Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-24
Double Tuition
Paid 10 vMI
Under GI Bill
Accountants Report
State as Well as VA
Cove Fees for Cadets
By Robert K. Welsh

IL AAlAd MlAltdIy 4liotituUC "a
diets under the CT Bill of Rights
between 1945 and 1949 got tuition
from the State as we'll as the
Federal Government and usually
received cash bonuses" on gradu-
alton. a House committee was in
formed today.
General Accounting Office IN
described this unique"
arrangement in reporting on a
survey Of scores of colleges, trade
schools and other institutions
which participated in the rro-
gram.
Some Of the colleges raised tut
ton more than 800 per cent, they
said. One instance was cited of a
university that increased it's rates
l 200 per cent on joining the pro-
gram. They also testified that
several schools raised tuition rates
Tor veterans but not for non
veteran students. AS a result of
the survey, they said, they raised
questions" concerning about IS per
cent OF the schools they investi-
gated.
Double Tuition Stopped.
The VMI arrangement, accord
ing to the GAO witnesses, was
called to the attention of the Vet
Grams Administration in 1949 but
was approved by that agency so
fas as use of Government funds
was concerned, the GAO officials
said. Later the State Federal dou-
BILE tuition system was stopped at
VMI. they added.
The GAO attorneys and investi-
gators testified before a special
committee studying the educa-
tional, training and loan guaran-
tee programs for servicemen. That
$12 billion postwar program ends
this week. The House committee
headed by Representative league,
Democrat, of Texas, is consider
ing the ACCESSIBILITY of recon-
mending legislation to continue
the program in a limited form.
Charles E. Eckert, a GAO attor-
ney, told the committee that the
State Of Virginia provides an
appropriation to cover tuition of
certain Virginia residents attend
ing VMI. The Veterans Admin
istration under the CT bill pro-
vided the same rate of payment
for tuition of cadets who were
veterans.
Calls 1t Overpayment.
Mr.. Eckert estimated that the
double tuition ARRANGEMENT
amounted to an "overpayment"
of approximately $4,000 between
1945 and 1949. Each veteran at
VMI stood to receive a refund"
OF about $500 and this was usually
given to him as a cash payment
on graduation.
Each cadet who receives State
paid tuition at VMI is credited
with that amount which is sup
posed to cover all his expenses
for the year. A veteran, Mr.. Eek
ert explained, also was credited
with an equal amount of tuition
paid by the Veterans Admins
tration. Thus if the cadet lived
within his normal credit he could
be given a bonus" in the form
of the Federal payment.
$50 far as I know" Mr.. Eckert
said. In reply to q committee ques-
ton. mo other school had an
arrangement like that. It was
unique"
Overpayments Put at $40 Million.
The other GAO witnesses were
Francis j. Matchett. assistant
chief of investigations. Wayne H.
Smith of the general counsel's
office and w. c. Ayres, an in
vestigator.
They estimated that overpay-
ments by the Government to APP
proximately 1000 institutions of
all kinds participating in the pro-
gram amounted to about $40 mil
lion during the last five years.
About So million has been paid
back to the Government, the larg-
est repayment being a 81 million
returned by the State of Alabama
The GAO officials explained that
the overpayments resulted from
many causes. Some of them re-
suited only from overestimates of
needs but many Of them resulted
from questionable procedures
from an auditing standpoint If
not from a legal standpoint.
They emphasized, however, the
$40 million estimate was in no
way complete because the survey
they made covered little more than
10 per cent of the participating in
situations in fewer than a dozen
States.