Letter on education benefits provided to veterans and their families

The Honorable Patty Murray
Chairman
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Richard Burr
Ranking Member
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Murray and Ranking Member Burr:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region, urges the Committee to proceed deliberately in consideration of efforts to examine the administration of education benefits provided to veterans and their families, which is expected to be a focus of the hearing this week titled “Economic Opportunity and Transition Legislation.”

The Chamber is a longstanding supporter of veterans, including efforts that enhance the ability of veterans to enter the workforce, and to improve their skills and education.

The Chamber launched the “Hiring our Heroes” program, a nationwide initiative designed to help veterans—including those who are wounded, ill, and injured—and their spouses to find meaningful private sector employment. Hiring our Heroes has held more than180 job fairs across the country since March 2011. The goal for the program going forward is to help place 500,000 veterans and military spouses in jobs by the end of 2014.

The Chamber shares the concern of many in Congress regarding serious allegations concerning the potential misuse of Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) education assistance dollars, and that some for-profit schools have engaged in fraud, deceptive advertising, and providing misleading data to potential students regarding the costs to complete a chosen field of study, and the expectations of finding employment upon completion.

The Chamber believes that fraud or abuse must be stamped out. Incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading data should not be tolerated. Veterans and their families should have full access to the accurate and complete data they need to make decisions about their choices for postsecondary institutions.

However, the Chamber strongly believes that the vast majority of for-profit colleges should, can, and do play a very important role in allowing many veterans to update, enhance and improve their skills, and to succeed in their post active duty careers. The Chamber urges the Committee to reject efforts that would punitively target this entire sector. Many veterans are likely to benefit from the innovative and high-need programs that private sector schools can provide. Attempts to create new hurdles, new bureaucracy, and new impediments that would deter veterans and their families from seeking out educational opportunities that meet their needs are misguided and unwarranted.

Tens of thousands of members of the military, veterans, and their families choose to attend private sector colleges and universities because they believe it is the right fit for their individual circumstances. These students often have families and need the flexibility of the educational opportunities for-profit institutions can provide. For many veterans and their families, private sector institutions are the best—and in some cases, only—available option to achieve their educational and training goals. The Chamber believes that each student should be allowed to make his or her own choice. And each institution—regardless of governance—should be held to exactly the same standards under law.

Rather than a misguided, punitive approach, the Chamber believes the Committee should focus on common sense reforms that have been identified by a number of advocates—including veterans’ organizations and non-profit and for-profit higher education institutions—to strengthen the information provided to every veteran. For example, veterans who receive educational assistance should receive counseling before tuition benefits are awarded. In addition, a complaint tracking system would enable veterans to report instances of fraud, waste, abuse, and violations of Federal and state law, and would better ensure that any potential bad actors are identified and sanctioned.

Thank you for your consideration. The Chamber looks forward to working with the Committee on these important issues.

Sincerely,

R. Bruce Josten

Cc: The Members of the Committee on Veterans’ Affai