Fairness in Veterans’ Education Act

The Fairness in Veterans' Education Act would modify how the Department of Veterans Affairs repays service members and veterans who previously paid to maintain their Montgomery GI Bill benefits but later switched to using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. Currently, VA regulations require these repayments to be issued as part of the final monthly housing stipend under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which means veterans only receive their refund if they are still actively receiving housing payments.

Under this bill, the VA would be required to issue these repayments before a veteran exhausts their full education benefits entitlement, rather than waiting until the last housing stipend. This change would ensure that all eligible veterans receive their refunds regardless of whether they are still receiving monthly housing stipends at the time of repayment. The practical effect would be to provide veterans with faster access to funds they are owed for their earlier contributions.

The bill is currently under committee consideration and has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives.