Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Military

VA Scrambles To Get GI Bill Checks Out

VA Scrambles To Get GI Bill Checks Out
The Veterans Administration has missed its October 1 deadline to issue checks to students enrolled under the new G.I. Bill. The Agency plans to open the doors of its Mission Valley Headquarters tomorrow morning to issue emergency checks.

The Veterans Administration has missed its October 1 deadline to issue checks to students enrolled under the new G.I. Bill. The Agency plans to open the doors of its Mission Valley Headquarters tomorrow morning to issue emergency checks.

The VA has failed to process the applications for benefits under the new Post-9/11 G.I. Bill in time. Students who relied on the money to pay the rent are still waiting for a check.

Advertisement

For the last week the VA has been scrambling to come up with a stop-gap solution.

San Diego Congressman Bob Filner said the VA has known about the deadline for months. He said it's a bureaucratic problem.

"We're going to try to get emergency money in the hands of students immediately," Filner said. " And then fix this problem so that everybody -the universities and the students- get their checks on time "

More than 100 students are enrolled at UCSD under the new G.I. bill, more than 300 at SDSU. The new Post-9/11 G.I. bill is more generous than the Montgomery G.I. bill, and more than 250,000 people have applied for the benefit nationwide.

A big decision awaits some voters this July as the race for San Diego County’s Supervisor District 1 seat heats up. Are you ready to vote? Check out the KPBS Voter Hub to learn about the candidates, the key issues the board is facing and how you can make your voice heard.