Getting Dea Started... Should Be Simple, Right?

[hedgey]

When I got my decision papers for my 100%, they said that my college student kid was eligible for DEA going back to the date I was given as my retro date, which was back in 2009. Yay, this will help her pay off her student loans!!

So my kid fills out the DEA application, sends it in. Gets back a letter from DEA saying she must fill out a very short form, choosing the date from which to begin receiving DEA benefits. The letter clearly states that the choices are between the 2009 date and the date I was notified of my 100% rating (December 2010). Naturally, she chooses the 2009 date to get the retro. She also has taken the letter to her college VA representative, to have them fill out & send in the VA form 1999 (certification of attendance or whatever).

So far so good, right?

Yesterday she gets a letter from the VA saying (italics mine):

"By law, VA can't pay for training you received before you became eligible for benefits. Since you became eligible for benefits on November 22, 2010 (where did this date come from???) we can pay you starting on that date. However, we can pay for the remainder of your training if you return the election sent February 28, 2011. Based on the VA Form 1999 you submitted, we recommend that you choose August 30, 2010 as your begin dated since this was the date you began training."

WTH? Okay, I can see that maybe the college didn't fill out the 1999 right, that they left out her previous year of attendance (she started at this college in fall 2008). So I'm going to call or have her visit the VA rep this week and clarify that. But what the heck is the deal with saying she became eligible on November 2010???

The really funny thing is that the letter she got stating her eligibility began in 2009 and this letter saying Nov 2010 is "signed" by the same person....

Along with this new letter was the VA Form 4107, telling her about her right to appeal. Why the heck should she have to go through the appeal process when this is such a clear bungle?

I'm so mad I could spit nails. I really feel like this is almost intentional, because her first reaction was "Rats, that stinks... oh well..." She doesn't know any better, and would just let it drop.

[hedgey]

Thanks Berta!

Not only do you edify me, you make me feel better :)

Still haven't heard back from the FAO. I'm getting anxious about this - I hate calling people and asking for things. I know this was her mistake to correct, but I still feel like I'm going begging. argh!

[john999]

I do remember getting G.I. Bill going was not that hard. Why DEA should be such a chore I don't understand except I know it can be. It seems the school did most of the work for me back in the dawn of time when I went to school under the Bill.

[hedgey]

Update!

My daughter came home for spring break yesterday afternoon and in the mail was a check for her, for the period from November 2010 to 03/31/2011. Having that big check with her name on it made her head swim and she had no trouble getting up the courage to call the DEA department. Still, she was nervous when she actually got on the phone with them...

The first woman she spoke with was very patient & kind, and after hearing the story put DD on hold to get a case manager involved.

The case manager came on and told my daughter that she had the "choice letter" in front of her, and that she could clearly see that the eligibility date was back in 2009, and that is what DD had selected. So my daughter had definitely satisfied the VA's requirements, and she would be getting the retro payments back to 2009.... but they still needed the Financial Aid Officer in the school to submit corrected dates of attendance.

My daughter asked what she could do if the FAO balked (the woman still hasn't returned my calls since Monday morning last week - me being a PIA mother).

The VA-DEA case manager said that everybody has a boss, and if this woman won't get off her duff & fix this pronto, DD should go over her head. If the school won't make sure it gets done, call her back and the VA will get involved. Surely the lil' ol' school doesn't want to have the VA doing an audit or review of their treatment of Vets & Dependents!! (the case manager was a southern lady).

So my Dear Daughter is relieved and feels pleased that she handled actually dealing with the VA and survived. (I didn't realize how much she'd been paying attention to my own laments). Now she's faced with fighting with the Director of Financial Aid.... I did mention that the FAO who messed up in the first place is also the Director, didn't I? Small school, lots of staff wear lots of hats.

I know this woman is busy, but she's going to get motivated in a hurry if she doesn't fix this for my kid. She's the one who caused all the confusion to begin with, and the stress and distress I've suffered from it lies squarely at her door.

Hmmmph!

And hurray for the VA DEA for treating my daughter, their customer, with courtesy and respect. I think I'll send a kudos IRIS.

Thanks, everyone, so MUCH for all the help and support you've given me through this!

[VetsLady]

GREAT news Hedgey !

[Berta]

This is great Hedgey.

I had problems on my school's end in getting a statement of my paid tuition too.

I can relate this this:

"he VA-DEA case manager said that everybody has a boss, and if this woman won't get off her duff & fix this pronto, DD should go over her head."

First the school financial officer emailed me that the VA does not pay DEA retro and when I emailed her the regulation ,she sat on my request for many weeks until I contacted someone else in their FAO office.

At first that person gave me a hard time-too about the DEA regs-said I was reading them wrong- HUH? I had graduated with Honors, and earned both Mil Studies Certificate at same time I pursued my degree so I said to the woman I would not be using my college experience properly if I accepted what she said and that I would promptly contact the Dean. Bingo they sent the proper info to the VA,emailed me right away that they had sent it, and my check arrived shortly thereafter.

It is difficult,after the years I spent studying under professors who were mostly active Military officers,at this school (and the years of VA BS too) for me to accept any kind of unfounded crap without promptly fighting back.

[hedgey]

Thanks Vetslady, Berta!

Yep, I think there's going to have to be some chain rattling. If she has to, DD can go to talk to the chairman of the department in which she's majoring. That nice professor happens to be married to the president of the college. I'm sure a phone call from her will be motivational.

It just torques me to think the Director of Financial Aid is so careless about a student's needs (and a Vet's). We're talking about more than 12 months of DEA full-time payments, and that would make a huge dent in my daughter's student loans.

I know it's a busy, busy season for FA people, with new students & parents looking for aid for next fall. I think I'd be more patient and forgiving if the woman didn't allow a tone of irritation enter her voice when she saw she would have to make corrections. And if she would return my calls.

Rambling now... sorry!