Evening star., 1949-09-24
vACo||egeAides
To Help Speed
Certifications
Quick Action Expected
To Prevent Loss of
Government Aid

veterans administration Offls
cials on duty at Washington area
universities will attempt to pave
the way for fast VA payment Of
tuition and subsistence to some
student-veterans who have fin
ished or quit previous training
courses under the CT bill.
A VA spokesman said there Is
no anticipation. however, that the
way will be cleared for all pros
pective student veterans affected
by VAS controversial new restric-
tions on educational benefits.
Under the new VA policy, many.
veterans who apply for training
approval after September IL must
prove to VA that the courses they
want to take are in direct con-
nection with their jobs or plans
for future jobs. VA failed to an
nounce the September IL dead
line until after that date.
Now at Universities.
New regulations provide that
VA will not begin to pay tuition
costs and subsistence until train
ing for these veterans actually
is approved. even if the approval
date is after the training has
begun.
The only cases in which "on-
the-spot" approval can be given.
VA said, will be for veterans who
are able at that time to Justify"
the vocational aspects of their
training to the satisfaction Of
the officials on duty. Countless
requests for approval will have
to be processed through the VA
regional office here.
Meanwhile. Senator Taft, Re-
publican. of Ohio introduced bill
yesterday to assure that in the
future veterans tuition and sub
sistence payments would begin at
the date of their entry in school.
1t also provides that VA cannot
prohibit veterans from selecting
any course they desire.
An agency spokesman said Off
cials are on duty for current reg
istrations at Catholic and Mary
land Universities, and that others
will be assigned to George Wash
ington and certain schools Of
Georgetown and Howard UNIVERSE
ties during later registration Pc
riodS-
VA will be able to do nothing
about such service for training
schools below the higher educa-
ton level, because of the number
OF personnel that would be needed.
it was said.
Possible Moves Discussed.
The agency urged veterans who
as yet have not applied for ap-
proVal of their courses to submit
their arguments for vocational
justification" at the same time.
Because of the varied individual
cases involved, a VA official said
justification" could not be de-
fined further than to say the
agency must have reasons why
the training requested is essen
tial" to an educational or yoca.
tional objective.
Meanwhile, it was learned, VA
officials still are discussing possible
moves which may take some of the
sting out of the delayed-action
restrictions.
The regional Office reported it
has issued about 1000 supplement
tai certificates during the past
eight working days, and is pre-
pared to process between $50 and
zoo a day. 1t will take between
10 days and two weeks to process
an application that has to 20
through the. office.
Curb Avocational Courses
The cases in which any seri-
Gus delay is expected in this
area are those in which the appli-
cant fails to give full justifica.
ton OF the necessity of the course
to insure that it is not being
taken for avocational purposes.
The new regulation, it was ex-
planned, is result of prodding
from Congress that VA take steps
to stop veterans from taking avo-
cational courses. It was explained
that, during the hearings, there
were proposals that the prohibi-
ton be put in as an amendment
to the CT Bill. But VA officials, it
was. reported, told members Of
Congress it would, not be neces-
sary since VA had ample, author.
ity to do the same thing by regu-
iation. -
There was an inclination on the
part of VA officials to attribute
much of the difficulty to procras-
tination on the part of veterans.
VA spokesmen pointed out that
for months it had been urging
veterans to file their applications
early. Those who did so were not
affected, it was said.
Heart Attack Kills Sergeant