Congressional Act affects Reserve Component Airmen education

  • Published
  • By 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. --  A relatively new congressional act will improve military veteran access to medical coverage. It's the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014.

Read the full act here:

PDF of Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 Fact SheetA portion within the act (section 702 fact sheet) significantly impacts the reserve component with regard to Post 9/11 GI education benefits and out-of-state tuition fees.

The factsheet attached to this artice explains in plain terms the details of section 702. In essence, the Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to disapprove programs of education for payment of benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Montgomery GI Bill at public institutions of higher learning if the schools charge qualifying veterans and dependents tuition and fees in excess of the rate for resident students for terms beginning after July 1, 2015.

These new requirements will ensure that recently discharged Veterans, and their eligible family members, will not have to bear the cost of out-of-state charges while using their education benefits.

The law applies to "Veterans who live in the state in which the institution of higher learning is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.

It also applies to a spouse or child using transferred benefits who lives in the state in which the institution of higher learning is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school within 3 years of the transferor's discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more."  So basically it's a small window that members can use this benefit.

As the factsheet explains, because public institutions must offer in-state tuition and fees to all "covered individuals" and VA will not issue payments until a school becomes fully compliant. State schools may have to expand it to all those eligible for Post 9/11 Bill or the Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (MGIB-AD), to include Active Duty. However, we will see how this plays out over the next year.

Another section of note is section 401, "Expansion of eligibility for sexual trauma counseling and treatment to veterans on inactive duty training."

Regarding section 401, the Act expands eligibility for sexual trauma counseling and treatment to RC members on Inactive Duty Training (IDT). It will be important that our SARCs ensure our RC Airmen (to include those on IDT status) understand that treatment at VA facilities is available for them.

Note: A member of the National Guard or reserve components who is activated for federal military service and serves the full period of activation is considered a veteran for purposes of VA benefits. So currently serving RC members who meet that criteria can receive VA benefits (to include this one).