Dear students,
As we approach the end of the academic year and learn more about the impacts of COVID-19 on VA educational benefits, we are keeping a close eye on the work of advocacy organizations such as Student Veterans of America (SVA) and the National Association of Veteran Professional Administrators, which have been instrumental in several legislative fixes to mitigate many of these impacts.
If your VA benefits have been affected due to COVID-19 and have not been addressed by legislation, please reach out to our office, contact VA’s Education Call Center to speak with a VA representative at 1-888-442-4551, or contact Student Veterans of America’s National Headquarters at policy@studentveterans.org.
SVA Update: Senate Passes the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020
Last week, the Senate passed H.R. 6322, the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020. The bill authorizes continued VA Work-Study payments during COVID-19 pandemic, among other important fixes and protections.
SVA has heard from many student veterans who rely on their pay from a VA Work-Study position to make ends meet while in school. Without this new law, the VA would not have been able to continue to pay this benefit if a school is closed or has no way to support the VA Work-Study position remotely. SVA applauds Congress’ swift action to the address the urgent needs of student veterans across the country.
SVA knows there is more work to do. They’re tracking issues related to course options during the summer term, shifts in terms impacting housing, and availability of internship options. They continue to work closely with Capitol Hill, the VA, and VSO partners to understand and advocate for greater support for student veterans and their families during these unprecedented times. Learn more about SVA’s policy work related to COVID-19.
Virtual Lunch and Learn Series: Resources for Veterans, Families, Caregivers and Survivors Amid COVID-19
Sharing information and resources for Veterans, Families, Caregivers and Survivors amid the COVID-19 environment:
- VHA Office of Community Care (Urgent Care update)
- Facebook Military and Veteran Community Services
- Date: Thursday, April 30, 2020
- Time: 1:00 PM ET
- Topic: Resources for Veterans, Families, Caregivers and Survivors Amid COVID-19
- Presenters:
- Urgent Care: Dr. Mark Upton, VHA Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Community Care will discuss Urgent Care options and provide updates.
- Facebook: Payton Iheme (Public Policy) and Genelle Adrien (Politics and Government Outreach) will discuss Facebook’s ongoing work with the MilVet community and best practices for VSOs to reach their communities on Facebook and Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How to connect: http://va-eerc-ees.adobeconnect.com/veovfcelnl/
Additional Resources
Access additional resources through the Military and Veteran Services Updates folder on Box.
Military and Veteran Services
MSC 1175-153-121
Washington University
1 Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
https://veterans.wustl.edu | To schedule a meeting/phone call: https://meetme.so/milvet