Senate passes bill to prevent vets from seeing cut to college aid due to coronavirus
The U.S. Senate passed legislation Monday that would protect military veterans attending college from cuts to their GI Bill as universities switch to online courses because of coronavirus concerns.
Under current law, veterans attending college at a physical campus receive more federal money from the GI Bill than those who take online courses. As the bulk of universities switch to online courses to prevent the spread of COVID-19, those veterans are at risk of seeing their benefits cut.
The Senate passed the bill by voice vote just three days after its introduction by Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana. The bill now heads to the House.
“We must make certain veterans can still receive the benefits they’ve earned despite concerns surrounding coronavirus and have the opportunity to earn a college degree and achieve success after service,” said Moran, the chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
