Pallone Demands Answers from Department of Veterans Affairs on Shortcomings in Serving Student Veterans

Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough to express concern about reports of communication failures and a general lack of responsiveness by Education Liaison Representatives (ELR) at VA Regional Offices in New Jersey and across the country. Pallone urged the Secretary to address these concerns and take meaningful steps to ensure veterans and their families receive the educational benefits they earned.

An ELR acts as a VA representative and liaison between schools, training establishments, VA regional offices and State Approving Agencies (SAA). They are assigned to a specific state and are required to inform educational institutions of changes in VA policies and procedures. Recently, student veteran groups and educational institutions nationwide, including Rutgers University, have indicated that the VA has failed to communicate with schools and promptly notify them of changes to policies and procedures.

“The purpose of the VA is to serve our nation’s veterans and deliver benefits they earned in a reliable and equitable manner,” Pallone wrote. “There are too many instances of a lack of communication from the VA to federally funded higher education institutions on important matters relating to veterans’ education programs. Our nation’s veterans and universities should not have to jump through bureaucratic hurdles to speak with VA representatives and access educational benefits.”

“I’m a veteran.  Most of the professionals who work with veterans in higher education have served or are related to someone who serves,” said Ann Treadaway, Director of the Office of Veteran and Military Programs and Services at Rutgers University. “This work is personal and we’re failing these veterans and their families when we can’t get them answers. I'm grateful to Congressman Pallone for sounding the alarm on this important issue. Student veterans deserve better."

The letter specifically highlights complaints from Rutgers University that school officials have not had meaningful contact with New Jersey’s ELR for more than a year. Pallone expressed concern that institutions of higher education in New Jersey were not informed of changes to the compliance survey notification process made in the Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act. Congress passed the Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act in 2022 to ensure student veterans can easily access and maintain their earned G.I. bill and other education benefits.

A copy of the letter is available HERE.