(Washington, DC) - Today, Congressman Baron Hill praised the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for quickly responding to the needs of our student veterans by providing emergency checks under the new G.I. Bill.  Thousands of veterans who applied for educational benefits under the program have not yet received their payments due to delayed processing. These emergency checks will help them make payments toward books and housing.

“I’m pleased that the VA has acted swiftly to remedy this problem and to ensure that our veterans have the resources they need to take full advantage of the new G.I. Bill college benefits they were promised,” Hill said.  “If applicable veterans encounter any problems, my office stands ready to help however possible.”

 The checks for up to $3,000 will be distributed to eligible students at VA regional offices across the country starting tomorrow, Friday, October 2. Students can go to one of the 57 regional benefit offices with a photo ID, a course schedule and a certificate of eligibility to request payment of their housing and book allowance. This money will be deducted from future payments, which are expected to arrive on the normal schedule – the beginning of the month following the period for which they are being reimbursed.

Last year, Hill supported the new G.I. Bill to restore the promise of a full, four-year college education for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Qualified veterans were able to apply for the new college benefits beginning in May of this year, and started receiving tuition benefits in August, along with housing and book stipends which are paid retroactively. Almost 300,000 claims have been submitted for the program.

A list of regional VA offices is available at: www.vba.va.gov/VBA/benefits/offices.asp. The VA is also working with Veteran Services Organizations to send representatives to campuses with large veteran student bodies and to help students access the regional offices.