On November 10, 2021, AACRAO held a coffee break to discuss AACRAO’s engagement in veteran and active service member’s regulatory and legislative issues. In specific, AACRAO Board members Rock McCaskill and Philip Hunt,
along with AACRAO’s government relations team, discussed the implementation of the Isakson Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvements Act. Over 260 individuals registered for the coffee break. If you didn’t get the chance to view
the discussion, here is a link to the recorded conversation.
The Isakson Roe Act, which took effect August 1, is a sweeping legislative package that provides important protections for student veterans to help ensure that they can use their GI Bill benefits to complete a quality postsecondary education. However, several
provisions could create unintended consequences for veterans and institutions. In particular, the new law includes language requiring institutions to submit dual certification for verification of enrollment, provide estimates of costs and aid
for the entire duration of the student's program, and establish eligibility under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) in order to participate in the GI Bill program.
Over the past year, AACRAO has actively engaged in an advocacy campaign to voice concerns about the problematic parts of the law. Most recently, the association is pressing for technical
changes to the legislation. The coffee break discussion included updates on bills introduced in the House and the Senate to address these time-sensitive issues and also touched on a range of other topics raised by the attendees.
As a result of the interest, robust discussion, and the
various veteran and active service member issues that continue to impact institutions and many of our members, AACRAO created a forum where individuals can interact, share ideas, and request the support of others when working with this student population.
Want to join? Click here to learn how to join this new Google group.