Role of State Approving Agencies History, Functions and Future

Other organizations also played key roles in the success of the GI Bills1930 Congress authorizes formation of the Veterans Administration—it consolidated numerous organizations supporti

Dr Joseph Wescott II, President, NASAA

Role of State Approving Agencies History, Functions and Future

Congress passes the GI Bill in June of 1944

President Roosevelt signing the G.I Bill of Rights, June 22, 1944

National Association of State Approving Agencies

GI Bill History

History of the GI Bill

“One of the finest education benefits ever devised”

1776 Continental Congress approves measure to

provide pensions to disabled soldiers

1943 Harry Colmery (WWI vet) writes 1 st draft of

new veterans education program on hotel stationery

at Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C.

Jan 1944 GI Bill of Rights introduced in Congress

Jun 1944 FDR signs GI Bill of Rights into law

1947 Veterans account for 49% of all college students

1952 Veterans Adjustment Act extends many benefits

of original GI Bill to Korean War vets

1953 Original GI Bill ends; 7.8 million WWII

A view of the Quonset huts used for temporary classrooms during the boom in the student population after World War II This photo was taken in February 1948.

Photographs courtesy of Special Collections, NCSU Libraries.

National Association of State Approving Agencies

GI Bill History

Unexpected consequences…

o 7.8 million veterans use GI Bill

o 2.23 million attend college

o 3.48 million attend trade/business & high schools

o 1.4 million on-job training

o 690,000 on-farm training

GI Bill History

Return on Investment…

o 2.6 million skilled trades people

o 1.375 million business people

GI Bill History

GI Bill Beneficiaries…

o Presidents, including Gerald Ford and George H W Bush

o Senators: Bob Dole, George McGovern, Pat Moynihan

o Supreme Court Chief Justice: William Rehnquist

o Congressman: Charles Rangel

o At least 14 Nobel Prize winners

o Two dozen Pulitzer Prize winners, such as Frank McCourt  

o Hollywood stars: Bill Cosby, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood

GI Bill History

1966 LBJ signs Veterans Readjustment Benefits

Act—extended benefits to veterans serving during times of war and peace

1973 Military draft ends, all volunteer force

begins

1976 VRBA ends—6.8 million Vietnam-era

veterans had used their benefits

1985 Congress introduces revamped GI Bill, the

“Montgomery GI Bill”

Sen “Sonny” Montgomery

Maj Gen, US Army (ret) State Approving Agencies National Association of

Other organizations also played key roles in the success of the GI Bill(s)

1930 Congress authorizes formation of the Veterans

Administration—it consolidated numerous organizations supporting vets

1945 American Legion distributed 2.7 million copies of

“Gateway to Opportunity”—explained VA benefits

1945 Congress recognizes responsibility of States to

determine education of its citizens

Late State Approving Agencies (SAAs) created; 1940’s

overseen by the Governor, but funded by the VA

GI Bill History

SAA History

National Association of State Approving Agencies

o Provided information on state approved programs to the VA

o By late 1940s and early 1950s, the SAAs were operating

under specifically mandated federal standards, the Code of Federal Regulations, and providing approval and oversight activities Role went from simple advisory to oversight

o Became the primary source of assuring institutional

accountability with specialized authorization to:

o Approve & disapprove

o Monitor education and training programs for veterans

o Began to assist states and the VA with exposing fraudulent and criminal activity involving the payment of veterans’

benefits

SAAs in the 21 st Century

New Agencies , with roots in the past

SAAs are seen as significant

contributors to an effective and

responsive education benefit

program .

Vision

National Association of State Approving Agencies

where every eligible person makes

good choices about education and training opportunities they can trust, and where

every approved school and training

establishment offers programs from which students can benefit and understands and successfully fulfills its obligation to

support VA students and the GI Bill.

Vision

o SAAs have responsibility to review, approve and monitor ALL education programs/schools within their States

o SAAs provide training and technical assistance to all

schools, in cooperation with VA

o SAAs assist veterans with school/program and GI Bill

benefit information

o SAAs assist VA with compliance surveys to insure

institutional compliance

National Association of State Approving Agencies

The National Association of State

Approving Agencies

By late 1940’s, SAAs were operating in nearly every state

oProvided approval and oversight activities

oAuthority rested with Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

oBut… nearly 50 distinct, geographically (and politically) isolated entities were occasionally providing inconsistent interpretation of regulations!

1948 – NASAA was formed to:

oCreate professional and ethical standards

oExchange ideas

oRepresent mutual interests

oProtect schools and veterans from fraud, waste, and abuse

NASAA History

National Association of State Approving Agencies

o The National Association of State Approving

Agencies works in cooperation with its partners:

1 To facilitate the efforts of the state approving agencies

to promote and safeguard quality education and training programs for all Veterans and other eligible persons

2 To ensure greater education and training opportunities

that meet the changing needs of Veterans

3 To protect the GI Bill resources available for those

programs

Mission Statement

NASAA History

National Association of State Approving Agencies

SAA & VACO

o U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

o Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA)

o Veterans Affairs Central Office (VACO)

o VA Regional Processing Office (RPO) – Atlanta Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Robert A McDonald Undersecretary for BenefitsAllison A Hickey

SAA & VACO

o Veterans Affairs Central Office (VACO)

It Takes A Team!

o SAA & VACO collaborate to

o Interpret laws and regulations

o Maintain integrity of programs

o Train the SCOs

o Encourage greater use of VA benefits

o Help schools/training establishments better serve veterans!

9/11 veterans will double over the next 20

years from 2.1 million to 4.1 million.

expected to transition from active duty

service each year for the next five years.

averaged a 2.98 GPA and had a 90.5%

success rate in earning college credits.

