NEWS: Veterans Affairs Hearing on Congresswoman Delia Ramirez’s Bill to Restore GI Bill Benefits For Defrauded Student Veterans Announced This Week
For Immediate Release
Contact: press.deliaramirez@mail.house.gov
Washington, D.C. – This week, the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity will hold a hearing on legislation introduced by Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (IL-03). The bill, H.R. 1767, the Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act, is her first piece of legislation in the U.S. Congress. H.R. 1767 establishes an across the board process for student veterans to have their GI Bill education benefits restored in qualifying instances, such as when a student veteran has been defrauded by an educational institution. Veterans Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Ranking Member Congressman Mike Levin (D-CA) is an original cosponsor of the bill.
“We made a commitment to our veterans,” said Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (IL-03). “Part of that commitment is making sure that the GI Bill education benefit is honored for our veterans who have more than earned it - as well as their families and loved ones. Sadly, there are still today some predatory, often for-profit institutions that see GI Bill education benefits and only see a profitable exploit. In general, we need stronger and more effective accountability to prevent defrauding veterans in the first place, and for those who have experienced this, they deserve to have their GI Bill education benefit fully restored.”
"This legislation represents justice long overdue,” said Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success. “It has been so profoundly unfair that veterans who were robbed of their GI Bill by predatory scam schools have been left out in the cold, with no recourse and no ability to start again at a real college to use the benefits they earned serving our nation"
Student veterans whose GI Bill education benefits were directly impacted shared their personal experiences ahead of the bill’s hearing:
“ITT Tech misled me when it came to the amount of money that it would take to finish my degree. They assured me that my GI Bill would cover my tuition. Not only did they use all of my benefits, but I walked away with over $95,000 in student loans,” said Army Veteran Christopher Brown from Des Plaines, Illinois.
“When I started, the ITT recruiter said it’s an accredited school and credits will be accepted and transferred to any school,” said Air Force Veteran Andy Kmiecik from Hoffman Estates, Illinois. “After spending four years with ITT Tech for a bachelor's degree and spending over $95,000, I found out that none of my credits or degree were worth anything. This was a complete waste of my time, my GI Bill is gone and my career plan took a huge impact.”
“DeVry was never clear about the amount of money it would cost for my education, and with my GI bill, it shouldn't have totaled $40,000 which is what I am stuck paying,” said Navy Veteran Bryan Tario from Lisle, Illinois. “I could have gone and paid out of pocket to any other school. I feel totally ripped off and feel cheated that my GI Bill didn't seem to cover my education, which was the main reason I joined the service. To avoid school debt.”
“Since graduating, I have never been able to get a job in my field,” said Army Veteran Brian Whitehead who attended ITT Tech in Chicago. “I repeatedly sought help from ITT Tech’s career services department with resumes, applications, and leads, but I never got any help from them. I applied for jobs in my field for a while, but I never heard back about any. I was unemployed for over three years after graduating, and none of the jobs that I have worked since then have been at all related to my degree. I am employable because of the skills I learned in the military, not because of my education.”
The Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act would ensure that GI Bill education benefits are restored to student veterans if:
- An education course or program is suspended or terminated due to the result of a VA/SAA risk based survey
- The Secretary of Education determines an educational institution has committed an act of fraud or other action that qualifies students at the institution for U.S. Department of Education borrower defense standards
- The Commissioner of the FTC determines that an educational institution has been fraudulent.
Further, H.R. 1767 ensures that VA can recoup some or all of the costs of restoring benefits to veterans by directing schools – as a condition of participating in VA education programs – to repay benefits to VA if the school closes or suspends or terminates a course or program of education by reason of a determination of fraud by the Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission or the Secretary of Education.
H.R. 1767 is endorsed by Veterans Education Success and Student Veterans of America.
The Veterans Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee hearing will take place on Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 9:30AM EST/8:30AM CT in Washington, D.C.
You can watch Congresswoman Ramirez’s speech about H.R. 1767 on the House Floor here.
Congresswoman Delia Ramirez serves the 3rd Congressional District of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the daughter of working-class immigrants and the only Member of Congress in a mixed-status marriage. She serves on the Committee of Homeland Security, where she is the Vice Ranking Member, as well as on the Committee on Veterans Affairs.
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