Early in his first term, President Barack Obama signed the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The new law provided much-needed reforms to the traditional GI Bill, such as simplified tuition rates, the ability to transfer entitlements to dependents and expanded access to higher education for many veterans.

Unfortunately, there are still a few kinks in the system that prevent veterans from taking full advantage of these benefits. Byzantine rules imposed by the bureaucracy are difficult to understand, making access difficult. For example, many benefits assume a four-year degree track, meaning veterans who graduate early often leave money on the table and that those who graduate late run out too quickly. Additionally, student veterans must rely on untrained school administrators for assistance, resulting in frequent delays. Finally, many veterans qualify for the GI Bill but have already completed their degrees, putting them in the unfortunate position of qualifying for educational benefits but unable to use them.

Adding to the frustration, and unlike most other benefits, many veterans were required to pay for their educational benefits before becoming qualified. For example, particularly for those covered by the traditional GI Bill, military members had to complete their service commitments honorably and pay up to $1,200 from their own paychecks in order to “buy in” and qualify for benefits. When these veterans are later denied full access to their benefits because of red tape or incomprehensible rules, the costs can run into the thousands of dollars.

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