Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs passed Congressman Rosendale’s (MT-02) H.R. 3874, the Veterans Education Assistance Improvement Act. This legislation will allow veterans on the GI Bill to take only the number of courses needed to graduate while still receiving this Monthly Housing Allowance and require the VA to notify students of rule changes related to the GI Bill within 180 days of the rule taking effect.

“The GI Bill has resulted in millions of qualified veterans and their families receiving money to cover the costs of school training. However, current law places an unnecessary burden on these veterans by requiring them to take additional classes that are not necessary for their degree,” said Rep. Rosendale. “We owe it to our veterans to have an education system that is easy to use, understand, and that works for them. My legislation builds on the past successes of this program, cuts red tape, and moves our country closer towards showing veterans the compassion and respect they deserve."

Key Background:

• The Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held a hearing on this legislation on Wednesday, June 14th, where Ricardo Gomez of The American Legion and Patrick Murray of the Veterans of Foreign Wars testified to the importance of relieving the financial burden of paying for housing veterans experience when completing their studies.

• The Congressional Budget Office expects this legislation to reduce spending by $5 million.

• The legislation includes Rep. Eli Crane’s (AZ-02) Transcript Assurance for Heroes Act, which would require schools receiving educational assistance to provide digital official transcripts for GI Bill beneficiaries.

Watch Congressman Rosendale's remarks during the committee markup here.