Evening star., 1949-10-06
Controversial Curbs
On GI Bill Schooling
Abandoned by VA

Abandoned by VA
The Veterans Administration
has junked its controversial new
restrictions on CT Bill education,
substituting a more generous
regulation that will affect veter-
ans entering or changing educa-
tion or training courses after No
vember /.
Under the new policy, all vet
erans who enter training will have
to list the course and school they
wish to enter when applying for
"eligibility" certificates.
Three New Provisions.
But 1t provides:
!. Student-veterans will be able
to change courses, resume courses
they previously have quit or begin
new ones, providing the new
courses are commonly recog-
nized as being in the same general
held' as the old.
2. VA will date tuition and sub
sistence pay back to the time vet
erans enter training, in case the
approval should be given after
the courses are begun.
3. II IVA disapproves a course
In which q veteran already has
begun training. the agency will
not pay any tuition or subsistence
pay for the interim period.
Terms Of Old Order.
Under the abolished regulation,
VA said all student veterans who
wanted to change or resume
courses would have had to fur
nish complete justification" that
such training was needed for a
Job. It also said VA would begin
to pay only from the time courses
actually were approved, even If
training had started previously.
The old order which became
effective September IL, was not
announced officially until Sep
tember Is. VA moved the effec-
tive date up to November /. after
q storm Of protest about the thou
sands of veterans affected. The
effects first were published in The
Star.
Announcing the new policy. VA
stressed 1t still will restrict train
ing in courses that are "avoca-
tional or recreational." Likewise.
veterans will not be permitted to
get CT Bill benefits in schools
that have been in existence less
than a year from the time they
enroll.
Guidance Provision.
The new regulation provides
that, if a veteran wants to change
to a course not in the same gen
eral field" Of study, the agency
will require the veteran to under
no guidance ito determine his
aptitude for and need Of such a
course to complete his Job objec-
tive"
At the same time, Veterans Ad-
ministrator Gray announced plans
to submit to Congress a "full re-
port on conditions of education
and training under the CT Bill as
it exists in the field today"
Mr.. Gray announced the poten-
tial cost Of the education and
training benefits is 100000, ,000,-
900. That figure, however, is SIM
ply the amount it would take to
train 100000 World War II
veterans for an average Of 40
months each. Through last June
80, officials said. VA has spent
more than $4,000, 100000 on the
program. which does not end un-
til July rs. 1855.
Taft Bill Studied.
Meanwhile. the Senate Labor
Committee today met in closed
session to consider q bill introduced
by Senator Taft. Republican, Of
Ohio to regulate VAS authority
to restrict courses.
Acting Chairman Pepper read q
letter at yesterdays session from
H. v. Stirling, VA education chief,
which said Mr.. Gray has concluded
he lacks authority under existing
law to correct grave abuses which
now exist.
The letter said that "the under
lying spirit Of the education and
training provision Of the act for all
practical purposes has been lost
sight Of" 1t was reported.
Another part Of the new VA Or
der, meanwhile. liberalizes restric-
tions on veterans who want to en-
ter elementary flight training, pri-
vate pilot or commercial pilot
fight courses.
It provided that a veteran can
qualify for such training. If he
submits an affidavit, supported by
corroborative afhdavits from two
competent disinterested persons"
that such flight training will be
useful to him In connection with
earning q livelihood"
Six Hurt in Derailmenf
Near St. Paul Station