Thursday, December 7, 2017
Monday, March 20, 2017
Firefox — Notes (52.0.1) — Mozilla
Safeguarding the Integrity of GI Bill Benefits
Over the past
few years you may have heard us using phrases like, “safeguarding the
integrity of GI Bill benefits” and “protecting our beneficiaries from
bad actors,” – but what does this really mean? Unfortunately, not every
school/institution out there has Veterans’ best interests in mind, so we
have been working diligently to ensure that our GI Bill beneficiaries
don’t fall victim to schools that employ fraudulent, misleading, or
deceptive practices.
Just recently, we had a major “win” that we hope will set a precedent for the future:
As a result
of a student complaint in our GI Bill Feedback System, the owners of the
College of Beauty and Barber Culture in Chesapeake, Va., were sentenced
to jail time and required to pay $4.5 million in restitution. The
school, which enrolled hundreds of Veterans since 2011, only had a
handful pass their licensing exam. The investigation also revealed that
many students did not receive the required hours of instruction, which
contradicted information submitted to VA. More information about the
case can be found here
.
We take our
Veterans’ education benefits very seriously, which is why we encourage
them to conduct thorough research before choosing a school. To assist
them, VA is constantly updating the GI Bill Comparison Tool with the number of complaints a school receives, and we add caution flags highlighting important information such as investigations,
settlements, accreditation issues, or financial issues.
GI Bill beneficiaries, family, and friends can play a part in helping keep schools honest. Reporting the GI Bill Feedback System can help other Veterans and dependents to avoid bad actors and protect the integrity of the GI Bill education programs. Students can also call
the VA Office of the Inspector General hotline at 1-800-488-8244. In both cases, it’s up to you if you want to provide contact information or remain anonymous.
We will
continue to work hard to provide the most accurate and timely
information to our beneficiaries. As we navigate these sometimes
turbulent waters, we will remain dedicated to providing the best GI Bill
experience possible for those who fought for us.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
National Sleep Awareness Month - My HealtheVet
National Sleep Awareness Month - My HealtheVet
March is National Sleep Awareness Month. Sleep is an important part of living a healthy, long life. Without it, serious health issue can develop.
Are you lying awake? Are your eyes wide open at night? Tossing and turning? Checking the alarm clock? If this sounds familiar, you could be struggling with insomnia. Anyone who has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and/or waking up too early knows it is more than a nighttime problem.
Insomnia sufferers often have trouble staying awake and alert during the day. This can interfere with work, school and other daytime activities. Those who have trouble sleeping may feel irritable and depressed. They may have trouble concentrating or have low energy levels.
Insomnia is one of the biggest problems for returning Servicemembers, according to Dana Epstein, Associate Chief Nursing Service for Research at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Although insomnia can have many causes, it goes hand-in-hand with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
"Research shows an estimated 20 percent of Servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD," said Epstein. "About 80 to 90 percent of combat Veterans with PTSD have sleep difficulty."
About half of the Veterans who complete PTSD treatment may continue to have insomnia, according to Christi Ulmer, a psychologist at the Durham VA Medical Center in Durham, N.C. "It takes on a life of its own."
Sleep apnea, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, alcohol abuse and restless leg syndrome can also cause sleep problems. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is training mental health providers in a treatment called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
To get results, you need to commit to the program. This includes completing a sleep diary every morning. The diary can help you and your therapist identify sleep/wake patterns and what might be affecting them. For example, if your sleep diary shows you go to bed at 9 p.m. but are not falling asleep before 1 a.m. most nights, one solution might be to switch your bedtime closer to 1 a.m., explained Ulmer.
"People with chronic insomnia extend their time in bed," she said. "The frustration of not being able to fall asleep creates a link between the bed and the insomnia." To break this link, Ulmer advises that Veterans give themselves 20 to 30 minutes to fall asleep. "If you can't, get up and do something relaxing."
