Rep. Sherrill Broadens Educational Opportunities for Veterans

New legislation would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to update its current payment system to allow veterans using their GI Bill Benefits to attend universities abroad

Washington, DC– Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) is working to improve educational opportunities for veterans by introducing the GI Bill Foreign Institution Electronic Payments Act. Rep. Sherrill is leading this effort to update the current GI Bill Benefit parameters after hearing the concerns from veterans in her community.

“The GI Bill, and other educational benefits, empower veterans to be successful in the civilian workforce and contribute to their communities and the economy. After serving overseas, many veterans hope to continue their educational journey at universities abroad. But because of a technical issue with how educational assistance payments can be transferred to universities, veterans are unable to utilize these earned benefits at certain schools they wish to attend. After hearing about this issue from veterans in my community, I am proud to introduce this legislation today that will update the VA’s payment system and broaden the educational opportunities for veterans,” said Rep. Sherrill.

Currently, the VA’s payment system requires that, in order for institutions to receive payment, they must have an Employee Identification Number. Many foreign universities do not have EIN’s as they do not file taxes in the United States. The bill would require the VA to update its current payment system such that an Employee Identification Number is no longer required for the VA to issue payment and would allow Veterans to expand their horizons at universities worldwide.

“As a veteran who knows the benefit an international perspective can give when helping Americans, I chose to pursue my higher education abroad. After completing my Ph.D., I plan on returning to the US to begin a career in academia. However, because of the current VA structure, I have not been able to use the GI Bill to which I am entitled. This has resulted in unnecessary financial strain and mental stress. Passing the Foreign School GI Bill Payment Act will help veterans abroad like myself gain access to the benefits we deserve. We will be able to pursue our education unhindered and use our experiences to provide an even greater contribution to society,”  said Christian Pierce, a U.S. Army veteran and NJ-11 constituent.

The full text of the bill is available here.

The GI Bill Foreign Institution Electronic Payments Act requires that within 90 days from enactment the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall update the payment transfer system of the Department of Veterans Affairs allowing for electronic fund transfer of educational assistance.

Rep. Sherrill is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and served in the Navy for almost 10 years as a helicopter pilot and Russian policy officer. As a Russian policy officer, she worked on the implementation of our nuclear treaty obligations and oversaw the relationship between the U.S. Navy and Russian Federation Navy. She now serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she serves on the Tactical Air and Land Forces and Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittees.

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