education benefits, particularly for servicemembers and veterans with  disabilities, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain  injury; (2) the role of school officials and the challenges they face in  fulfilling their responsibilities for VA’s education benefit programs; and (3)  how VA monitors and oversees states’ and schools’ implementation of its  education benefit programs. We also assessed VA’s survey of SAAs and school certifying offic on the effectiveness of VA’s communications and training initiatives for  the Post-9/11 GI Bill. W also obtained data from VA on the number of SAA supervisory visits to  schools, by state, in fiscal years 2009 and 2010.
Why GAO Did This Study

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provided $9 billion in education benefits to service-members and veterans in fiscal year 2010, mostly through the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. In providing education benefits, VA relies on State Approving Agencies (SAA) to approve schools; and on schools to report students' enrollment status. GAO was asked to determine: (1) what is known about the effectiveness of outreach to and support for individuals applying for VA education benefits, particularly those with disabilities; (2) the role of school officials and challenges they face in their role; and (3) how VA monitors and oversees states' and schools' implementation of these benefits. GAO reviewed VA reports and plans, conducted a nationally representative survey of school officials, interviewed VA and state officials in four states, and reviewed recent statutory changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

What GAO Found

VA has various activities to reach out to and support individuals who are eligible for education benefits. For example, VA reaches eligible servicemembers through military separation briefings and has sponsored national marketing campaigns for the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. General awareness of VA education benefits among servicemembers and veterans is high, according to program stakeholders. In fiscal year 2010, more than 700,000 individuals were served by these programs. However, stakeholders also identified some limitations with VA's outreach and support. For instance, veterans' service organizations and school officials stated that some servicemembers and veterans may have difficulty determining which of VA's various programs may be right for them. In addition, VA primarily targets its outreach and support for its education benefits to the general population of servicemembers and veterans, not necessarily those with disabilities, because eligibility is based on length of military service and not disability status. Finally, little is known about the effectiveness of VA's outreach and support because VA has not established performance measures for these activities. School certifying officials' core responsibilities--primarily certifying student enrollment to VA and reporting enrollment changes--have become more complex under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and officials identified challenges such as obtaining timely, comprehensive policy guidance and training from VA. For example, school officials must determine the tuition and fees that the Post-9/11 GI Bill will cover, which varies based on the length of active-duty military service and other factors. In our survey, school officials reported performing roles beyond those specifically required by VA, such as helping students apply for benefits. Although the majority of school officials were generally satisfied with VA's implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, they cited a range of challenges, such as the lack of a Post-9/11 GI Bill policy manual. In addition, although VA provides training through conferences and its Web site, many officials did not participate due to other job responsibilities, travel costs, and lack of awareness about training opportunities. VA lacks comprehensive information on the effectiveness of its oversight of SAAs and schools. VA monitors SAAs, in part, by reviewing reports on the number of approved schools and completed site visits, but this approach has limitations. For example, VA has not set minimum standards for SAAs' reviews of student files during their site visits to schools and, therefore, lacks assurance that data collected from these file reviews are valid and comparable. Also, VA has not completed its own required school audits in recent years. Most recently, VA suspended its audits during fiscal year 2010 in order to reassign compliance staff to help process a backlog of Post-9/11 GI Bill claims. Although VA has resumed its audits, there are indications that it may not be able to complete all required audits in fiscal year 2011. Moreover, VA does not compile and review findings from its own or other entities' audits of schools that would, going forward, allow it to identify trends and better target its oversight of schools.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that VA establish outcome-oriented performance measures for outreach and support activities; improve communication with school officials; and undertake a systematic review of its oversight of SAAs and schools. VA concurred with four recommendations and concurred in principle with one recommendation aimed at strengthening oversight. VA noted a number of actions already taken in this area. GAO encourages VA to address all aspects of this recommendation moving forward.