CBT-I treatment typically involves meeting with a therapist, once a week or once every other week for about six weeks. Each meeting lasts about 50 minutes. Ulmer said Veterans should be evaluated for sleep apnea before beginning CBT-I. Veterans with untreated sleep apnea may be too sleepy to participate in certain parts of the treatment. About 85 percent of all cases of sleep apnea are undiagnosed. Therefore, their CBT-I provider will screen them for sleep apnea before beginning CBT-I treatment.
My HealtheVet has a "Healthy Living Center" on sleep that will direct you to a self-test for measuring insomnia. You can print out the results to discuss with your health care team. There are also suggestions for changing certain behaviors to improve sleep. Tips include avoiding caffeine later in the day, waking up at the same time each morning and avoiding naps.
Stop dreaming about getting a good night's sleep. Make it a reality with help from VA.
In the Spotlight
When Sleeping Becomes Difficult, VA Can Help
March is National Sleep Awareness Month. Sleep is an important part of living a healthy, long life. Without it, serious health issue can develop.Are you lying awake? Are your eyes wide open at night? Tossing and turning? Checking the alarm clock? If this sounds familiar, you could be struggling with insomnia. Anyone who has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and/or waking up too early knows it is more than a nighttime problem.
Insomnia sufferers often have trouble staying awake and alert during the day. This can interfere with work, school and other daytime activities. Those who have trouble sleeping may feel irritable and depressed. They may have trouble concentrating or have low energy levels.
Did You Know?
Being sleep-deprived may increase nightmares. If you improve the quality of your sleep, you sometimes can reduce nightmares."Research shows an estimated 20 percent of Servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD," said Epstein. "About 80 to 90 percent of combat Veterans with PTSD have sleep difficulty."
About half of the Veterans who complete PTSD treatment may continue to have insomnia, according to Christi Ulmer, a psychologist at the Durham VA Medical Center in Durham, N.C. "It takes on a life of its own."
Sleep apnea, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, alcohol abuse and restless leg syndrome can also cause sleep problems. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is training mental health providers in a treatment called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
What is CBT-I?
CBT-I is a science-based treatment that does not involve taking medicine. The treatment focuses on thoughts, feelings and expectations about sleep that may keep you from getting a good night's rest. It also helps you adopt personal sleep habits that research has shown to be helpful.To get results, you need to commit to the program. This includes completing a sleep diary every morning. The diary can help you and your therapist identify sleep/wake patterns and what might be affecting them. For example, if your sleep diary shows you go to bed at 9 p.m. but are not falling asleep before 1 a.m. most nights, one solution might be to switch your bedtime closer to 1 a.m., explained Ulmer.
"People with chronic insomnia extend their time in bed," she said. "The frustration of not being able to fall asleep creates a link between the bed and the insomnia." To break this link, Ulmer advises that Veterans give themselves 20 to 30 minutes to fall asleep. "If you can't, get up and do something relaxing."
CBT-I treatment typically involves meeting with a therapist, once a week or once every other week for about six weeks. Each meeting lasts about 50 minutes. Ulmer said Veterans should be evaluated for sleep apnea before beginning CBT-I. Veterans with untreated sleep apnea may be too sleepy to participate in certain parts of the treatment. About 85 percent of all cases of sleep apnea are undiagnosed. Therefore, their CBT-I provider will screen them for sleep apnea before beginning CBT-I treatment.
My HealtheVet has a "Healthy Living Center" on sleep that will direct you to a self-test for measuring insomnia. You can print out the results to discuss with your health care team. There are also suggestions for changing certain behaviors to improve sleep. Tips include avoiding caffeine later in the day, waking up at the same time each morning and avoiding naps.
Stop dreaming about getting a good night's sleep. Make it a reality with help from VA.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Fry Scholarship - Education and Training
Fry Scholarship - Education and Training
Children
Children are eligible as of their 18th birthday (unless they have already graduated high school). A child may be married or over 23 and still be eligible, although their eligibility ends on their 33rd birthday.
SpousesSpouses have 15 years from the date of death of the Servicemember to use the benefit.
