The American Legion
Association of Veterans Education
Certifying Officials
2014
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ECONOMIC DIVISION
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Education
Homeless Veterans
Employment
VA Home Loans
Veterans Preference
Small Business
Licensing and Certification
Objectives
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Brief History of The American Legion
Expectation of the GI Bill
How The American Legion is making a
difference in higher education
The American Legion
History with Education and
creators of the GI Bill
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Department of Veterans Affairs, The GI BILL’s
History
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“Harry W. Colmery, a former national commander of the
American Legion, is credited with drawing up the first draft
of the GI Bill. It was introduced in the House on Jan. 10,
1944, and in the Senate the following day. Both chambers
approved their own versions of the bill.”
(http://www.gibill.va.gov/benefits/history_timeline/index.ht
ml)
American Legion Post on Campus
Increase of student-veterans creating American
Legion Post on College Campus
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American Legion Post 397, Hodges University,
Florida
North Dakota State University Post 400, North
Dakota State University
University Veterans Legion Post 360, Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Continue
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Lake Erie Community College
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University of North Dakota, Post 401
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Colorado State University - Pueblo
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University of Akron
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Florida Institute of Technology
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American Legion Federal
Legislation Involvement
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America Competes Reauthorization
Act of 2014: Increase and create
pipelines into the Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
fields
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National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA) of 2015 : Tuition Assistance,
readiness, training, education, job
performance through education.
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Continued
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Higher Education Reauthorization Act
(HEA): data collection, reporting of data,
prior learning assessments, Competency
based education, etc.
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H.R. 4248, Veterans Education Outcomes Act:
Would require IHL to disseminate information
with respect to the completion rates,
employment rates, and retention rates of
recipients of GI Bill funding
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Continued
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Higher Education Reauthorization Act
(HEA):
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H.R. 3136, Advancing Competency-Based
Education Demonstration Project Act of 2013:
to establish a demonstration program for
competency-based education
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continued
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Department of Veteran Affairs:
 Issue: Currently veterans who submit for a
reimbursement of approved licensing test exam fees
are charged a month of entitlement regardless of the
cost of the exam. Low cost exams are being charged
one month entitlement similar to exams that may cost
up to $1601.69 for the academic year 2013.
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Recommendation: Congress change the current
law to reimburse VA approved exams at a pro-rated
number of days of entitlement scaled to the cost of
the exam.
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The continued vigilance of The American
Legion - the GI Bill’s creator and driving
force – remains essential for ensuring that this
21st Century GI Bill is refined to the point
where it deserves the title, “The Most
Significant Legislation of the 21st Century.”
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Questions?
THE AMERICAN LEGION
Contact Information:
Steve Gonzalez, Assistant Director:
Email: sgonzalez@legion.org
Office Number: 202-263-5761