President signs student veteran protection act

On Jan. 10, President Obama signed legislation that will help protect the interests of veterans wishing to pursue GI Bill-funded higher education.

The Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012, (H.R. 4057), had been championed by The American Legion since its inception and introduction. It was, in part, Legion lobbying that helped usher the measure through both houses of Congress and onto the president’s desk.

The newly enacted measure requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a comprehensive policy for providing information regarding higher education and training programs to veterans and members of the armed forces. It is designed to assist Post-9/11 GI Bill beneficiaries in choosing schools by requiring institutions to disclose of such things as graduation rates and true costs of attendance.

The legislation comes in the wake of accusations that some schools targeted would-be veteran students in an overly aggressive manner and by employing questionable recruiting tactics. The Legion studied the issue thoroughly and offered its insight to the bill’s sponsors and supporters as it made its way – amended repeatedly – through the House of Representatives and Senate.