Because certain provisions of the law, that extended these benefits to spouses did not go in effect until January 1, 2015, some surviving spouses’ benefits would have expired in 2016. A new provision of the law signed on December 16, 2016, extends the benefit eligibility to January 1, 2021 for the spouses of Servicemembers who died in the line of duty between September 11, 2001 and December 31, 2005. This allows surviving spouses’ additional time to use the Fry Scholarship benefits. See our letter to spouses for further clarification of the new policy.
Spouses will lose eligibility to this benefit upon remarriage.
Fry and DEA Eligibility
If you are eligible for both Fry Scholarship and DEA (Dependents Educational Assistance), you will be required to make an irrevocable election between the two programs when you apply. Dependents are not eligible to receive both DEA and the Fry Scholarship based on the same event (like a Servicemember dying in the line of duty) unless he or she is a child whose parent died prior to August 1, 2011. A child of a parent who died prior to August 1, 2011 may still be eligible for both benefits but he/she may only use one program at a time and combined benefits are capped at a total of 81 months of full-time training. In this situation the two benefit programs cannot be used concurrently.
Fry Scholarship
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) provides Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the children and surviving spouses of Servicemembers who died in the line of duty while on active duty after September 10, 2001. Eligible beneficiaries attending school may receive up to 36 months of benefits at the 100% level. Find out more information on payment rates. See our fact sheet which provides more detailed information.Eligibility
Children and surviving spouses of an active duty member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001 are eligible for this benefit.Children
Children are eligible as of their 18th birthday (unless they have already graduated high school). A child may be married or over 23 and still be eligible, although their eligibility ends on their 33rd birthday.
SpousesSpouses have 15 years from the date of death of the Servicemember to use the benefit.
Because certain provisions of the law, that extended these benefits to spouses did not go in effect until January 1, 2015, some surviving spouses’ benefits would have expired in 2016. A new provision of the law signed on December 16, 2016, extends the benefit eligibility to January 1, 2021 for the spouses of Servicemembers who died in the line of duty between September 11, 2001 and December 31, 2005. This allows surviving spouses’ additional time to use the Fry Scholarship benefits. See our letter to spouses for further clarification of the new policy.
Spouses will lose eligibility to this benefit upon remarriage.
Fry and DEA Eligibility
If you are eligible for both Fry Scholarship and DEA (Dependents Educational Assistance), you will be required to make an irrevocable election between the two programs when you apply. Dependents are not eligible to receive both DEA and the Fry Scholarship based on the same event (like a Servicemember dying in the line of duty) unless he or she is a child whose parent died prior to August 1, 2011. A child of a parent who died prior to August 1, 2011 may still be eligible for both benefits but he/she may only use one program at a time and combined benefits are capped at a total of 81 months of full-time training. In this situation the two benefit programs cannot be used concurrently.
Other Factors to Consider
Surviving spouses are eligible to receive Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC) while using the Fry Scholarship. Children, over the age of 18, in receipt of DIC will relinquish DIC payments upon the start of using VA education benefits such as the Fry Scholarship.Apply
To apply, take these steps depending on your situation:- Make sure that your selected program is approved for VA training. Please visit our GI Bill Comparison Tool for help in choosing a school.
- To apply, obtain and complete VA Form 22-5490, Dependents Application for VA Education Benefits. Send it to the Regional Processing Office with jurisdiction over the state where you will advance your education and training. If you are a son or daughter, under legal age, a parent or guardian must sign the application. When applying, you will be required to make an irrevocable election between the Fry Scholarship and the Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program to receive benefits. Children of a Servicemember who died in the line of duty prior to August 1, 2011 may be eligible for both DEA and Fry but they cannot be used at the same time.
- If you have started your educational program, take your application to your school or employer. Ask them to complete VA Form 22-1999, Enrollment Certification, and send both forms to VA. He or she can submit an Enrollment Certification electronically using VA-ONCE. (Note: Schools must contact their VA representative to receive this form.)
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