WASHINGTON
(May 1, 2013) – The
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is now offering a new program called
"1 Student Veteran" to provide direct assistance to student-veterans
who are experiencing problems accessing their GI Bill or other earned benefits
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"This
partnership with the VFW will ensure student-veterans are provided with the
necessary support needed to gain access to their earned benefits and navigate
the complex education claims process," said Michael Dakduk, executive
director of Student Veterans of America (SVA). "I am very proud of our
continued partnership with the VFW, an organization dedicated to the success of
student-veterans."
Any
student-veteran who is experiencing difficulty in accessing their GI Bill or
other VA benefits, or believes they have been wrongfully denied these benefits,
can now e-mail the VFW at 1studentveteran@vfw.org.
VFW National Veterans Service staff will acknowledge receipt of each inquiry
within 24 hours during the workweek, then either intervene with the VA on
behalf of the student-veteran or recommend other courses of action.
Through
“1 Student Veteran,” VFW and SVA will have direct access to the VA Regional
Offices responsible for education claims adjudication, meaning veterans whose
benefits have been denied or paid in error will not have to wait the months it
would traditionally take to file a formal appeal. The new program is possible
thanks to an ongoing collaboration among VFW, SVA and the VA’s Veterans
Benefits Administration, which approves and administers the GI Bill, as well as
claims for other VA programs and services. “1 Student Veteran” is also the
latest collaboration between VFW and SVA resulting from a memorandum of
understanding signed by the two organizations in January.
“Our
goal is to mitigate errors and resolve conflicts on the lowest possible level
to ensure VA can deliver timely, accurate GI Bill benefits,” said VFW National
Veterans Service Assistant Director Jim Wear, who will manage “1 Student
Veteran.”
"The
VFW has a proud history of working with veterans to make sure they can access
their earned benefits, so '1 Student Veteran' is a great way for VFW to meet
the needs of our newest generation of heroes," said VFW National Commander
John Hamilton. "Student-veterans will now have a place to turn to for
reliable and timely help when they encounter problems with the VA."
Last
year, VFW’s nationwide cadre of 1,200 VA-accredited service officers helped
more than 125,000 veterans to recoup $3.7 billion in earned compensation and
pension from the VA at no cost to the veteran.