Proposals in Congress Would Risk College Access for Over 158,000 Veterans and Servicemembers

​NDP Analytics projects that up to 158,000 veterans could lose the ability to use their military and veteran education benefits at the school and program of their choice.  The research, commissioned by Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU), looks at the potential impact of proposals in Congress to consider military and veterans benefits as economic subsidies similar to Pell Grants and federal loans.

According to the new analysis of proposed changes by NDP Analytics, over 260 institutions serving military or veteran education beneficiaries that currently pass the existing 90/10 ratio would fail an 85/15 ratio. This would result in over 158,000 veterans and servicemembers currently enrolled in a career education college or university losing access to their selected institution. And if these schools were cut off from participation in Title IV programs immediately, up to 500,000 students would be displaced and unable to finish their occupational studies.

“Changing the 90/10 rule will force career education colleges and universities to choose between enrolling veterans or serving Pell Grant recipients. This makes zero sense and limits access to higher education for two important populations of students – members of the military community transitioning and low-income students seeking career skills,” said Michael Dakduk, Executive Vice President of CECU. “Members of Congress should focus on improving and expanding access and opportunities, not reducing choices for veterans and servicemembers who have earned their benefits, like the Post-9/11 GI Bill, through service in uniform.”

“We are prepared to sit down with any member of Congress that wants to hold all programs at all institutions accountable by using a common set of outcome metrics,” said Dakduk. “Universal transparency in higher education will get us much closer to real accountability than 90/10 ever will.”
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Michael Dakduk is the former head of Student Veterans of America (SVA). He previously served in the Marine Corps with combat deployments to both Afghanistan and Iraq. He now serves as Executive Vice President and Director of Government Relations for CECU.