Ch. 35 Question

[DavidS]

Hello Hadit.  I am not sure where to post this question....but here goes.  I was recently awarded TDIU P & T back to January 2017.  My daughter is One semester away from graduating from college.  She has been in school since 2015.  Is it possible for her to get some of her student load debt paid based on Chapter 35 benefits?  If so, what steps should we take to get this process started?  Thank you for any help!

[flow1972]

As another Vet just awarded 100% P&T, I am also working through this process with my son who started classes in the current Fall semester.  My effective date would be prior to the semester start date which he's already paid for.  I've submitted his application for Chapter 35 (DEA) benefits and listed the start date of the current semester.  We're hoping it will back date the payments to the semester start date.  The application says it will take 30 days to be reviewed and approved, so we'll see what the letter says when he gets it.

 

This particular benefit is the $1250 per month "Education Expenses" paid to the student.  Our State (as do most), also offers Tuition Waiver for In-State schools on top of the DEA benefit.  However, the do not "back-date" the benefit (so I'm told).  So, we will be submitting that application for the next semester.  It's even more complicated because he started classes at a Community College since he was paying for them out of pocket.  With the new benefit, he will be transferring to a State University to start the next semester because that's where he wanted to go in the first place.  

 

My assumption is, I'll have to update is Chapter 35 application with the new school info once it gets approved.  I swear...nothing is straight forward or easy.  LOL  The youngest starts college in the fall, and thankfully we'll figure all of this out with her brother before we have to get it all done for her...and she will start and finish at a University she's already been accepted to.

[Berta]

 Flow- please accept my belated Congrats on your award .

Yeah nothing is easy- but Chapter 35, once it starts to work, moves fairly smoothly.

I am sure his school, on their website, will show it is VA approved and would have info there on DEA students, and all sorts of financial aid.

I always had to pay my tuition in advance at AMU and then VA would reimburse me. I am a widow on DEA so there might be different payment criteria for your children-

Once there was a hold up and I got 3 reimbursement checks in one week.

I had started my degree at a community college, and had over 30 credits there but AMU accepted 30 of them, so I needed only30 more and got a AMU Certificate in Military Studies  as well as a diploma because the courses I took were high level tactical maneuver courses. Almost all of my professors there were officers in the USMC. They were tough. That's OK -so am I!

DEA is a wonderful benefit and so is CHAMPVA.I hope they are eligible for CHAMPVA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[flow1972]

7 minutes ago, Berta said:

 Flow- please accept my belated Congrats on your award .

Yeah nothing is easy- but Chapter 35, once it starts to work, moves fairly smoothly.

I am sure his school, on their website, will show it is VA approved and would have info there on DEA students, and all sorts of financial aid.

I always had to pay my tuition in advance at AMU and then VA would reimburse me. I am a widow on DEA so there might be different payment criteria for your children-

Once there was a hold up and I got 3 reimbursement checks in one week.

I had started my degree at a community college, and had over 30 credits there but AMU accepted 30 of them, so I needed only30 more and got a AMU Certificate in Military Studies  as well as a diploma because the courses I took were high level tactical maneuver courses. Almost all of my professors there were officers in the USMC. They were tough. That's OK -so am I!

DEA is a wonderful benefit and so is CHAMPVA.I hope they are eligible for CHAMPVA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you!  And it's good to know it'll actually be "smooth" at some point.  I'm still waiting on my "actual award letter" to get here but the letters you can download show Permanent and Total, so it would surprise me if the award letter didn't include CHAMPVA.  I was planning to look in to all of it as soon as the packet gets here...it's ridiculous that the VA doesn't put those out there to download instead of forcing everyone to wait on snail mail.

[GBArmy]

Flow1972 We can only evaluate the performance of the VA by our own experience. I've been involved  with them for about 10 years and IMHO they are getting better in a lot of areas. I didn't say great, but better. Most noticeably in terms of health care for me. Better doctors and medical staff, more willing to get you additional testing or special care, etc. More respect.  I believe that occurred in response to the terrible way they were treating some veterans in getting care at some VAMC's, like in Arizona. The "death" waiting lists and all. It causes such a public outcry that made them start treating us with the care we deserve. VBA? I don't know. They still make it really hard for the veteran to submit a claim that will fly, especially right off the bat.  But the lead times to get a claim thru has improved considerably. Months, not years mostly now. But if you are new to the hamster wheel, then it looks like they just take too long. They do, but it is better.  And I believe the reason is today's veteran is more of a self advocate and more informed. They can even start the disability trail while still in-service. Definitely improvement but still a long way to go. It is our responsibility to demand better, because we deserve better. If they do a bad job, like inadequate C&P exam, go after it. Get a re-do. Got a doc who is terrible, call him out. Contact the Hospital director. They can't improve if we don't tell them. But, I think it is getting better.

[pacmanx1]

The way the PELL Grant was explained to me was that they are time sensitive.  PELL Grants are due around February-April time frame. Once the FAFSA (FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID) are completed there is always money still available for needy students.  While I was in the CH 31 program (VOC REHAB) I qualified for VOC REHAB, The PELL Grant, and some Student loans. I was out of work and a full-time student at the time. I received all these financial benefits for several years prior to my graduation. Prior to my graduation my health/service-connected conditions got worst to the point where I could not even attend my ceremony. VA eventually granted me 100% service-connected P & T with CH 35. I told my daughter to take her application to her school and apply for CH 35 and she complete her degree. At the same time, I found out about the disability discharge for P & T veterans in which I applied for and was granted. So, it all worked out for the both of us. You know the old saying that if you do not ask you cannot receive.

[DavidS]

Thanks everyone for all the great information!  We are going to finish the DEA application this weekend.  But I'm wondering if I will be able to print it so that she can take it to her school?  I may have to print the one online and print it for her and then mail it in along with the one the school has to fill out.  Hopefully we will get some retroactive tuition.  She is a 6 year student who changed her major several times........... So I guess we will wait and see.