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How much help does disable Veterans get toward their education from GI Bill?

While attending classes in 2015, the VAED cut all of my GI BIll benefits from 100% to 70%, which forced me to drop out, lose my home, my vehicle, and my belongings in storage. I was 4 months away from graduating with a degree in Cardiovascular Technology but was unable to finish. In 2020 they finally realized and admitted to making a mistake, paying me back the money they took from my employment wages, but the benefits and time was wasted because of their mistake. Shouldn't my GI Bill benefits be fully reinstated? They're 100% at fault for the loss of that time and the benefits.

To whom it may concern,

My name is Edward A. Bassett & I am generating this letter because what I have been through with the VA for my Son’s Education Benefits for his College Education has been very unreasonable and my Claim Denied, Appeals, Denied without any explanation why.
I was born in Los Angeles, California on November 14th, 1948. I was brought up as a very Red Blooded American and I became an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. At 13 years of age, I ended my activities with the Boy Scouts of America with 6 Eagle Palms and just about every award that could be given to a Boy Scout at the time period.

I Volunteered for the United States Marine Corps in 10-01-1968 & served my tour in Vietnam in 1969. I was released from active duty with the USMC I June of 1972. With an honorable Discharge a & as a Corporal.

I have always been a very Patriotic Person who believed so much in our country, that I would die if necessary to protect our country.
I am not nor have I ever aspired to be a Terrorist or against the United States of America. Even now that I feel that no matter how loyal I am or was, the USA VBA has not done its part to help us who served their country to the best of their ability. Even though I have had my disagreements with Congress in the present time, I am loyal to the USA.

Since my separation from the USMC several of my friends & acquaintances have filed for Exposure to Agent Orange Pesticides during their tour in Vietnam. I had never actually felt that I was harmed by this Exposure until several years later.
Through some of these people, my private doctors, & employees of the VA, I was told that I could be compensated and given treatment for illnesses I have been experiencing & could be compensated for them.

I July of 2019 I filed a Claim with the VA for my being Exposed to Agent Orange. After several evaluations by VA doctors & private doctors a like have said the my body organs have been attacked by a Chronic Illness called Sarcoidosis.
All of these doctors say that these symptoms can be caused by my past Exposure to Agent Orange.
I have (from instruction by the VA of Manila) submitted at least 85 pages of medical reports, diagnosis, prescriptions, doctors note * recommendations etc… (all of the Medical documentation I had).
As a result of this Claim & the Medical information from both VA & Private doctors, I was Assessed to be 100% Disabled.

My primary question is, what does 100% disability mean to the VA???
I have a college aged son who is presently attending IE University in Madrid, Spain. He is enrolled in a Bachelor’s of Business Administration Degree program & is a fulltime student there.
When he applied & was accepted to this University the first thing we did was to call the CHOOSE VA & ask them if the IE University was an Accredited school by the Veterans Administration. Their answer was a positive one and they said yes.
Patrick E. Bassett (my Son) then did what he needed to do to accept his offer at IE University and he filed an Education Benefits Claim, with the VBA for his COE (Certificate of Eligibility).
He was only given 30% Education Benefits by the VBA & we contest that he is entitled to 100% Education Benefits. I Appealed this decision because I was told and I found publications that say that a Dependent of a Service Member who has been assessed to be 100% disabled due to a service-related injury is entitled to 100% Full-Time Education Benefits, inclusive of Tuition.

This is something that I enlisted in the USMC to get as an award for my service, my future, & my potential family’s Education Benefits. It is a shame that I have been fight f This assistance is much appreciated but or these Education Benefits for my Son for the past 2.5 years, to no avail. Not only do I receive the Denial notification I also do not receive any explanation for why this Claim has been denied.

I have been arguing this issue with the VBA for over 2.5 years now. He is finally receiving a Sustenance Assistance from the GIBILL. We do appreciate what Patrick is receiving from the GIBILL but it does not cover his ,Tuition payment. I still have to pay the University for his yearly Tuition payment & I really cannot afford to do this.

I am 73 years of age and retired. I collect funds from this retirement plus the funds from my Agent Orange Claim. The addition of Patrick’s Tuition to this is just overwhelming me and triggering my PTSD symptoms.

I need the Full-Time Benefit that I believe I deserve and earned during my time in service in the USMC & international service in Vietnam where I was exposed to Agent Orange.

