Georgia State students using the military education benefit program, known as the GI Bill are still left with their tuition unpaid at the midpoint of the semester.
The GI Bill is an education benefit program sponsored by the Veterans Affairs (VA) program that active military members and veterans utilize to get all in-state tuition and fees paid for college, among many other things including paid training for a new job and free one-time relocation.
Of the 1,100 students under the program, 700 receive their money directly through their Georgia State student account, and only these students are receiving delays.
“As long as the students submit their paperwork to the VA on time, these 700 students receive their living and book stipends directly from the VA at the beginning of the term,” said Shari Piotrowski, the university registrar.
But Heather Shepherd, a Georgia state junior said that was not the case for her this year. Shepherd is using the GI Bill for the first time this semester and said it has proved to be a difficult experience.
“It was pretty stressful actually, because I sent my stuff in June, and didn’t get anything until like a week ago,” Shepherd said.
The university’s VA website states that first time users take longer, and that with the delay, it should take a total of a month and a week to complete the processing, which means Shepherd should have received her funds months ago.
But this is not the first time Georgia State has taken a long time covering the expected funds. WSB-TV Atlanta covered outraged student veterans last year which were also overdue to receive their funds, blaming it on Georgia State’s processing issues.
GI Bill recipients can start the process of getting their funds at the last day of the semester, and the earlier all the required information, (verification of enrollment, sending in forms, etc.) is sent in, the earlier the process of getting the money can start. According to the GI Bill FAQ page, due to the influx of students, the money always takes longer to be received in the fall.
Students use the monthly Books and Supplies stipend that comes with the GI Bill to buy books and oftentimes, for personal expenses like rent. Shepherd said she was depending on the Bill for help with the first months rent and books, but due to the delay, she had to pay out of pocket for both.
Sadiyah Ali-Nur, a Georgia State sophomore, has used the scholarship before, but this year she is having more issues than previous semesters.
“I was quoted this year for the end of September, and it has been late before so I was expecting the lateness, but I still haven’t received it,” Ali-Nur said. She also usually uses the GI Bill for living expenses like groceries and gas, but had to pay out of pocket for both.
Shepherd and Ali-Nur said the department’s biggest problem is poor communication “Georgia State does not tell you what they are doing. I haven’t been updated or anything like that”, Ali-Nur said.
Shepherd said that there were only two people working at Georgia State’s Military Outreach office, which handles the 700 out of the 1,100 students who receive their money through their student account, when she began her process, and by the end they had hired another, which she believes is a problem that should be solved.
