Reviewing the 'Forever GI Bill' Implementation Delays
January 1, 2021
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The Frame
The hearing addresses the VA's failure to meet statutory deadlines for updating education benefit payment systems, which directly resulted in financial instability and housing insecurity for student veterans relying on GI Bill stipends.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
Student Veterans
They rely on timely GI Bill housing allowance payments to cover living expenses and tuition.
Department of Veterans Affairs
The agency is responsible for the legal implementation of the Colmery Act and the management of IT contractors.
Last recorded activity January 1, 2021.
Next step not available in the current record.
Summary
Key Facts
- The hearing focused on the implementation of sections 107 and 501 of the Colmery Act (Forever GI Bill), which altered housing benefit allowances.
- The VA failed to meet the August 1, 2018, deadline for necessary IT system modifications.
- Payment delays in the fall 2018 semester resulted in some student veterans facing eviction.
- The VA contracted with Booz Allen to perform the required IT system updates.
- In November 2018, the VA announced a 'reset' of implementation efforts with a new target completion date of December 1, 2019.
- The hearing was a joint session between the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'Forever GI Bill'?
Why were student veterans facing eviction?
What was the role of Booz Allen in this situation?
Why It Matters
The hearing addresses the VA's failure to meet statutory deadlines for updating education benefit payment systems, which directly resulted in financial instability and housing insecurity for student veterans relying on GI Bill stipends.
News Coverage
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
IT Implementation Reset
The VA was forced to perform a complete 'reset' of its IT implementation strategy in November 2018 after failing to meet the initial August deadline.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment30Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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