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 for veterans (exclusive to Indiana and disabled veterans)
Education benefits for kids of disabled vets endangered
By Larry Catt Monroe County Veterans Affairs Officer
February 12, 2011 The remission of fees program benefiting disabled veterans and their children is in danger of being changed by Senate Bill 577 and House Bill 1328 in the Indiana Legislature. If passed, the reduction in educational assistance to children of disabled veterans would be significant. As the program stands now, children of a disabled veteran can receive remission of fees at any state-supported post secondary school or university in the state of Indiana. The remission of fees is a state of Indiana program good for 124 semester hours. The program has been in existence in Indiana since 1935. It is not a federal program. There are a number of requirements that must be met in order to be eligible. Some of these requirements, but not the only ones, are a requirement that the veteran served on active duty during a period of war time and is service-connected disabled or has suffered a service-connected death as determined by VA and the Department of Defense. The program is an earned benefit and is not an entitlement. If you think you might be eligible, please contact our office at 349-2568 for an appointment. We will help you make an eligibility determination and provide help with the application. The changes to the remission of fees program contained in Indiana Senate Bill SB 577 would limit the amount of the remission of fees and tuition for each child to 20 percent plus a percentage equal to the veteran’s disability rating. The bill is aimed specifically at disabled veterans. Stephen W. Short, adjutant for the Indiana American Legion Department, asked the Senate appropriations committee to “consider that during any American wartime period, including the one we are in now, fewer than 10 percent of Americans wear the uniform of their nation. Even a smaller percentage of our fighting men and women incur injuries or wounds that bring about their disability rating.” “Now, during a war that has more Hoosiers committed to combat operations than anytime since World War II, we have members of the majority political party who want to scale back benefits to those Hoosiers who risk everything for us and ask nothing in return, other than to enjoy the benefits all of your predecessors saw fit to award.” The concern for disabled veterans expressed by the service organizations did not change any minds on the appropriations committee. All of the Republican members on the appropriations committee voted to continue to move the legislation before the Senate. Tom Dermody, Republican from LaPorte, will introduce a similar bill in the Indiana House asking for the same cuts. The four Democrats on the Appropriations Committee opposed the changes to fee remission for the reasons presented by the veterans organizations. You are encouraged to contact your state senator and representative to express your opposition to the reduction of these earned educational benefits. Tell them you are against SB 577 and HB 1328. You can find your State Senator and Representative at: http://district.iga.in.gov/DistrictLookup/ . Listed are their U.S. mail and e-mail addresses. Also available is their phone contact information. |
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