Congressman Eli Crane | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Eli Crane | Official U.S. House headshot
On July 27, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs voted to advance H.R.3974 – Veterans Education Assistance Improvement Act, legislation by Rep. Rosendale (R-MT) that includes the Transcript Assurance for Heroes Act by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ).
The Transcript Assurance for Heroes Act would cut red tape and streamline the unnecessarily complex process often experienced by GI Bill beneficiaries trying to access their official academic transcripts.
“I’m proud of the progress this legislation has made and am looking forward to the positive impact it will have on the warriors who put everything on the line for our nation,” said Rep. Crane.
Background:
Veterans receiving an education under the GI Bill often face obstacles in accessing their transcripts -- primarily through inaccurate billing practices and disputed debts. Institutions can exploit the lack of counseling for student veterans, misrepresenting the extent of financial coverage under the GI Bill. As a result, balances are left unpaid on student accounts, leading to the withholding of transcripts for these veterans.
This bill would require educational institutions to provide eligible veterans with readily available digital copies of their transcripts, ensuring unimpeded access.
Withholding academic transcripts can result in serious issues for our veterans, impacting their lives and education prospects for a lifetime. By withholding these academic records, it hinders the pursuit of further education, preventing them from transferring or pursuing advanced degrees.
Gatekeeping access can also lead to adverse credit scores, leading to difficulty securing employment, obtaining housing, and receiving financial aid – all of which incentivize the pursuit of unauthorized loans, offered via predatory practices.
Further, when academic institutions shut down, veterans need access to their records to transfer schools. Veterans who are leaving a closing school, should be afforded a much easier time acquiring the documents they need to advance their lives.
Original source can be found here.
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