CECU – ​Protecting Veterans Access

• The GI Benefit is an “earned benefit” that each veteran earns through their brave service to our nation.
• The GI Benefit should not be defined as an economic subsidy for low-income students and never be counted alongside grants and loans offered to low-income students. Nor should schools be penalized for serving a high number of low-income students and veterans! Such schools should be commended – not criticized!
• Each veteran should be allowed to choose the school right for them and their future career. Unfortunately, proposals in Congress deny students this right. Many veterans want to pursue the credentials for the occupation they began during military service.  Such students do not want to pursue a liberal arts program.
• If enacted, the legislation would dramatically impact up to 260 locations and between 113,000 and 158,000 veterans! If these schools lost their access to Title IV funding right away, approximately 500,000 students would be displaced!
• No student, or school, should be penalized for serving the needs and interests of low-income students on federal grants and loans; and veterans enrolled through their GI Benefit.  Don’t force a school to choose between serving low-income (often first generation) students and veterans!
• The 90/10 rule says nothing about academic quality.  It only describes the demographics of a school’s students. We believe Congress should eliminate the 90/10 rule; not seek to include GI Benefits in the calculation of a school’s compliance with 90/10.  Congress should be seeking ways to expand veterans access to education, not restrict it!
• The best option for everyone is to establish a common set of outcome metrics for all programs serving one or more veterans.  Publish such data, enabling the veteran to choose the best program for their needs.  Outcome metrics will protect veterans and taxpayers from bad programs with bad outcomes.  Everybody wins!

The Post-9/11 GI Benefit provides veterans with both education and living expenses while pursuing their education. The purpose of the benefit is to repay our veterans for their service to our country as they bridge their military service to a professional career of their choice.

Some politicians want to classify GI Benefits as an economic subsidy. That is wrong! It is an earned benefit for their military service not financial support based upon a low annual income. The GI Benefits provide access to career education, skills that lead to a real job, real wages, and a real place in America’s middle class.  At a time when our nation confronts the income inequality gap, access to education is more important than ever.

The nation’s post-secondary career colleges and universities are proud to serve our nation’s veterans. Our schools take this task seriously because we honor and value their public service. We seek to assist them in providing the best possible bridge from military service to the professional career of their choice.

Why do veterans choose our schools?

• Our schools offer the career programs most veterans seek.  They often want to continue a career began in the military; seeking the credentials that enable them to get hired at a good job, with good wages.  Traditional liberal arts colleges don’t offer these programs.
• Our schools offer focused academic programs – usually one course at a time for longer periods than traditional college. Our programs are accelerated in ways that enable the veteran to complete their studies in the quickest possible time moving from the battlefield to their new career.
• Our schools have the highest level of engagement anywhere in higher education, which fits the model for students who want a quick transition between careers. Veterans looking to obtain skills before transitioning to a new profession choose our schools because the model fits what they want and expect from a college.
• Gallup Research recently conducted a national survey of Student Satisfaction in our schools, 76% of veterans told them their degree/certificate was directly related to their work!
  • 71% said they were satisfied with their education, and 63% said they would recommend their institution to a fellow veteran; friend or family member.
  • Veterans experienced a 39% increase in their annual income compared to their income prior to attending our schools.
• Our schools focus on skills-based education and can react to ever-changing employer demands. Veterans can, therefore, gain the skills they need to be competitive applicants to work in high-demand jobs. ​

According to the Aviation Technician Education Council, proprietary institutions currently enroll one out of every four aviation maintenance students.

​There are currently an estimated 1,000 veterans enrolled in aviation maintenance programs, representing 22% of enrollment!
The proposed inclusion of the GI Benefit in 90/10 puts at risk 22% of the incoming workforce for aviation maintenance – mostly large commercial airlines such as Delta, and United Airlines.

• Earned their GI Benefit as a servicemember
• Used their GI Benefit as a veteran, and
• Achieved their career skills to become one of our nation’s professionals!

In addition to the stories below, CECU has published a book highlighting the success stories of Veterans in Career Education Colleges and Universities across the country.  Stay tuned, it will be released on May 23!