Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives, by a vote of 370-43, passed legislation introduced this January by Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) to expand higher education access for veterans to include those who are enrolled part-time.
Currently, work-study programs are available through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for student veterans enrolled in secondary education programs full-time, including vocational or professional programs. But many veterans have difficulty enrolling full-time while balancing their work, family, and oftentimes a VA-related disability. Nearly half of all student veterans are married with at least one child in their care.
The Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act would allow part-time student veterans to access the VA Work Study programs, ensuring they can complete their certification or degree without taking on unmanageable amounts of student debt and still care for themselves and their family.
“I am so pleased to get my legislation passed out of the House with broad bipartisan support because our veterans earned their benefits during their service,” Rep. Axne said. “We don’t need to put limits on veterans’ education when they have families to take care of or mortgages to pay. These programs have left too many veterans unable to use the education benefits they’ve earned, and I’m proud to be advancing my bill to fix that. We need to make sure that our veterans get the education that works best for them and puts them on a solid path to success.”
The Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act is endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Military Veterans Advocacy, Disabled Veterans of American (DAV), Paralyzed Veterans of American (PVA), Veterans Education Success, ACT, the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), and the Council for Opportunity in Education.
Additional Background:
Rep. Axne has sponsored measures to expand resources for veterans, and continued to work to expand skills training programs for all Iowans.
In September 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced the Transition for Success Act, bipartisan legislation written by Axne to provide skills training and employment assistance to members of the National Guard and Reserve.
In June, Rep. Axne’s bill to create more mental health resources for veterans living in rural areas became law.
In addition, the House of Representatives approved a measure authored by Rep. Axne to boost funding for career skills training programs at community colleges.
The Axne amendment, which increases funding for these programs at community colleges to $105 million for the upcoming fiscal year, was added to the House appropriations bill that increases federal funding for job skills training programs at the U.S. Department of Labor by more than 10%.
Original source can be found here.
