Student Vets Launch GI Bill Survey

The Student Veterans of America has launched an online survey to help it determine whether veterans have received benefits under the new GI Bill on time.

The Washington-based SVA , which includes a coalition of veterans groups on campuses across the country, says it decided to conduct the survey as it needs "substantial data to effectively advocate on behalf of student veterans."

The survey -- if enough student vets respond -- could also serve as an early warning indicator of whether or not the Veterans Affairs Department is living up to its promise to pay in a timely manner the claims of veterans enrolled this fall under the new GI Bill.

Meanwhile, the latest report from the VA shows it has 234,260 "education work items pending" as of yesterday (Monday, May 24), up 23,009 or 10.9 percent from last week.

While some folks - including my pals on the Hill - might call this an education claim backlog, Keith Wilson, director of the VA Education Service, told me last week that I should not construe those figures as solely backlogged claims.

The number of "education work items pending" includes everything from new education claims as well as queries from vets who need an answer and other non-claim items, Wilson told me.

The non-claim items are about 20- 25 percent of the above figures, he said. This means, based on my journalist math, that VA still has about 176,000 GI Bill claims to process, though the fall semester is starting at many schools next week. VA reports average processing time for all GI Bill claims (including the new bill and older bills) runs 56 days.

Wilson told me the VA turns around new GI Bill claims in 30 days.

I have hunch the SVA survey will prove invaluable in the months to come.