A New Era of Student Veterans

National Association of State Approving Agencies

A New Era of Student Veterans

oStudent Veterans of America’s Million Records Project

o Track the academic outcomes of approximately 1 million student veterans.

o Correlate on-campus services to high graduation rates.

o Implement on-campus best practices at 1100+ SVA chapters across the US with the goal of increasing veteran degree attainment.

o National VA Online Complaint System

o The centralized online reporting system

o Report negative experiences with educational institutions 1628 to date

o Identify and address unfair, deceptive, and misleading practices

o Ensure high quality academic and student support services

o VA Online Comparison Tool

o Easier to calculate Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and learn more about VA’s approved colleges, universities and other education and training

programs across the country.

o http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/comparison_tool.asp

VA & NASAA Initiatives

National Association of State Approving Agencies

National Association of State Approving Agencies

“We are not mere clerks or bureaucrats We are not just state employees drawing a federally funded check We are educators We are the engineers of excellence and the gatekeepers of quality We will not fail in our

commitment to safeguard the public trust, to protect the

GI Bill and to defend the future of those who have so

nobly defended us.”

WHO WE ARE

Role of the SAA Today

National Association of State Approving Agencies

o Evaluate educational programs for approval

o Provide written evaluations and approvals to VA and the

schools

Inspections and Compliance Survey Visits

o Visit and inspect each active educational institution

o Confirm compliance for approved courses and programs

Technical Assistance

o Respond to institutional and veteran requests for

information and assistance

What We Do

SAA

approve schools and programs.

ONLY tool for approving programs.

and constructive technical assistance.

those who served us!

Our Principles

National Association of State Approving Agencies

Changing Laws Changing Roles

Post 9/11 GI Bill

o Became effective on August 1, 2009

o A complex program!

o Many levels of eligibility

o Confusing concurrent eligibility

o New benefits similar to original WWII GI Bill

o Difficult to understand and administer

o SAAs took on new “consultant/trainer” role

Public Law 111-377

o Became effective October 1, 2011

o Many positives

o More programs now covered by Post 9/11 GI Bill

o More potential beneficiaries

o A “Game-Changer” for SAAs

o Changed State/Federal approval authorities

o SAAs acquired new role of assisting VA with Compliance Surveys

National Association of State Approving Agencies

Public Law 111-377

o Changed States’ authority to approve programs

o Accredited, non-profit degree programs “deemed” approved without continuing State review

o States no longer processed approvals for public and

non-profit private institutions

o SAAs retained jurisdiction over for-profit schools and College Degree (NCD) programs at all schools

Non-Public Law 111-377

o Changed States’ role in Compliance Survey process

o Compliance Surveys were primarily an audit of federal

entitlement program; focus shifted from academic programs (old “supervisory visits “) to more emphasis on finances (Note: Compliance surveys redesigned with NASAA’s help)

o Schools with deemed approved programs provided

approval/change notifications to ELR with courtesy copy of catalog/forms to NC SAA

National Association of State Approving Agencies

President’s Executive

Order 13607

o Signed by President Obama on April 27, 2012

o Principles of Excellence for Educational Institutions Serving Service Members, Veterans, Spouses, and Other Family

Members

o Ensure that educational institutions assist prospective students in

making right choices about how to use their Federal educational benefits.

o Prevent abusive and deceptive recruiting practices that target the

recipients of Federal military and veterans educational benefits.

o Ensure that educational institutions provide high quality academic and student support services to active-duty service members, reservists,

Public Law 112-249

Public Law 112-249, signed on January 10, 2013,

mandates, among other things

oA centralized mechanism for tracking/publishing

feedback from students and SAA regarding quality of

instruction, recruiting practices, and post-graduation

employment placement of institutions of higher

education.

oSAA’s will share with accrediting agencies or

associations information regarding the SAA’s evaluation

of an IHL.

Improving Transparency of Education

Opportunities for Veterans

National Association of State Approving Agencies

Approval Changes

accepted modification form—all

requirements for approval go to state

approving agency (SAA).

to the SAA.

come to the SAA.

Big Change Last Year

In State Residency for Veterans

2014

and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014

New Law…

o Approval of courses of education provided by public

institutions of higher learning for purposes of

All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program and Post-9/11 Educational Assistance conditional on in-

State tuition rate for veterans (Sec 702.)

o Expansion of Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry

Scholarship (Sec 701.)

S.2450 (H.R.4841) – Veterans’ Access,

Choice and Accountability Act 2014

in-state tuition rate:

 (A) A veteran who was discharged or released from a period of not

fewer than 90 days of service in the active military, naval, or air service less than three years before the date of enrollment in the course

concerned

 (B) An individual who is entitled to assistance under section 3311(b)(9)

or 3319 of title 38, United States Codes, by virtue of such individual's relationship to a veteran described in the above subparagraph (A).

H.R.4841 – Veterans’ Access, Choice and

Accountability Act 2014 (Cont.)

The latest…

VSO’s

(CSRWG) sunset 2014 after real achievements

this January 2015

hearings and with a new law to clarify and

The Future…

• NASAA, VA, and our other partners continue to work with Congress to inform the process.

o Assist Members’ and Committees’ staffs with technical advice and information

o Suggest combined proposals, bills

• And we look forward to a continued partnership with you and further joint accomplishments next year!

Progress through Partnerships

HR 456 – Reducing Barriers for Veterans Education Act of 2015

oAllows CH33 to be used for application fees at IHLs

HR 475 – GI Bill Processing Improvement Act of 2015

oPotential extension of deadline for implementing Section 702

HR 476 – The GI Bill Education Quality Enhancement Act of 2015

oClarification and codification of approval authority

oCapping tuition and fees for flight programs

oChanging requirements for Compliance Surveys

Pending Legislation

Thank you, and any questions?

National Association of State Approving Agencies