Corporal Matthew Lorscheider, 28, served his country for four years in the Marine Corps as a machine gunner in Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. After serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom when 9/11 happened and being deployed to Iraq for seven months in 2003, one would think that he had seen his fair share of battles.
Unfortunately, Lorscheider and many veterans, who are trying to further their education by attending college after their enlistments are up, have come across another fight. This time they are fighting stateside and their enemy is called the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
The source of veteran student’s problems today is due to the newest addition to the GI Bill family. Effective in 2009, the original GI Bill was updated to the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Chapter 33. This law gives veterans who served active duty on, or after, Sept. 11, 2001 improved education benefits that would cover more than just educational expenses. Veterans now receive a living allowance, money for books and the ability to transfer over their education benefits to their spouses or children.
Lorscheider originally received the Montgomery GI Bill and immediately began using it after his discharge in June of 2004. All 36 months of his eligibility were used by January 2008. He was originally told that because his eligibility was done he was not going to receive any entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program.
“The VA had a change of heart on that matter, however, and extended the eligibility to 48 months, allowing me the extra 12 months,” Lorscheider said.
The Post-9/11 Bill has encountered a big problem in the few months that it has been in effect. Payments to student veterans that were supposed to cover tuition, books and rent for Fall Semester 2009 were delayed for months and left these veterans with next to nothing to live on.
“At first the delay was understandable, I've dealt with the VA for the past 5 years and I'm used to these types of things, and I understand that to implement a program the size of the GI Bill takes time and a lot of hard work. But by the middle of September, they took ‘four to six weeks’ and changed it to ‘eight to ten weeks’ and then ‘ten to twelve weeks’ which is when I realized that I simply did not have the resources to hold out for that long,” Lorscheider explained. “The stress was incredible; I honestly think that it was the most stressful time in my life since my combat tour.”
Because of the delays in payments, the Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs, Retired U.S. Army General Eric K. Shinseki approved one-time 3,000 dollar advance payment checks to veterans who did not receive their benefits on time.
“This is an extraordinary action we’re taking,” said Shinseki on the VA’s GI Bill website. “But it’s necessary because we recognize the hardships some of our Veterans face.”
The delays in Lorscheider’s benefits made him eligible for the advance payment checks.
“Had it not been for the advance, I would have been evicted in October,” he said.
Despite the advancement check Lorscheider called it a “temporary patch”. It didn’t solve the problem that he had no reliable income, so he decided to take make a tactical decision.
“I wanted people to know what was going on, because I believe that if the average American knows that veterans aren't being treated right, they'll step up and help us...,” he stated.
Lorscheider began to write e-mails to the White House, Congresswoman Laura Richardson (D-37th District, Calif.), Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and every newspaper he could think of.
“I made the point in all these emails that this is not just play around money, this is money to live on while we go to school, it's supposed to cover our living expenses. I also wanted people to understand that we're not a bunch of whiners looking for a handout...,” Lorscheider said.
Luckily Lorscheider received his back check from the VA in mid-November and it seems that everything has been going well since. However, students, including Lorscheider, might not be out of the woods yet. The VA is going to be flooded with benefit applications for the upcoming Spring 2010 semester. Currently The Department of Veterans Affairs Education Call Center is closed on Thursdays and Fridays so their staff can process education benefit claims.
When asked if he was worried about the same delays happening in the next few months Lorscheider said, “I’m slightly concerned about spring semester. But I did receive two unexpected payments from (the) VA last week, I’m thinking that’s a sign that everything is due to kick on for the Spring.”
On tougher note Corporal Lorscheider is ready to do battle if things were to go wrong with his benefits again,
“The VA better hope things go smoothly, or else I'm marching into Congresswoman Richardson's office and demanding that heads roll...hell I might just run for congress myself.”
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