Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays some of the educational expenses at institutions of higher learning for eligible veterans and for military personnel who served on active duty for at least 90 days after September 11, 2001. Those people also can transfer their benefits to their spouses and children under certain conditions. VA pays an amount equal to the actual tuition and fees charged to in-state residents for students attending public institutions or, for students at private institutions, an amount up to a maximum ($22,805 for the 2017-2018 academic year). The program also provides a monthly housing allowance to some beneficiaries while they attend school.
H.R. 3634 would require VA to use an Internet website to inform beneficiaries of the amount of the monthly housing allowance to which they are entitled. The department currently provides that information for beneficiaries who are veterans. Because the department reports that it is in the process of making the same information available to other beneficiaries, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 3634 would have no budgetary effect.