We living here in the Philippines and wishing to use our Veteran Benefits are at a Hugh Disadvantage. We do not have the access to the assistance offered by the VA. The time difference between the USA & the Philippines, the mail system, the ability to communicate & to know who to communicate with is greatly restricted.
Our ability to fill out the correct VA form, how to fill it out properly, & who to send it to has also been a problem. I have been told that your decision has been sent to you by mail & if I do receive it, it can be as much as 3 months or more late.
The system for VA Claims is not very efficient here in the Philippines at all. I have submitted some documents 3 to 4 times before I even get an acknowledgement that it has bee received. Those acknowledgements are few and far between.
I have called and spoken several time to a VBA member who I tell I am the father of Patrick E. Bassett and I give them his and my details to verify that I a who I say I am and they will not discuss the topic with me because they say that they need to talk to him.
When I have to talk to him to call the VBA and let them know that they can discuss an issue with me, the fact that he is in Madrid, Spain, I am in the Philippines & the VBA is in the USA (with several time zones) the communication issues are compounded.
When do I need to call him?
when does he need to call them?
When & what time did they need to be called?
All of these things are just things that the normal person did not need to do.
I decided to try to understand that these same obstacles were be fronting the VBA too. The time that changed my mind about VBA’s attitude and need to help changed when I received some messages from them without any explanation it Claim or Appeal was just denied.
When the VA in Manila gave me a Federal Benefits Booklet from CHOOSE VA that described a Veterans Benefits for a Spouse or Dependent of a Veteran who has suffered a service-related injury & has bee assessed to be 100% disabled, their dependent is eligible for 100% Full-Time Education Benefits.
There it is, in your own words, the Benefit that I have been asking for, for at least two years. I wondered then & I am still wondering how can they deny my son this Education Benefit.
I was released from the USMC in June of 1972 a
& I did not even apply for the Agent Orange Benefit until June of 2019. I actually saved the US VA hundreds of thousand dollars in Agent Orange fee’s that were owed to me. At least they could take care of my son’s Education Benefits that he & I are entitled too.

This disappointment that I have received from the VBA has triggered my PTSD and I have become depressed, sleepless nights, headaches, nightmares ,lethargic, easily angered, shortness of breath etc….
The VBA is so proud of what they feel they are doing to help Veterans with PTSD, I can show you that their means of solving problems and the lack of communication hurts us and even triggers a higher degree of PTSD.

I have become a very disgruntled Veteran who firmly believes that the VA of the USA has almost completely forgotten the typical Vietnam Veteran. This new benefit just earlier this week that was advertised showing more support for Veterans who were exposed to toxic agents and other harmful exposure for Veterans serving in Iran, Iraq, Saudi, and other places. There is nothing said about Vietnam Veterans who were Exposed to Dangerous toxins / pesticides like Agent Orange in Vietnam.

The USA treats their Veterans bad & the Veterans from the Vietnam War Era even worse.

If you have any questions about this message or comments for or against what I say here please let me know. Especially if you have a resolution for my continued inquiry for my son’s Education Benefits..
My e mail address is: [login to see]
My cell phone is: + [login to see] 61

I have also attached a detailed information document about myself and my son (Patrick E. Bassett).

Regards,

Edward A. Bassett

I am currently in my last year of my bachelor's degree in the San Jose, CA area and have been using my Ch 33 benefits. I noticed that the housing benefit for the neighboring San Francisco area has been increased. I could understand the previous difference of $400-500, but now the difference stands at over $850. I live in San Jose, and the changes in rent in 2021 (by %) are just about the same, if not more in this area. Although average rental prices might be slightly higher in San Francisco, it definitely does not warrant a $800+ difference between the two areas, especially with us not even being given an increase. I believe this is very unfair to the student veteran community who chose to go to school in the San Jose area as opposed to commuting a bit more to San Francisco. Is there anything that can be done to rectify this situation?

Online college is a more reasonable option for many Active Duty and Veterans who are deployed, work long hours, affected by COVID, etc. When will GI Bill allow for the same benefits for a fully online student as they do for face-to-face students?

Can an exception to policy be made to allow medically retired SMs and those undergoing MEBs to transfer their GI Bill benefits to their dependent(s)? I was undergoing an MEB when my son was born, and it resulted in a medical retirement. Because of the early retirement, I didn't have the "retainability" required to transfer the benefits to him. Had my medical condition not been a factor, I could have easily accepted the additional four-year commitment, as I had planned on staying in the AF for as long as possible. But the AF took that option away from me, and as a result, I lost all ability to transfer my benefits.

Why are the BAH benefits so low compared to the rent in the area of the veterans school? In My case I'm in Phoenix, Arizona. The average rent is $1800 per month for a 1 br apartment. And that's no utilities included. Why does the VA not cover utilitiesand internet for the veterans in school. I am required to do work online as well as in class. I do not get enough to cover all of the expenses I am required to have while being away from my home. So I'm spending extra money that I really don't have extra to spend. Why cam there not be a Stephen to assist the veterans with their expanses so that we can concentrate on our education not having to work 2 or 3 jobs and our education suffers.

Chapter 35 for Dependents can be used in Highschool for a dependent that has reached 18 y/o if the Highschool certifies with the VA. Why is there so much disconnect with the ELR's? My sons principal has been trying to certify my sons school time for over 4 months and the NC ELR sent an email stating the prinicipal cannot call because they are on a year long detail with the VA central office and send all questions to the NC state ELR email box. Which she did, but did not receive a reply. She completed the online training but it doesn't apply much to highschools. She has mailed it, faxed it, emailed it, called and sent an inquiry through AVA? Why is there no way for students or highschool certifying official to speak with anyone when there are problems like getting time certified? There is not anything the general Education hotline can do for this situation. This system is broken.

What legacy systems are VA-Education dept using that pay vets/beneficiaries so slow? why not automate?

Why does VA take so long to pay vets each month? what legacy system are they using to not pay vets automatically on time?