Summer Break is here!

There is a new scam targeting Veterans. The latest tactic involves postcards that are being mailed out promoting a so-called “Veterans Saving Program” claiming that recipients may qualify for additional benefits. These benefits include an additional $185 monthly payment and dental coverage, among others. Please be aware that this program does not exist. VA has received reports of Veterans from several states receiving these misleading postcards. For more information on this scam, refer to the VA News article: Fraud alert: Beware the “Veterans Savings Program” postcard scam.

The VA Welcome Kit is designed to assist Veterans at any stage, from transitioning out of military service to navigating civilian life years later, by helping them access earned benefits and services. Recognizing that VA benefits can support you differently based on your life circumstances, the Welcome Kit serves as a valuable resource for milestones such as pursuing education, securing employment, purchasing a home, obtaining health care, planning for retirement, or preparing for long-term care. Keeping the Welcome Kit accessible ensures you can leverage VA benefits and services throughout your lifetime.

To ensure timely receipt of your VA education and training benefits, you must verify your enrollment at the end of each month. Failure to do so may result in your monthly payments, including kicker payments, being paused. For the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit, your payments will be paused if you fail to verify your enrollment for two consecutive months. For the Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty and Selected Reserve) and Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance (DEA/Chapter 35) benefits, monthly enrollment verification is required before any payment is issued.

The fastest way to verify your enrollment is by responding “yes” to a monthly text message from the VA confirming your enrollment status. You can learn more about other enrollment verification methods in this YouTube video. Other verification options are available but may not be as expedient as text messaging. Should your payments be paused due to missing verification, you will need to contact the Education Call Center (888-442-4551)  or submit a request through ASK VA , ensuring you include the relevant verification periods.

Please note that payment processing typically takes five to seven calendar days after verification is received. Therefore, prompt verification, beginning as early as the last day of each month, is recommended to avoid delays. For any questions regarding enrollment verification or GI Bill benefits, please get in touch with the Education Call Center or use ASK VA for assistance. VA is committed to delivering your benefits as efficiently as possible.

VA is excited to implement the VET TEC 2.0 program. This is a new education benefit that was created through the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. 

VET TEC 2.0 is only for programs in computer programming, computer software, media applications, data processing, or information sciences. You could be eligible for this education program if you: 

1. Have a character of service of other than dishonorable 
2. Have a total length of service equal to at least 36 months 
3. Are a Veteran or will become a Veteran within the next 180 days
4. Are under age 62. 

If you are eligible, you can receive the following while attending an approved program at an approved training provider: 

1. Money for books and supplies: If you’re enrolled in a program approved for VET TEC 2.0, you can get up to $41.67 per credit hour, for up to a max of 24 credits or the equivalent clock hours. 
2. Money for housing (if you’re in school more than half-time): you can receive a monthly housing allowance based on the cost of living where your school is located. 
3. Tuition and fees: You can receive the full cost of mandatory tuition and fees up to the yearly payment rate cap. 

You can find out more about the program, including how to apply, on the VET TEC 2.0 webpage. You can find an overview of the VET TEC 2.0 program by watching the VET TEC 2.0 Student Overview webinar. 

“Rounding out” is where VA allows a school to certify courses for payment that are not a part of the beneficiary’s approved program of education to allow a beneficiary to increase their training time or rate of pursuit. Rounding out is only allowed during the beneficiary’s final academic term and can be done only once per program. 

By authorizing these courses to be certified under the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), students can receive the maximum allowable housing allowance (MHA) and non-Chapter 33 students are eligible for up to full-time benefit payments during this final term.  

On January 2, 2025, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2025 (Public Law 118-210) was signed into law. Section 208, “Payment of full monthly housing stipend for veterans enrolled in final semester using educational assistance under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program”, updated the “rounding out” rule.  

Students in their last term, using the Chapter 33 benefit, attending an institution of higher learning (IHL) and: 

• Attending with a rate of pursuit greater than 50% can now be paid MHA at the full-time rate, without having to take additional classes. 

• Attending with a rate of pursuit at or less than 50%.

• Any courses required for the student’s degree plan must be taken first if available. 
• When all options for the degree plan are currently being taken, filled, or not offered, the student may take any course, even if not part of their program, to get their rate of pursuit above 50%, at which time full MHA benefits will be paid. 

• Attending with a rate of pursuit at or less than 50% and who do not take additional courses will not be paid MHA. 

July is Military Consumer Month, a nationwide effort focused on protecting Veterans, Service members, and their families from the growing number of scams targeting the military community. The goal is to empower the military community with knowledge that keeps their money, identity, and benefits protected. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has developed the Military Consumer toolkit to help the Military Consumer Network reach service members, Veterans, and their families. Share this content with your battle buddies, family, friends, colleagues, and social networks.

If a Veteran is missing a VA benefits payment, identifies a discrepancy in payments, or finds suspicious activity with their direct deposit account, they should contact VA immediately at 1-800-827-1000. Veterans who suspect they have experienced fraud can find out more and report to the appropriate agency at VSAFE.gov or by calling (833) 38V-SAFE.